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

[dfb]

IMO, although I'm sure very unpopular, I think a lot of the disappointment with WDW on the Dis boards have to do with too many visits. Many here visit so often that they don't appreciate the entire value of the parks.

How many trips are too many? As the song goes "no such thing". It's not that I wouldn't want to go again. Even as things are I could go today, tomorrow or about anytime and we as a family would find a way to have a good time. I'm just not that impressed with some of the changes: the Hub, New Fantasyland, Art of animation taken away for Star Wars (I know it is not complete but still)and others. It's not that these things are bad but I just expected more. Star Wars land, Pixar, Avatar not optimistic for the results. Hopefully I'm wrong!! I base my skepticism on some of the changes of recent. I don't mind the idea of change as long as there is some appeal or purpose to the change.

No it's not the end of the world. I'm sure I still have plenty of trips in my future. Haven't lost my desire or interest and I'm not tired of going - just the appeal currently isn't the same! Sure I'll be back just not sure when?

 

[capegirl]

Yea I could care less if there were no new attractions. My favorite ride for petes's sake is the people mover. But when the crowds get so large and then attractions are taken away with nothing new added in the present then the parks and rides that are open become unbearable. And that is my biggest complaint, the crowds. And they have no answer (presently) for them

So true! On our last trip the MK was so crowded you would think it was the only Disney park.
I'll be the first to admit that we have not always embraced every change that Disney has put out there; we've done our share of complaining. But we return, because we love our annual Disney road trip; it has become part of the fabric of our family's vacation tradition. When I was a little girl back in the days when there were no theme parks, our family would spend many a summer weekend at our local 'old school' amusement park. It didn't matter that we waited in the same long lines to ride the same old rides every weekend, we were there to have fun. I suppose I feel the same way about Disney. Yes it's crowded, and expensive, and sometimes it lets me down, but at the end of the day, I can have a great time just hanging out on the people mover.

 

[dkrauss]

I honestly feel very sorry for people who will be visiting WDW for the very first time in the next 12 months. They are being royally ripped off.

If they've never been how will they know what they've missed? They have nothing to compare it against. This is all about perspective.............you say they'll be ripped off...........but if they have no point of view to compare against..........they won't.

Doug

 

[Ninja Mom]

Add my family to the side that no longer wishes to pay inflated prices for shrinking offerings. We have given up and now will go to Universal for family vacations. I plan on a solo trip to meet up with friends later this year but that is down from 4 times a year. When they cut Osborne and Star Wars Weekends they cut 2 of my main reasons for making additional trips. With the jacking up of Annual Passes, resort rates and food costs and the overall cuts PLUS the decrease in discounts, it's an easy decision to stay away. Even during my 1 solo trip this year my group is planning on cutting the days at Disney and adding those days at Universal. From what I understand the entertainment and the AP's at Universal are way more cost effective so my group is rewarding that business with our dollars.

I no longer recommend that friends and family go to Disney. I sadly reveal to them that the primary focus of Disney has become extracting the maximum amount of money out of their pockets for the minimum return. Never mind the requirement to schedule virtually every aspect of the trip or suffer the consequences and the out sized prices on food, tickets and lodging.

I have friends with families that bought DVC and some have come to the sad conclusion that they have been priced out of the parks. It's not even about the cuts in entertainment and the closings. They simply can no longer afford to take the family down for a vacation based upon the lodging and ticket costs. These are people who are very savvy with the other park expenses like food and fuel for the drive down.

Disney is quickly evolving into a place that is no longer a family friendly destination, simply based upon the exorbitant amounts they are charging. Middle class families can't afford to go. It seems that Disney is placing it's bets on the "Trip of a lifetime" market, with it's lack of repeat customers, and to me that seems unsustainable. It's almost like WDW is evolving into a "one and you are DONE". We got your money, now move along. Don't let the doorknob hit ya where the good Lord split ya. I think it will be very easy for those that can still afford to go to Disney to make other choices. I know my family has.

~NM

 

[momtosam]

We won't be back until Star Wars is running smoothly. We're itching to get to Universal though. ...

 

[BigAlsGal]

Not enough to phase me. Still love it. Still going.

 

[BigFatPickle]

People have different tolerance levels, for sure. Posters who were 'early dissenters' on these boards who posted that they saw this coming aren't around anymore. Those who disagreed with them are now starting to express the same sentiments, and those who are still able to find value in the experience are shrinking in numbers while still hanging on. The trend itself, though, is disturbing and I can only hope that this direction doesn't continue or else my family will have to join the ranks of the disillusioned.

 

[Nancyg56]

I respect all of your opinions and am wonderfully happy that you all enjoy the parks the same. I do not wish anyone to have a bad trip. However, I do not feel the same. That does mean I wish to discourage anyone from going or enjoying or appreciating wdw. It just means that I will not be going until 2018 at the earliest. Unless I hear reports of major cutbacks on the crowds

I am not sure you will see those drops in crowds. In the past 8 years I have see the crowds increasing during those "slower" seasons, and I believe that trend may continue. Disney does a very good job of offering incentives to fill their resorts and parks during those coveted slower times. You will find times when the parks are really manageable, but you won't find those times of year as often or as long as before, I think.

All of this talk about Disney only caring about first time visitors makes me wonder. If true how can that be enough? There can't be an unlimited number of first time visitors that can afford the parks.

I think there is a difference between saying Disney only cares about the first time visitor and Disney's main target audience is a first time visitor. I think that the main target is that first time family, but I do not think that they have not forgotten the frequent flyers. I believe that frequent visitors notice what has changed, and we know what we are missing. I am saddened by some changes, understand others, and think some others need to be made.

