Just back-some disappointment in WDW

[jenfur]

We arrived 11-29 and stayed until Monday. It was great, even a bad day at WDW is still great, BUT A LOT of things have gone way down hill since our last visit, especially for the holidays. First, CMs are in two categories- the ones who wish they were somewhere else... and you were too and the ones who like their jobs, really believe in the Disney level of service and hope you will LET them be nice to you. Disgruntled employees were obvious, but the great CMs seemed really timid, almost like they were seeing if we were going to "play along". Anyway there were still more great CMs than bad.

Second, Disney went all cheap on the Holidays this year, IMHO. We did MVMCP and were very disappointed, just plain ol' Wishes (which is great, but not he rudolph flight and santa Goofy we are used too- we liked the little extra we got before) No Cinderella's carriage behind the castle, and what most offended DH, NO SANTA hats on Dumbo. It was just missing a lot of the extra touches that we used to love.

Osborne Lights, used to be awesome, now just some lights strung across the backlot(?) Not as good as before.

Also, NEVER go to MK when they are taping the parade and expect the rest of the park to be do-able- ITS NOT!

Other than that it was great!

 

[metivier]

How about the 360 degree fireworks for Wishes at MVMCP??? I think that is SO COOL!

 

[Tiggerkeeper]

We have been before and just returned from another Christmas trip. I missed the Mickey wreaths on the street lights on Main St. The other thing that I missed was the garlands on the balconies at the Boardwalk. Every Dec. trip we have made they were there then in 2002 I went in October and saw the Boardwalk for the first time without the garlands and lights...it looked naked! LOL! I was surprised to see the decorations scaled down this year.

Don't get me wrong we had a great trip I was just disappointed to find some things missing.

 

[disney queen]

did you see the parade for MVMCP? cindy's coach w/cindy and prince charming were in the parade. therefore, it could not be on display during the party. all the princesses were in some sort of coach, along w/their prince, in the parade. loved the 360 degree wishes. sorry you did not have a magical trip.

 

[MelessaG]

How about the 360 degree fireworks for Wishes at MVMCP??? I think that is SO COOL!

We loved that too!

 

[seashoreCM]

Could it be that decorating was completed later this year compared with past years, to avoid the emphasis on Christmas so soon (political correctness going amuck)?

Someone please report later on whether more decorations are up closer to Christmas.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[CarolA]

In am at Disney now and while I have not been to MK, I have not noticed any large drop in decorations. As a matter of fact in Epcot I found some new stuff.

The carriage disappeared last year and I think it is due to the fact that they are now using it in the parade, plus the spot where it used to go is one of the blocked off areas during Wishes so that may have had an impact.

And Disney can't win on the lights. Last year they didn't have them at all and people complained so they put them up and people complain. Somehow keeping the backlot just for the lights probably didn't strike them as a good idea. (I hear the new stunt show is great!)

 

[MelanieC]

Even thought I miss the backlot houses for the osbourne lights, I would much prefer them to have them where they are and get a great new attraction. I look forward to seeing the new show! I have also heard it's supposed to be fabulous.

I have never done MVMCP so I can't comment, but I still thought there were plenty of decorations and I agree some I have never seen before. So I'm sure its out with some old and in with some new.

 

[kmcdougan]

I was there for the taping of the parade, and was able to do the rest of the park pretty well, aside from it being a Saturday with every child in Florida there. Much of the traffic flow was not easy to navigate, but, if you picked one land and worked around from there, it was OK, at least in my opinion.

 

[cobbler]

I avoided MK on the parade taping day. Glad I did.

I am sorry to hear you didn't have that magical of a trip


I am however hearing conflicting reports on the whole tinkerbell/rudolph thing. Last year at MVMCP I didn't see rudolph and didn't this year. I was told by a guest that when she was talking to a cast member about it they said that the tinkerbell has only done tinkerbell and has done so for 13 years so I don't know

I did see a ton of characters all decked out in their holiday gear - even goofy! And Wishes was so neat and Illuminations was pretty darn cool too and they had that bonus "holiday" ending

And did anyone catch "the big ball" at the end when leaving?? It had Seasons Greetings written on the back of it and rotated through the different languages. That was neat, I have never seen that before.

It was at that moment I realized I will miss not being there for xmas time next year.

 

[barbeml]

We were there November 13-20 and were there about the same time last year. We noticed that the holiday decorations were going up MUCH EARLIER than last year.

Sorry about the OP's experience with some CMs--we kept commenting on how fabulous every CM we met was. WDW really seemed even more magical than ever to us.

 

[MrsJ Henry]

I too am surprised to hear about the castmembers. We were there in Nov and only came in contact with one cast member that seemed to be kind of having a bad day and that wasn't even that bad. Every other one was wonderful. Even the ones picking up garbage would smile and be very friendly when asked a question.( and that job would make me REALLY moody!!!) This was my husband's first trip to WDW and he could not get over it. He kept commenting on how he had never seen anything like this.
They all made it a very magicla trip for us.
Sorry to hear if others did not have the same experience.