Is it Even Worth it Anymore?

[leebee]

I have a friend at WDW right now- in fact, she just messaged me from the bus on her way to MK. They are offsite for the first time ever; they are dedicated POR or BC people, but she got the Waldorf at less than half of what she'd have had to pay for a moderate. She says it's busy but not Christmas-week busy. Lyft/Uber and the hotel bus are working fine for them and she says paying extra for rides is never gonna happen, so no Genie+. She said they've had a great time, gotten on everything they want with "reasonable" waits (probably meaning about 45 mins, don't know for sure), even Remy at park opening (she said about an hour, they had pastries while waiting in line), and are having a wonderful time. She didn't experience the pre-planning stress because they aren't doing G+/ILL and she was flexible about ADR times (so got the restaurants they wanted... and the Epcot food booths, due to having PHs). She said she is relying on her experience at WDW and that her usually sound park-touring strategies are still working for them.

 

[lugnut33]

Me and my two daughters (ages 21 & 25) just returned from a 4 day Disney World trip. Me and the 21 year old hadn't been in about 5 years and the 25 year old hadn't been in 7. I went in to this trip as nervous and stressed about any trip I'd ever been on. We totally didn't know what to expect and were quite overwhelmed by all the new rules and systems (Genie). We spent a lot of time preparing so we could get the most out of the trip. Overall we had a wonderful time and did everything we wanted. Got to meet characters, ride almost everything (other than rides being down all day long, I'm looking at you RnR and Safaris), see the shows we wanted to see, and yes we spent a lot of money. Disney is definitely an expensive trip, so be prepared. My girls and I agreed that the magic was still there, and Dad even had a moment as he took a picture of his girls sitting with Roy Disney on the bench, just like when they were little girls (even now makes me tear up a bit)

We stayed at Caribbean Beach Resort and were lucky enough to have a great room right near the Skyliner and a bus stop. I can't tell you how much we all loved the Skyliner. What a great addition.

 

[Holly]

I just got back from a trip (my first in several years due to COVID) and my expectations were very low based on what I'd read here. I was pleasantly surprised- Genie+ worked well for us and it wasn't as crowded as I'd anticipated. I do understand why some people feel nickel and dime to death- I paid for Genie+, at least one LL per day, park hopping, and we stayed on site to take advantage of early entry. Without those extras, we wouldn't have been able to do nearly as much.

 

[jimmymc]

Did a trip over Easter weekend and it was great! I think the reservation system has helped level out crowds on typically packed days, like Spring break or holiday weekends. Most big rides had 60 minute waits, and smaller ones were 30 to 45 minutes. I did use Genie+ and I think that helped a lot. Just based on wait times I saved 3-4 hours each day I used it, and knowing what I do now it could've been more. All together I paid a little bit more, but enjoyed it just as much if not more as my trips in 2019 and earlier.

 

[gharter]

No it's not. Just don't go. It's time to stop justifying and rationalizing reasons to go. You're on a Disney fan message board so you're obviously going to get a lot of "measured yes's" because none of us want to admit that it's kind of time to just stop going, but it is. Sorry. Time to pass on a Disney trip and spend your hard-earned vacationing dollars elsewhere for the time being. You can get so much more value elsewhere.

For you, clearly not worth it, so don't go.
We spent 3 days at Universal and 4 days at WDW.
We had fun at Universal, saw and did a lot, but still enjoyed WDW more.
YMMV.

 

[familyS]

Honestly, I have been going to WDW since it opened (I was a young teen ). Probably visit once every 7 or 8 years, and now we go about every 4 years. So we have seen many changes - FP, FP+, Genie (to be experienced soon), dining plan, no dining plan, park hopping, no park hopping. There are always people with negative experiences and comments where their trip didn't meet their expectations. For my family, we still see great value in our trips and have been able to experience budget friendly trips. Now that we are becoming empty nesters - look forward to visiting more often and longer trips (next trip 11 nights)

 

[mom2diskids]

I did a 5 day trip a few weeks ago and before we left I spent so much time on these boards and other forums, the negativity really got into my head and I was not looking forward to our trip at all, but it was a trip to make-up for my son's canceled bday trip in May of 2020 and he's been looking forward to it for so long. We had a wonderful, magical, great time, did every ride we wanted (multiple times), CM's were wonderful, all the guests we interacted with were great too. Bus service to/from POR was quick every day, room was clean, found plenty of merchandise to buy, we had some great food and yummy treats, nothing to complain about all the way around. I really regret letting internet strangers complaints dampen my excitement and it was a lesson learned for me! It's a new normal and it will never be like was before, but it's not worse, just different and your trip will be what you make of it.

