It's finally starting to get to me . . .

[nilla]

Exactly -- what they don't know won't hurt them, right?

A wise man once said, "none that that good (stuff) lasts forever, but you might just like the new changes better."

...

Ok, so it was Violent J of the Insane Clown Posse who said that, in a song. But still, it's a good thought

 

[NorthshoreTigerFan]

There are two consistent complaints regarding Disney World: (1) It's too crowded and (2) It's too expensive. It seems obvious to me that Disney is in the process of solving complaint #1 with complaint #2. Between increasing the prices for tickets, food, merchandise, lodging, etc.; and decreasing the benefits for AP and DVC, Disney appears to be working towards finding the "sweet spot" of profitability and user experience. This stinks for us, but if it was your business you would do the same thing.

The situation will get to a point (and has already reached that point) where some of us choose either not to visit Disney or visit less frequently. And Disney is perfectly fine with that.

 

[momof2n2]

You know, OP, two years ago when a thread of this vein was started, it was met with a significant amount of objections. For sure there were some posters in agreement (many no longer post here); but overall there was a lot of disagreement. Today, you have a lot of folks with like-minded responses. I get that WDW doesn't need repeat visitors.* I hear that here repeatedly. If we accept that DIS board members are among the most rabid fans, it's worth noting the tide is turning. Or it is at least seeing some loss of momentum.

* or do they?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Well, we aren't going until November 2017, so by that time we will have Rivers of Light, Animal Kingdom as a nighttime park (worth the trip alone), hopefully Pandora, Frozen ride, updated Soarin, and all the new restaurants at Disney Springs. And maybe other stuff.

Living with The Land was never open past 7 before when I went so closing parts of Future World early doesn't bother me. We will see what else changes...

I'm still excited to go.

Go somewhere else in the meantime, that's what we do! Last year we took a Royal Caribbean cruise, this year we are going to Dollywood and the Smokey Mountains!

I go around every 5 to 6 years and while each trip is slightly different than the last most of the stuff happening at WDW I can deal with until our next trip which is Sep 2017 (with our last being Sep 2011) although I'm not quite excited for the construction at DHS with Toy Story Land and Star Wars Land still I can deal.

Unfortunately it's the locals or the ones that make trips every year or 2 that get really hit hard with all the changes and from what I've heard from a lot of people the magical experience fades at each trip (at least for those having gone since around 2014 and after) and a lot of that I think is just change after change after change. This of course is not to say that there hasn't been plenty of people still very happy with their trips.

 

[NorthshoreTigerFan]

You know, OP, two years ago when a thread of this vein was started, it was met with a significant amount of objections. For sure there were some posters in agreement (many no longer post here); but overall there was a lot of disagreement. Today, you have a lot of folks with like-minded responses. I get that WDW doesn't need repeat visitors.* I hear that here repeatedly. If we accept that DIS board members are among the most rapid fans, it's worth noting the tide is turning. Or it is at least seeing some loss of momentum.

* or do they?

It would be interesting to know if Disney monitors boards like this, taking it all with a big fat grain of salt because we are among the most rabid fans. Or do they only watch the attendance figures? I figure that they have someone monitoring these boards, but their primary (probably only) measuring stick is attendance. Once attendance drops low enough for long enough, they know they have gone too far and need to back off.

 

[shanethesaint88]

I don't think that its just the closures of "frequent visitors" favorite things that are upsetting them. I don't think anyone is saying oh well soaring is down im not going to WDW this year.
I believe it is the combination of attractions, shows, etc., being down and mixed with the God awful crowds and the increased prices all together. It's like they are saying hey soaring is down but you can wait 4 times longer for test track and pay a lot more.
Don't get me wrong I will back to WDW but maybe not until 2018, 2019. I love the place to pieces but it's not enjoyable for us. It this disney cruise is great then thats where we will be until things come around at WDW

 

[Disneyhappy]