 

[nilla]

All of this talk about Disney only caring about first time visitors makes me wonder. If true how can that be enough? There can't be an unlimited number of first time visitors that can afford the parks.

I don't think it's so much that they "don't care" as it is they know it takes less effort to get us to WDW.

 

[Squidgyness]

I was a poster who was around on these boards sporadically from 2009 to 2015 with longer and longer gaps because I was disillusioned with the direction that WDW was going, especially Fastpass+ and the plan-ification of everything. I am planning a trip for later next year, perhaps September. I was already more enthusiastic about Uni/SeaWorld than WDW but with this news I'm finding it harder and harder to devote my precious vacation time to the disney parks any more.

I was already planning on cutting magic kingdom as its never been a favourite of mine and is way too overcrowded for me to want to go there now, but I am sorely tempted to cut WDW altogether and put the money to a better resort/hotel, have a day at Kennedy Space Center or some shopping/relaxation days instead. Who knows what I'll do, guess it will depend on how much of the disruption has abated by September 2017 - and how much the prices increase.

I'm not foolish enough to think that Disney is doomed. They could probably charge $8k a week for only 2 parks and some people would still pay it, and that's fine, its their choice if they perceive value in their experiences. But I count myself amongst the sceptical and disappointed ranks of people who see the signs of neglect and wonder what the future holds. It could be bad, it could be amazing. I just hope they don't mess up the Star Wars developments. If they manage to screw that up, it would be a sign of incredibly bad practices.

I'm not going to let this get me down like I have done when planning previous trips though, after all I cant wait to see what universal has done since 2009. The new Kong ride looks very cool for example without even considering Harry Potter. I just cant stop wondering what Disney could have done with the money they spent on Fastpass+... and Shanghai.

 

[mshanson3121]

I just cant stop wondering what Disney could have done with the money they spent on Fastpass+... and Shanghai.

I wonder... are they spreading themselves too thin? I mean, with the poor income from Paris, and the money issues with Shanghai... to me it would almost seem as though expanding out of the US was just a greedy move on their end, one that hasn't served them well? And if it's going to end up costing them at home, in their two main money-makers...

 

[BeerMe]

Also having similar feelings about this

 

[cabanafrau]

So, if you haven't decided that you aren't going back to WDW, then you're being foolish with your money? Who says? Or do some think that we, the fans, ought to quit the place in droves to "teach them a lesson?"

There is still so much to do there, and it's easy for me to get there and find something to keep me occupied, and to meet friends. I know it makes a huge difference to some that you can't meet Lady Tremaine or Chip & Dale in the park anymore (but they are finally adding Olaf after a long wait...). I still go, and my favorite thing ever at WDW closed in 2008. I do know a few people who quit going after 2008. That was enough for them. I'm still holding onto an AP though. Even now.

What you do with your money and your vacation time is your choice, as it should be, and vice versa. WDW no longer offers an experience we enjoy. When we want a Disney experience now it's DLR. We hope WDW will make some changes and improvements that appeal to us We're back to extremely skeptical that will happen.

As to the poster who doubted WDW could bank on a strategy of one and done visitors, I do too. However they are clearly convinced that the ever growing attendance numbers guarantee they are bulletproof. They're banking on steady streams of groups like the Brazilian visitors making up for the previously returning yearly guests, visitors who don't mind if a parade is a year, two years or ten-plus years old because they've never seen it before and don't notice missing floats or broken effects -- the same way they won't notice those type of bad show issues in the attractions and shows. And even if they do, they've already paid the tab for their once in a lifetime visit, so for the company mission accomplished.

 

[Squidgyness]

I wonder... are they spreading themselves too thin? I mean, with the poor income from Paris, and the money issues with Shanghai... to me it would almost seem as though expanding out of the US was just a greedy move on their end, one that hasn't served them well? And if it's going to end up costing them at home, in their two main money-makers...

I just think they made a terrible decision with Fastpass+. That's not based on my inner distaste at prebooking rides, I just think that for the money invested, the change to visitor experience didn't reflect value for that investment. Disney is not immune from making bad business decisions, just look at the movies they were cranking out a few years back.

Regarding Shanghai, they had "EuroDisney" to look at for an example of what NOT to do with moving into foreign markets. I don't know why they didn't fix the paris park first before moving into China. They've already got a park in Japan after all.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Disney doesn't own the park in Japan. It is owned and operated by the Oriental Land Company with a license from the Walt Disney Corporation. And from what visitors to the Tokyo park say, it is run the way everybody wishes the US parks would be run. So maybe Disney needs to turn it all over to licensees...

 

[cindyfan]

I haven't read through all the replies. But what I have read I agree with. I think everyone here will strongly agree we all love Disney! But WDW is NOT what it used to be even 5-7 years ago.
It makes me so sad to see it become nothing but a "business and money maker" to the powers that be.
This last AP increase put me over the edge! I don't use or want the photo pass so why should I pay for it! Believe me---- it is not FREE!
And the huge increases in resort fees! Example: in 2013 we paid $1280 for CSR. Last year 2015 we paid $1527 for the exact room type, exact time of year and exact building at CSR! That's a 19.3% increase!!!! In just 2 years!!! That's crazy!!
And so many of the changes are not to increase the magic or experience! They are to cram more people into the park to make more money! The whole Disney Springs---- MONEY MONEY MONEY!!!!!
My biggest disappointment is with the new hub at MK!!! So much cold looking concrete! FAKE grass! And NO benches!!! Just the concrete things that they built facing AWAY from the castle!!!! Whose stupid idea was that!!!
I could go on for hours! But bottom line---- my family will be looking at other vacation destinations!!!