Magical ? Not so much.

[AngiTN]

Everyone:

As I mentioned in my first post, the "review" I posted consisted of my opinions and were and are related to my personal experience at MK.
I do not think that one should have to research a visit to an amusement park, but I also understand that doing the research beforehand would of enhanced my visit.

So, if I was to take my 5 and 6 year old granddaughters, they should be smart enough to go on the web and choose what attractions they want to visit a couple of weeks in advance ?

That, my Disney friends, is ridiculous !

But, thanks for all your comments !

No but your 5 and 6 year old granddaughters won't go alone. They'll go with adults who will book the FP, taking in to consideration what they want to accomplish.

 

[fbb]

I grew up going to Opryland and even back in the 70's the cost of their food was more than the cost of food at Disney, and they did not allow food to be brought in.

Meeting Mr. Banjo was worth the increased cost of food, though!

 

[SuperNinja]

My wife and I purchased a no expire 8 day pass [1 park per day] about 12 years ago, and have always enjoyed all 4 of the parks.
We visit Disney every year to 18 months, and usually see and experience one park per visit.
We have family near Tampa, and also enjoy many other Orlando area attractions, so we always stay off site. [We have stayed at the same Holiday Inn Express on IDrive for many year, but on this most recent trip we found a great IHG property place with an amazing heated pool in Lake Buena Vista.]
Our last visit before this most recent visit consisted of 3 of the 4 parks over 5 days in 2011 with a daughter and granddaughter.
We visited MK last Wednesday 12.09.15.
Wow, things have changed !
It's not so magical anymore.
Please note that the observations, opinions, and information I am relating are my own personal experiences.

* Within 30 minutes of entering the park, I remarked to my wife that MK is dirtier. My wife agreed. We saw cigarette butts, discarded food, trash, and empty soda & water bottles all over MK.

* MK to me appeared to be "oversold". It was jam packed on a weekday when kids in the US are [I think] in school. It's now $105 per person per day, and maybe it's just me, but I don't think you should have to wait more then 30 minutes a for ANY ride or attraction if you are paying that type of admission price. There were literally times when we found ourselves in a crowd of people with no way to move 3 feet in either direction.

* We both felt as though the cast members were less friendly and less willing to be helpful. We also thought that there were less cast members working

* The current Fast Pass system is new since our last visit, and no one at the park could really explain it well. The most frustrating part of this new system is that you have to go - not to the attraction you want to visit - but to what appeared to be almost hidden on purpose areas in the park to get your 3 FP's. Would it not make more sense to get the FP like we used to - at the attraction ? In addition, the new system also seems to make you need to stay in the park longer than you may want to. We got our 3 each attractions Fast Passed at about 11am. We received times of: 230-330 for Haunted Mansion, 445-530 for Big Thunder, and then 545-630 for Pirates. So, it was a wait of 6 hours and 65 minutes to see Pirates !! Huh ?

* I always make sure to enjoy a full breakfast before heading to a park, but I know that I will need to have at least lunch and some snacks while in the park. The prices in the park are laughably high, and are for average or below average quality products. I used to be a vendor to Disney, and can tell you from experience that they squeeze vendors on price ALL THE TIME. They are making a obscene profit margin on the food and beverage, and yes, this is America, and you are allowed to charge whatever you feel folks will pay. But, but if prices were 10-20% lower, I'm sure they would have a lot more folks eating there, and therefore staying longer, and presumably spending more.

In closing I will say this: if there was a way that I could sell my remaining 3 days on the 2 passes I have, I would in a heartbeat. There are just too many other fun things to do while on vacation in and around Orlando !

Hey welcome back We just returned too and we're glad to be back at home.
- I have to be honest thought compared to our last trip back in 2013, I think Disney made some improvements in the hygiene division I saw less cobweb for instance
- We were in the Magic Kingdom twice, one the 6th and 10th of this month. There were crowd, but compared to the level of crowd around the same time 2 years ago, this was a breeze It was still crowded but it was very manageable. Maybe we use TP too to predict the crowd. It has been spot on for us.
- Agree with you in regards to the cast members, I have a high tolerance for rude people, but some of these cast members were beyond rude. Especially those at the Boardwalk Inn. It was a decline I feel.
- I personally feel Fast Pass + is a good system once you get familiarized with it. But I see your point, it may confuse a lot of people if they don't know how to use it. I took things for granted, I only realized how great the system was when I visited Universal. It felt like going back to a prehistoric time.
- Food at Disney is expensive. They can jack up the price but it's gotta mean something for the customer. Look, this fried rice at the Nine Dragons costs $15 and it's just a plain fried rice with hams and shrimp. That would cost around $7 at a local restaurant with more stuff in it, and it only cost $2-3 to cook from scratch. As I said I'm fine with them jacking up the price but it has to mean something for the customer. One of the best value though if you happen to be at the AK, go to Yak Yeti QS, and get the chicken fried rice (side) for a mere $4 and it was really phenomenal. We bought a few boxes, stored them in the frigde for the following lunch/dinner. But seriously the fried rice at the AK is the best value ever, even beat local prices.
- Trust me, I understand your frustration. This is the first time where I just feel so GREAT to be back home.

