Magical ? Not so much.

[Magpie]

LOL

I did not expect you Disney folks to agree with me or even be a little sympathetic.
My goal was to to relate to you - and perhaps a newbie to the site - what a non Disneyite experienced a week ago tomorrow at MK.

I understand it's December, but I would not of figured that a weekday before any of the schools in the US are out for Christmas break to be crowded.
Boy, I was wrong !

If and when I do return - and I suppose I have to because there is no way to sell the remaining 3 days I have - I will research the crap out of my visit.
But, I again want to make the point that it is amusement park, and in my humble opinion, you should not have to plan a visit to it like the D Day invasion.
I normally am a huge planner, but my wife asked me to just "go with the flow" and not overthink this visit.
We both wanted to see 8 attractions - one an hour we figured when you factor in eats and bathroom breaks.

I do have photos showing instances where we found the park to be just plain dirty, if anyone cares to see them.

I also think that by just saying that the food prices are "just the way it is" we are condoning them - and they will only go higher.
We all know that a hot dog and a Diet Coke should not cost over $10 - don't we ?
Or is that hot dog and Diet Coke OK to be priced ridiculously high because its Disney ?
If you think that is OK, then I hope you enjoyed the Disney kool aid also. =)

Have a great holiday season folks !
I want to wish you all a prosperous and healthy 2016.

Wow... sounds like a fun visit! Going around, searching out and photographing the dirtiest spots you can find.

But anyway, it's nice to know that my observations are invalid. Since, as my opinion doesn't exactly match yours, you've informed me it must be because I'm one of those "Disney folks" who've "drunk the kool aid".

It must be hard being right all the time, and having to deal with folks like me. Though I'm sure your wife gives you plenty of validation, whenever you aren't giving her a hard time for talking you out of your normal tendency to be a "huge planner" and thereby accidentally ruining your trip (that's okay, it's really Disney's fault for allowing too many of the hoi polloi in and over charging you at the same time).

 

[ArwenMarie]

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 ?

Yes. (Not saying you are stupid, because you are not.)

But unfortunately I think spur of the moment trips are gone, if you have any expectations for the day anyway.

Even with intense planning, it is becoming apparent that people need longer trips to get the same amount of stuff done now, for example, maybe one more MK day than they would have planned in the past, etc.

 

[mshanson3121]

* 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.

This is unfortunate, but I would say a fluke. Every day we went this summer, which was during a VERY busy season, we NEVER saw garbage anywhere. It was without a doubt the cleanest place we've been - bathrooms, park grounds, everything, and we constantly saw people going around sweeping, cleaning etc...

* 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.

This really is, what it is. You may want to consider going elsewhere then if this bothers you. Disney is a place unlike any other, and more people are going. You can go someplace else and experience less crowds, but not the magic of Disney. To us, the crowds were worth the experience.


* 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 ?

It sounds as though you obviously didn't read up on how the FP+ system works, which is a shame. For starters it sounds like you didn't even make your FP+ until the day of arrival? In which case, unfortunately, you're stuck with the luck of the draw that late in the game. That said, any time you book a FP+, you are "given" set times. However, you are fully capable of going in and changing those times to something more convenient. Typically, most people book 3 FP+ one, right after another. However, as an off-site guest, you were able to (and should have) booked your FP+ 30 days in advance, you have much better selection that way.

* 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.

This is a matter of perspective. It's expensive to you. As someone who was traveling from Canada, the prices for meals within the parks really weren't bad at all. For a family of 4 to eat at McDonalds where we live can be $30, a basic sit down restaurant with your basic burger/fry platters etc.. are generally $40-50, so to pay $40 for a meal with what we found to be good quality food with good amounts, within Disney parks, we didn't find unreasonable at all.

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 !

It definitely sounds as though you're better off going elsewhere. Sorry it wasn't magical for you, but... it certainly still is magical for many others.

 

[mshanson3121]

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 choose to do a spur of the moment visit, then you need to change your expectations, and realize that you'll have to take what you can get for FP+, or try and tour a bit more strategically (get there at Rope Drop, or go later at night). At least now you know for next time, if there is one.

 

[Luv2Run]

Am I the only one who thought the kiosks were for when you had already exhausted your first 3 FP+ experiences? I get that you can use them as legacy FP machines if you choose, but the whole point of FP+ was so that you don't have to hop around to different attractions just to snag a FP, even for a crummy time that you don't want that's way later in the day. I think if the OP had even hopped on MDE the morning of the 1-day trip, he could have snagged some decent FP+ experiences and saved all that leg work for after they had used up their first 3 FP+, thus netting them their desired goal of 8 attractions in 8 hours.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Disney isn't for everyone, and today's WDW is different from yesterday's WDW. Not better - not worse - different.

Sorry it didn't work out for you. Throw away your tickets and do something that you want to do. Why spend more time someplace that you don't like?

 

[MommyinHonduras]

Some days I am overwhelmed with planning our first time to WDW. I wonder if all the planning is needed or just too much work. Thank you for posting because there are days I say let's just wing it and see what happens. I want our trip to be magical so I will keep reading and planning and when the day come enjoy every moment.

 

[PrincessV]

OP, I get it. I really do. I've been a WDW regular since I moved to FL 20+ years ago... I've seen first-hand how very, VERY different the WDW of today is compared the the WDW of the early 90s, or even early 2000s. It is more crowded. And things aren't maintained to the degree of near-perfection they once were. And staff isn't treated as well as it once was, leading to some less-than-Magical CM interactions. And for sure, food has gotten very pricey, while quality has generally gone down. And yep, the only way to really make FP+ work well is to plan ahead.