Love Disney, always will. Visited about 50 times in my lifetime. Love DVC. That said, I agree with OP and have noted for a few years here that the experience is just not the same. For us it began with the DDP. Food became mediocre with diminishing choices. We sold one of our DVC contracts and added a second annual visit to Universal with annual passes. Universal is not Disney but a more relaxing and enjoyable vacation in many ways. Portofino Bay is hands down our favorite resort in all of Orlando. It also kills me to say that Disney does not have any park area that comes close to competing with the theme Harry Potter. (Also though I have faith that Disney will not let us down with the upcoming additions to the parks). Last summer we talked 3 different family friends to scratch Disney for Universal for their family vacation and they loved it. As a resident expert in my office, everyone complains to me upon their return about crowds and prices, no matter how well I try to prepare them. Based on the current costs and attraction capacity, the cost benefit is difficult to support for those who have had a long love affair with Disney. I hope there will be more bang for the buck when they are finished with the upgrades which look to be several years down the road. Until them, we cut back on visits, hang more at Universal and rent many of our DVC points. Currently, we have no plans to visit in 2017 when previously we visited at least 3 times per year. Our changes of touring is not hurting Disney, though, since for everyone like me, they have at least 2 new customers who become hooked at their child's first smile of anything Disney.

 

[nilla]

If we accept that DIS board members are among the most rapid fans, it's worth noting the tide is turning.

Maybe this isn't an accurate analogy, but I liken this to when a band comes out with a new album, and a large portion of the fans complain that the band "sold out", "is done", etc.

People become rabid fans because they really like something in one, specific form. When that changes, some will embrace and adjust, but others will feel left behind, cheated, betrayed, etc. Just the fact that people like that specific form that much leads me to believe that they might be resistant to change, no matter what the changes are.

For everything that Disney changed for the worse, I can find at least one thing they changed for the better. And yes, it's more expensive, but everything is. Not much in terms of entertainment is getting cheaper.

To me, Disney still offers, by far, the most "bang for my buck", and to me, it's well worth it. Are there things they could do that would change that? Absolutely. I think they're a long ways from that point, though.

 

[tlmadden73]

For everything that Disney changed for the worse, I can find at least one thing they changed for the better. And yes, it's more expensive, but everything is. Not much in terms of entertainment is getting cheaper.

To me, Disney still offers, by far, the most "bang for my buck", and to me, it's well worth it. Are there things they could do that would change that? Absolutely. I think they're a long ways from that point, though.

This.

Before 2014 .. my last trip was in 2010.

Things that changed that I loved?
- Magic Bands
- Fast Passes
- Seven Dwarves Mine Train
- Be Our Guest Restaurant
- Finally being able to ride Toy Story Midway Mania (because of FP+)

 

[shanethesaint88]

This.

Before 2014 .. my last trip was in 2010.

Things that changed that I loved?
- Magic Bands
- Fast Passes
- Seven Dwarves Mine Train
- Be Our Guest Restaurant
- Finally being able to ride Toy Story Midway Mania (because of FP+)

Magic bands are awesome!
Fast pass plus not so much and 7DMT not so much either (in my opinion of course)

 

[TippeeCanoe]

For everything that Disney changed for the worse, I can find at least one thing they changed for the better. And yes, it's more expensive, but everything is. Not much in terms of entertainment is getting cheaper.

To me, Disney still offers, by far, the most "bang for my buck", and to me, it's well worth it. Are there things they could do that would change that? Absolutely. I think they're a long ways from that point, though.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/fyi-more-cuts-coming.3484327/

 

[ArwenMarie]

I don't think that its just the closures of "frequent visitors" favorite things that are upsetting them. I don't think anyone is saying oh well soaring is down im not going to WDW this year.
I believe it is the combination of attractions, shows, etc., being down and mixed with the God awful crowds and the increased prices all together. It's like they are saying hey soaring is down but you can wait 4 times longer for test track and pay a lot more.
Don't get me wrong I will back to WDW but maybe not until 2018, 2019. I love the place to pieces but it's not enjoyable for us. It this disney cruise is great then thats where we will be until things come around at WDW

I agree, all of the cuts/closures combine. Even things that seem small. They all add up into a diminished experience. And everyone has a different tipping point where they say it's not worth it anymore.