 

[rdaky]

Everything is perspective. Go or don't go. There are people who go and have an amazing time, and people who go and are miserable. If you're looking for reasons to not go, you will find them on the internet.

 

[MickMick]

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this question. To be fair, I’ve never felt a “magical experience” at any of the parks. I’ve encountered delightful cast members, made wonderful memories with my family, and have had fun. But I’ve never had an earth shattering experience.

I went in November. It was hot. I did everything I wanted to do. But my god…the World Showcase was packed and that was the only miserable moment of my trip.

The advice I give everyone considering a trip - make your reservations and tailor your expectations.

I’m going back in a month. but this time I’m going to spend some time at Universal. Disney won’t get all of money. Nope.

 

[HopperFan]

I have a friend at WDW right now- in fact, she just messaged me from the bus on her way to MK. They are offsite for the first time ever; they are dedicated POR or BC people, but she got the Waldorf at less than half of what she'd have had to pay for a moderate. She says it's busy but not Christmas-week busy. Lyft/Uber and the hotel bus are working fine for them and she says paying extra for rides is never gonna happen, so no Genie+. She said they've had a great time, gotten on everything they want with "reasonable" waits (probably meaning about 45 mins, don't know for sure), even Remy at park opening (she said about an hour, they had pastries while waiting in line), and are having a wonderful time. She didn't experience the pre-planning stress because they aren't doing G+/ILL and she was flexible about ADR times (so got the restaurants they wanted... and the Epcot food booths, due to having PHs). She said she is relying on her experience at WDW and that her usually sound park-touring strategies are still working for them.

I think is is becoming a a big problem for the moderate and value level. Deluxe hotels were already so overpriced that I don't think money is a component of a decision. But value and moderates, priced higher than legit deluxe offsite has to have an impact going forward, especially with lack of housekeeping. With so many of the Disney perks removed .... I can stay in a 2 bedroom condo with amenities for less than a value resort most times of the year.

I think what your friend says and what many on here have posted is that they still had a great trip BUT the common denominator is that most these folks are not on their first trip, or first in many years. They have the built in knowledge they need even if they don't realize it. Like I can look at Jungle Cruise line and know if that posted wait time is true or not. A newbie might just lose an hour of their day by not realizing that time is wrong.

Me telling people not to go is those folks who have never been, or haven't been since they were a child. I would hate someone spending the thousands of dollars only to come home sad for what they didn't do. I think for those folks it makes more sense to wait until Disney opens EVERYTHING, until Disney hires back all the staff they need to make it run smooth and faster, when Disney opens up restaurants fully so that getting a decent range of ADRS is an option (I can't even imagine how hard it would be to get an ADR if there were a DDP) and honestly they need to figure out how to make the Genie+ system flexible like FP+ was. The park reservation system stinks for those who like to be impromptu - but we can live with it. It is totally a win for Disney even though a lose for many guests. Then again, because of the system we have opted to not make ADRs since it just complicates the days so they get less of our money.

 

[tiggerunner]

I’m just leaving after a week trip. I found CM and even guests all very nice, patient and joyful with each other. We never used Genie or LL and took our time at the parks because we have been here frequently. On that note- we have been here many times in May and it is very busy. Be prepared to be on lines for long waits almost everywhere. We did resort time, a paint class and rested. Half the people were on their phones as soon as they entered a line- miss the chit chat with other guests. We will not renew our annual pass and no anger, just what will be best for us. It feels more stressed for people, but doable and fun if you plan a bit and go with the flow. By the way, Winnie the Pooh chasing butterflies in Epcot were a great 20 minutes

 

[stinkpickle]

Based on our last two trips to each (within the last 6 months), we'll be going back to Universal next. WDW needs some time to settle down.