 

[PurpleDog]

And again, I will say that waiting longer than 30 minutes in ANY line to see ANY attraction after paying over $100 bucks to get in is just crazy.
An over crowded park just frustrates people - especially the children, many of whom we witnessed being almost frantically rushed from one attraction to the next so that the parents could feel like they got their moneys worth.
I missed seeing all the kids smiling !
I myself would rather pay $200 a day and be able to experience over 50% of the rides and attractions in a <8 hour visit.

 

[okilydokily]

Also, how would a one day "spur of the moment" visitor know that you can and should book FP weeks in advance ??
Or is the answer simply that going to Disney without researching the heck out of the visit .... ie: deciding to go because it's a sunny day just a stupid thing to do ?

Disney for the most part doesn't want those people. Yes, the tickets cost more for only one day, but all the other things, hotels, meals, souvenirs.... not a lot of those are sold to one day, spur of the moment guests, so they don't cater to those guests much. Even on the busiest days, no more than 4 or 5 ticket booths are open, so it doesn't seem like a whole lot of people just pop in. It is unfortunate, but a Disney vacation, even for one day, requires planning to get the most out of the experience.

I am local, so I do just decide to pop in because it is a sunny day often, but I use the phone app or website to pick FP before I leave the house and check wait times. If lines are long, or there are no FP's available, I just don't go. It does take some spontaneity out of it, but it is just the way it is.

 

[AngiTN]

And again, I will say that waiting longer than 30 minutes in ANY line to see ANY attraction after paying over $100 bucks to get in is just crazy.
An over crowded park just frustrates people - especially the children, many of whom we witnessed being almost frantically rushed from one attraction to the next so that the parents could feel like they got their moneys worth.
I missed seeing all the kids smiling !
I myself would rather pay $200 a day and be able to experience over 50% of the rides and attractions in a <8 hour visit.

Yes, but say they cut down on the number of guests allowed in the park. Imagine the outrage of folks who walk up to the park to find it closed, which it would do daily if they cut down on the number of guests. Which is worse, being turned away or getting in and at least getting to experience a few things?

I've been to Disney a lot and never waited 30 min to ride a thing, not in the summer, not any time. If you do, you are doing it wrong.

 

[Jennasis]

The park was insanely crowded, IMO on our visit last week. However, we never waited more than 20 minutes for ANY attraction. The parks were spotless and the CMs were routinely happy and went above and beyond. The food wasn't cheap, but everything we ate was delicious. Had a grand time.

Just relating MY experience.

 

[srauseo]

I was relating my experience so that [hopefully] someone else could avoid what we experienced with the FastPass system.

I'm guessing about 99% of the people you encounter on this forum are people who are well aware of how to use the FP system and the other 1% are newcomers or irregular visitors who come on here to complain about changes or how things just aren't the same anymore and then are told by the other 99% how they did it wrong.

If I am going to a popular destination, spending a lot of money, and have an expectation to have a good time and not be disappointed, I do some research beforehand. I took my niece to the Museum of Science in Boston and spent a couple hours planning out the day to make sure we got the separate ticket exhibits and movies into our schedule at times that worked and we didn't have to backtrack from floor to floor multiple times. And that was just our local science museum...not the most popular theme park in the world.

 

[Tuffcookie]

Everyone:

As I mentioned in my first post, the "review" I posted consisted of my opinions and were and are related to my personal experience at MK.
I do not think that one should have to research a visit to an amusement park, but I also understand that doing the research beforehand would of enhanced my visit.

So, if I was to take my 5 and 6 year old granddaughters, they should be smart enough to go on the web and choose what attractions they want to visit a couple of weeks in advance ?

That, my Disney friends, is ridiculous !

But, thanks for all your comments !