 

[3DisneyFanz]

A wise man once said, "none that that good (stuff) lasts forever, but you might just like the new changes better."

...

Ok, so it was Violent J of the Insane Clown Posse who said that, in a song. But still, it's a good thought

I don't think replacing something with nothing really applies.

 

[amg35]

http://www.disboards.com/threads/fyi-more-cuts-coming.3484327/

I'll bite .

None of those cuts really bother me. Curbside greeter? I don't even remember those from older trips. Mousegears opening later? No problem. Character cuts? Never been my priority. Fantasmic, parades only once a night? Fortunately for me, not a priority.

I'm just saying this to prove the point - no matter what they do that people on this board think is inexcusable...there will be people like me who won't care! And before you call me a cheerleader or a Kool-Aid drinker, I'm not the one going to Disney every 6 months to a year....

I said before though, I feel for those who are losing jobs/hours over this.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I thought I read that Darth Vader was no longer doing meet and greets. Many loved interacting with this classic character.

Darth Vader was replaced by Kylo Ren. Some of the other cancelled characters are not being replaced. Those are staffing cuts.

 

[3DisneyFanz]

I'll bite .

None of those cuts really bother me. Curbside greeter? I don't even remember those from older trips. Mousegears opening later? No problem. Character cuts? Never been my priority. Fantasmic, parades only once a night? Fortunately for me, not a priority.

I'm just saying this to prove the point - no matter what they do that people on this board think is inexcusable...there will be people like me who won't care! And before you call me a cheerleader or a Kool-Aid drinker, I'm not the one going to Disney every 6 months to a year....

I said before though, I feel for those who are losing jobs/hours over this.

It's always fascinating that the cuts come from minimum wage people and not the people who sign off on the initial problems.

 

[Bullseye]

Over the past eleven years despite park changes and ride closures we haven't had a bad trip yet, not even close. This year total cost including a two bedroom villa at a beautiful resort, nine day park/waterpark tickets, eleven days of dining including four TS reservations for six people is costing me about $85 a day per person. That's still reasonable to me. Will I miss things like Maelstrom, Streets of America, LMA, Snow White, SWW? Sure, but not so much that everything else there is to do and things that will be added won't fill the void.

 

[TippeeCanoe]

I'll bite .

None of those cuts really bother me. Curbside greeter? I don't even remember those from older trips. Mousegears opening later? No problem. Character cuts? Never been my priority. Fantasmic, parades only once a night? Fortunately for me, not a priority.

I'm just saying this to prove the point - no matter what they do that people on this board think is inexcusable...there will be people like me who won't care! And before you call me a cheerleader or a Kool-Aid drinker, I'm not the one going to Disney every 6 months to a year....

I said before though, I feel for those who are losing jobs/hours over this.

You don't think cutting CM's *everywhere* is going to have an effect on guests?

 

[nilla]

I don't think replacing something with nothing really applies.

Pandora
Star Wars
Pixar land

I wouldn't call that "nothing".

 

[amg35]

You don't think cutting CM's *everywhere* is going to have an effect on guests?

It's not my tipping point, if that's what you are asking.

And I've also never been one who cared if a CM was nice to me or not. I don't look for garbage to see if it's been sitting in a corner for two days, I don't look and see if paint is chipped. Are dirty bathrooms gross? Sure! But in all our lives a dirty bathroom will make an appearance.... The food? I like it and will like it more with all the new restaurants opened/opening.

Expensive? You bet! Ridiculously so. But if I want to go, I save up for it and go.

I love vacations. Everywhere. If I didn't like someplace, I wouldn't go again.