 

[gharter]

I think is is becoming a a big problem for the moderate and value level. Deluxe hotels were already so overpriced that I don't think money is a component of a decision. But value and moderates, priced higher than legit deluxe offsite has to have an impact going forward,

We haven't stayed in a moderate of value for years since buying DVC.
I was shocked to see they had gotten so expensive. Paying cash, staying off site would start to look very enticing.

 

[mdoc]

We went to MK for a single Wednesday in early March. It was a last minute trip, and my granddaughter's first trip to Disney World (her first scheduled trip was cancelled in March 2020 because the parks closed). I didn't think this was prime spring break season, the crowd calendars I looked at didn't indicate huge crowds, and there were same day park reservations available. Notwithstanding all that, the place was packed!!!! Over the years, the vast majority of our trips have been during Thanksgiving week, Christmas week and Easter week, so I'm used to crowds. And this was crowded! Unfortunately, the ways we dealt with crowds in the past weren't available. No fast passes. A half hour early entry instead of a full hour (which makes a huge difference!). I don't think they're fully staffed at this point, although I really don't know - it sure didn't seem like it. Also, there were a number of ride closures throughout the day that didn't help. For instance, Pooh was closed during early entry and for a while after that, and also went down in the afternoon, which extended the LL return time beyond when we needed to leave, so we didn't get to ride that.

Anyway, we had fun despite the crowds, and despite a couple hours of thunderstorms that did nothing to clear people out of the park. We were there to give a 2 year old a good time, and that was possible because we weren't trying to ride any roller coasters other than the Barnstormer and she had no big expectations. If we had older kids, or we were trying to do a lot, it would not have been a good time at all and I would have been very disappointed and wouldn't have considered the visit "worth it." We paid for Genie+, and that helped a little, but we still didn't get to ride and do a lot of what we could have with a 2 year old.

That said, we're heading back in November for a longer trip, and hoping things have improved.

 

[HIRyeDVC]

https://www.dvcresalemarket.com/blog/disney-reports-massive-park-gains/

Article from the board's main sponsor. Looks like business is BOOMING. Park reservations and increasing prices are here to stay.

 

[katyjeka]

Disneyworld is one of my favorite places so this is a tough one for me. Our family has made so many wonderful memories through the years and I always planned on continuing with our future grandchildren. We bought season passes last year and went in December. The trip was fun but it was probably our least favorite vacation to date. I don't want to place the blame entirely on WDW as I do believe half of the issue was that our family has changed. We started taking our girls on visits to national parks and our girls have discovered that they enjoy that more. I'm not sure if we've over did Disney throughout the years but its missing something for us. This year we are planning Glacier, Olympia, and Yellowstone. We will be visiting all three for a lot less than Disney. My husband is thrilled. We are not big fans of the changes with advanced reservations, Genie, etc... It's all a little confusing for us. I guess I'm getting old because planning is not as fun as it once was. I do think if we were a family just starting out we would probably go and have nothing to complain about as we would have nothing to compare it to. Disney in the 90's was awesome. Once we drove under the gate it was as if we entered a different world. Unfortunately the feeling no longer exists. Sometimes I feel as if they have grown too big and the real world has taken over our magic place. I will say the cast members in December were wonderful and made us feel welcomed. I felt sorry for how hard they seemed to be working. With everything I've said I would never base a trip on trip reviews. A trip is what you make it. Go with a good attitude and you'll have a successful(but expensive)trip.

 

[foolishmortal91]

It's hard not to get discouraged with how much WDW has changed and my inner child is constantly fighting with my pragmatic mind when deciding if it's worth spending the time and money. My inner child usually wins.