OP, It may seem ridiculous to you but the cost for a WDW vacation is exactly why I chose to do my homework before I leave home. I know it takes planning, so for those vacationers who are not into planning and like to fly by the seat of their pants, so to speak, they are going to miss out on a lot! If you want to minimize your wait times why wouldn't you put a little effort into your trip? As far as food prices go, there are way to reduce the food budget by ordering an adult entree and splitting it. (which we have done a couple of times), or at counter service, ordering the child's portion.

TC

 

[Baklava]

I purposely did not do a lot of research before this visit; it was a one day / 8 hour visit.

You... deliberately did not research a trip that is easily researchable? When you have been to the parks multiple times and know that there are resources available?

That's an interesting choice.

 

[Dis703]

I've been to Disney a lot and never waited 30 min to ride a thing, not in the summer, not any time. If you do, you are doing it wrong.

I was thinking the same thing. I've been 6 times now in the past 3 or so years most of that with the new FP+ system and only once did I wait in a line as long as 30 minutes. That was on a party night with no FP and for 7DMT. Typically, it's been more like 15 minutes or less with our touring strategy and use of FP+. When a line is over 20 minutes I typically move on to the next attraction and when it's less I go back.

 

[xiphoid76]

Everyone can have bad visits and unfortunately time with bad cast members, so the complaints may be valid there - the one thing I never get though is when people complain about the food prices. The prices at our local theme park outside Minneapolis are so much higher and for much less food in both quantity and quality. I always am in shock how cheap the prices are for food at Disney. All things are probably relative though, so it depends on where you usually go. Quick service meals at Disney have never disappointed me or the family

 

[lustergirl]

And again, I will say that waiting longer than 30 minutes in ANY line to see ANY attraction after paying over $100 bucks to get in is just crazy.
An over crowded park just frustrates people - especially the children, many of whom we witnessed being almost frantically rushed from one attraction to the next so that the parents could feel like they got their moneys worth.
I missed seeing all the kids smiling !
I myself would rather pay $200 a day and be able to experience over 50% of the rides and attractions in a <8 hour visit.

Well nothing special. You are waiting in line with several other people who paid the same amount of money to get into the park. Unfortunately the days of just showing up at disney world are long gone and alot of planning and research is needed.

 

[Magpie]

I purposely did not do a lot of research before this visit; it was a one day / 8 hour visit.
I mean, gee, it's the Magic Kingdom ! What could go wrong ?? =)
I realize now that I should of done some research beforehand.
I was relating my experience so that [hopefully] someone else could avoid what we experienced with the FastPass system.

A large part of our frustration was that no one at the park could explain the system to us.
Also .. the locations used to get those FP's were in hard to find [what seemed like temporary] locations.

Also, how would a one day "spur of the moment" visitor know that you can and should book FP weeks in advance ??
Or is the answer simply that going to Disney without researching the heck out of the visit .... ie: deciding to go because it's a sunny day just a stupid thing to do ?

If you have at least *some* previous (and recent) experience visiting Disney, then yes - a spur of the moment visit can be great fun. I've done that occasionally in the middle of a longer trip, popping into the Magic Kingdom on a whim with no FPs, fully aware that my ride choice will be limited and intending to do alternate activities (like stalking the Dapper Dans). Those are the days we see the Country Bears, the Carousel of Progress, the Tiki Birds and sing along. Those are also the days we play Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom.

The first time I ever visited Disney, way back in 2005, I researched the heck out of it. I bought the Unofficial Guide. I used a touring plan. The first time I ever visited Universal Studios, in 2010, I did the same. I don't even go to London without researching where I'm going, how I'll get there, where to find tickets, and the hours of operation for everything I want to see. We learned that lesson years ago, when my husband went to France only to find the Louvre closed (the outside is very pretty, though!).

Last August I had to stop in at Guest Services at Universal Studios to make a dining reservation. I found myself standing in line directly behind a VERY unhappy family who had purchased the Express Line add-on, not realizing it wouldn't get them to the front of the Harry Potter rides. Ahead of them was another unhappy family who were upset that they had to upgrade to park hoppers in order to ride the train between the two parks and see all of the Harry Potter stuff that Universal had to offer. It was clear neither family had done any research.

Research makes for a happier experience, no matter what you're doing or where you're going.

Also, I'd recommend writing up your frustrations and sending it along to Disney's customer service: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/help/email/ Your feedback could help them better improve the ways they communicate with visitors like you.