 

[NickC]

We got back last month.We usually start planning our next trip as soon as we get home, but we didn't do that this year. We still had a good time, but it was different.
For us, 'worth it' includes more than money. Yes, WDW is expensive, but it's (pretty much) always been expensive. Spending 10 or even 20% more for a trip is certainly a huge consideration. But, I can say that I would not have enjoyed our trip more if it was less expensive. So, money certainly plays a huge part, but for us, 'time' is also something to consider. We don't do multiple 10 day family trips per year. We typically do a longer trip to WDW and then maybe a long weekend here or there. Since we only have limited time to take a family vacation, we want to make sure that we are having the best time possible. That was usually WDW. But, now we are looking elsewhere. Maybe we won't find anything better, but I think a break from Disney is in our future.

 

[HopperFan]

https://www.dvcresalemarket.com/blog/disney-reports-massive-park-gains/

Article from the board's main sponsor. Looks like business is BOOMING. Park reservations and increasing prices are here to stay.

As with all companies Disney will use all the fuzzy math they can to make things look good without comparing apples to apples. It was easy enough to read between the lines with all the quarterly report comments.

They say "per guest spending is up" while I would think the more truthful answer is "per guest cost of going to Disney has gone up". When you drastically raise the cost of tickets (Genie+), hotel rooms, dining, snacks, merchandise, parking .... of course guest spending goes up, they had no choice in many of these. Add that Disney opened up more hotel rooms on property so guests that had stayed offsite are now spending lots more by staying onsite. It didn't change the overall average guest. In short, of course John & Sue's spending goes up when costs go up.

John & Sue, along with many others may take that money elsewhere next year where they can get more for their money, see new things and feel better about their value. With the state of the world Disney needs to step back from this going for that - BIG SPENDER once in a lifetime guest - because that group may be shrinking. They need to think about those diehards that visited once or twice or more every single year that they could depend on that spending. Think about it, Disboards is a negligible percentage of Disney World fans, but may be some of the most committed fanatics - and yet many are stating they are cutting back. Imagine what the other 99.9% are saying. Disney's demographic goals shouldn't be so narrow because at some point the "cost of going" is not going to work out in to their agenda of "spending is up."

 

[MikeTheRed]

On the tail-end of our trip right now (rest day) and it's the first time my partner and I have been to Disney in 21 and 17 years respectively. So we have a different perspective than those who make WDW a regular part of their travel plans. Also, "is it worth it?" is so incredibly subjective I know it varies person-to-person.

For us? Worth it. We are staying at PORFQ, got tickets with park hopper and Genie+. I know a lot of things that were "free" just last year are paid now (magic bands, airport transportation etc.) but in the grand scheme of the total cost of the trip, we don't feel that they added much. We are also childless millennials, so we aren't hitting the cost scaling problems larger groups/families do.

For crowds, timing really seems like it was everything. We arrived last Thursday, 5/12, and for Friday, Saturday & Sunday in the parks (Epcot, then MK, then HS) crowds felt very reasonable. We took advantage of early entry from the resort and between rope-dropping and some lucky with Genie+ got all of our key rides done in each park well before noon. Monday however things got bonkers. It's clear that this week is the start of end-of-school holiday trips (though before the invasion starts post-memorial day). Things in HS and Epcot yesterday were B-U-S-Y and we expect the last two days of our trip to be similarly crowded. But even with that we got to ride a bunch of stuff, just with more waiting.

We've had great experiences with dining (Brown Derby, Be Our Guest, Space 220, Biergarten), though getting these required me to sign up to ************ to get notices when spots opened up. This was the most annoying thing about planning the trip, but it wasn't terrible.

All-in-all, we've had a great time. I can see how things are more difficult/expensive now if you've got a larger group, or are traveling with little kids, but for two adults who can walk for miles, and are very flexible in plans (Oh, Rockin Rollercoaster just dropped to a 30min wait, lets power walk over there right now!) we've been able to do everything we wanted with minimal stress or frustration. Will we make this a regular trip going forward? Probably not, but that's really just because we like to try new things for each of our vacations.

Also coming in with a positive, can-do attitude helps a TON with this, or any form of travel. If you're already thinking "Ugh, this doesn't seem worth it anymore..." then I suggest listening to your gut and taking another trip. If that's where you're starting from, it's going to amplify every frustrating moment in the parks and become a self-fulfilling prophecy.