 

[whiporee]

Standby is always available for any ride, and the wait times are comparable to other amusement parks during peak times. So there's always that option should you choose to use it and it makes Disney roughly the equivalent of anywhere else you'd go.

The parks are more crowded, at all times of year. There's literally nothing WDW can do about that. if they limited ticket availability, they'd be betraying their obligation to their stockholders; of they raised prices, many people wouldn't be able to go at all. if you want to blame something for that, blame the internet and the relative ease people have of traveling to Orlando.

Sorry you had a bad time. But the idea that Disney requires Fps or preplanning is untrue; they offer it as a service to make visits more enjoyable (or make some wait times lower) but they don't check your fast passes when you walk in. And most amusement parks don't offer anything like it at all; or if they do, it costs another 50 percent of the price.

 

[Luv2Run]

You... deliberately did not research a trip that is easily researchable? When you have been to the parks multiple times and know that there are resources available?

That's an interesting choice.

And you chose to visit the busiest park at WDW during the holiday season (one of the busiest seasons of the year), only to find that it was...you guessed it...BUSY.

 

[AngiTN]

You... deliberately did not research a trip that is easily researchable? When you have been to the parks multiple times and know that there are resources available?

That's an interesting choice.

In some ways I can almost understand doing this
Not complaining about it but I have wondered what is it like to someone who walks up to buy a 1-2 day ticket
This was DH, DD and I back in 2002. At Christmas time at that.
It worked out well for us, we went to Epcot as we had never been there before.
We walked up and got seated at Biergarten, saw Illuminations (or whatever it was called then) without planning, and got a good view.
But I do shudder to think what would happen to us if we were to do that today
It would not go as well, I'm guessing.
Now, I don't lay fault with Disney for that. You can't blame them for making a product that huge volumes of people want to experience. That's a good thing.
But it is an interesting experiment to see how it is for someone who is the walk up guest

 

[Baklava]

In some ways I can almost understand doing this
Not complaining about it but I have wondered what is it like to someone who walks up to buy a 1-2 day ticket
This was DH, DD and I back in 2002. At Christmas time at that.
It worked out well for us, we went to Epcot as we had never been there before.
We walked up and got seated at Biergarten, saw Illuminations (or whatever it was called then) without planning, and got a good view.
But I do shudder to think what would happen to us if we were to do that today
It would not go as well, I'm guessing.
Now, I don't lay fault with Disney for that. You can't blame them for making a product that huge volumes of people want to experience. That's a good thing.
But it is an interesting experiment to see how it is for someone who is the walk up guest

Yes. It's interesting as an experiment to see what that experience is like. If you're local and have an AP it might be worth doing in order to find out what new comers need to know.

 

[North of Mouse]

The rest of your issues are totally opposite of our trips.
We find the staff most magical and DH and I always remark to each other that it's truly shocking how clean they keep the parks. We attend a local multi day music festival each year. You want to see trash? Check out something that like that. What they accomplish at Disney is remarkable.
And we actually think they price things reasonably considering the captive audience they have. And they are fully accommodating to any who want to bring in their own food. Where else allows that? I grew up going to Opryland and even back in the 70's the cost of their food was more than the cost of food at Disney, and they did not allow food to be brought in. Disney is far from perfect but as far as theme park management goes, they are really about as good as it gets.

I agree with this completely!

It would be impossible with the crowds WDW has to have everything spotless all the time - I've seen rude careless guests and their children throw trash down like they feel so entitled, but it doesn't stay there long!!
But, even taking this into consideration, have never seen it like you describe, and we have been going since the MK opened. Granted, we do not go on Holidays.

But, even though not perfect, they're the best all round handling the crowds they do IMO.

 

[gmboy95]

The crowd issues, the cleanliness issues, the cost issues are all valid concerns....however i find that folks who remember what the parks were like just 15 years ago compared to today, are often drowned out by the Disney walks on water, If you cant afford it dont go, Disney is not a charity crowd.....There was however a clear and distinct difference in Disney back then. there was such a thing as low crowd times during the year. A middle class family could afford to purchase a DVC membership and make it work (the original price was $11,300 for 230 points (financed over 3-10 years), which was $51 per point). Right now DVC is selling for $165 a point at a resort that basically only has studios. Today my family of four annual passes WITH THE DISCOUNT cost north of $2,000, and with that price i cant travel during my favorite week, Christmas due to blackout dates......But hey, according to my friends, The stockholders are happy with record profits. so what if its not as clean, or affordable... minor details!