I miss being able to wake up in the morning and decide to cruise over to the MK for a low-crowd, low-effort day! But, as you discovered, it just isn't happening anymore, at least not in the ways it used to. That said, I've found ways to make the new situation work pretty well for me. I don't plan 6 months in advance, and rarely book FPs much more than a week or two out... and then I very often wind up changing whatever I booked on the tram as we approach a park, lol! Sure, there are a few rides we may not get to ride at all (because as regulars we refuse to wait more than 30 mins for anything), but they'll be there next time, right? I bring snacks, fill water bottles from home at water fountains, and eat more counter service than table service lately.

Most days, it all works well and we have a good time. Some days, though? Just don't work. At all. And I often find myself wondering why I bother going back after days like that. But in the end, the good days do outweigh the bad, so back we go. I say give it another chance, book some FPs in advance next time, and see how it goes.

 

[Catvondita]

Wow just reading through the comments and a lot of people seem hurt over OP's post like he/she punched their mom in the face or something. I love Disney too but some things suck about it. No biggies OP just wanted to share their opinion.

 

[GreatLakes]

I also think that by just saying that the food prices are "just the way it is" we are condoning them - and they will only go higher.
We all know that a hot dog and a Diet Coke should not cost over $10 - don't we ?
Or is that hot dog and Diet Coke OK to be priced ridiculously high because its Disney ?
If you think that is OK, then I hope you enjoyed the Disney kool aid also. =)

The price is what we, the consumer, decide is ok. If enough Disney guests skipped buying food in the park the prices would go down. The demand side of the supply/demand equation almost always has the bulk of price deciding power. No one can make you purchase something unless the demand is perfectly inelastic and there is no possible argument saying anything Disney sells fits the perfectly inelastic demand definition.

 

[mshanson3121]

Some days I am overwhelmed with planning our first time to WDW. I wonder if all the planning is needed or just too much work. Thank you for posting because there are days I say let's just wing it and see what happens. I want our trip to be magical so I will keep reading and planning and when the day come enjoy every moment.

Having done oodles of (excessive) planning for our first trip, I really think there's a happy medium. Planning your FP+, ADRs etc, yes, is a must. But after that, I'll probably never stress over another touring plan again. I also won't worry too much about the crowd calendars, either. We'll go to the park that works the best for our plans, regardless. We went to MK on a day that it was not recommended, and had a better experience there, than the day we went to AK when it was the most recommended park. That said - I've also been there now, so I have an idea what's where, what we liked etc... But even still, when we were there as first timers I soon realized that our touring plans were a waste (yes, even in the middle of the hot, crowded summer season). Look over the rides/attractions and figure out what you'd like to do. Look over the park maps and see what's where so you can avoid criss-crossing back and forth. Book your FP+ for the three you MUST do, and from there, just go and have fun. Get done what you can, without any expectations of trying to do it all. That said - we are NOT people who try and cram every single ride in. We are more go with the flow, stop and explore things that intrigue us kind of people. Some of our best memories were the unplanned interactions with characters, different experiences (playing checkers on TSI, the sword in the stone which our kids tried over and over, lol, etc...), catching Dream Along with Mickey as we were on our way elsewhere, Wilderness Explorers at AK etc... We're not even remotely interested in feeling like we're running from one attraction to another. So, our way of doing it will not work for people who want to try and do every single ride.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Having done oodles of (excessive) planning for our first trip, I really think there's a happy medium. Planning your FP+, ADRs etc, yes, is a must. But after that, I'll probably never stress over another touring plan again. I also won't worry too much about the crowd calendars, either. We'll go to the park that works the best for our plans, regardless. We went to MK on a day that it was not recommended, and had a better experience there, than the day we went to AK when it was the most recommended park. That said - I've also been there now, so I have an idea what's where, what we liked etc... But even still, when we were there as first timers I soon realized that our touring plans were a waste (yes, even in the middle of the hot, crowded summer season). Look over the rides/attractions and figure out what you'd like to do. Look over the park maps and see what's where so you can avoid criss-crossing back and forth. Book your FP+ for the three you MUST do, and from there, just go and have fun. Get done what you can, without any expectations of trying to do it all. That said - we are NOT people who try and cram every single ride in. We are more go with the flow, stop and explore things that intrigue us kind of people. Some of our best memories were the unplanned interactions with characters, different experiences (playing checkers on TSI, the sword in the stone which our kids tried over and over, lol, etc...), catching Dream Along with Mickey as we were on our way elsewhere, Wilderness Explorers at AK etc... We're not even remotely interested in feeling like we're running from one attraction to another. So, our way of doing it will not work for people who want to try and do every single ride.

I think you've mentioned this before and if I am mixing it up please correct me, but didn't you guys use a DAS? I know that brings its own challenges (not underestimating that at all) but I imagine it can also help with not needing a touring plan as much?

 

[mom2rtk]

OP, don't take it personally.

Any experience report that is less than stellar generally gets this sort of reception.

I'm sorry your visit was less than you hoped.

 

[whiporee]

OP, don't take it personally.

Any experience report that is less than stellar generally gets this sort of reception.

I'm sorry your visit was less than you hoped.

I don't think that's fair. OP wrote that they went to Disney a) found it crowded b) had to wait in lines even though they paid $105 to be there c) hadn't made FP+s and didn't like having to search for the kiosks. Then OP said they thought the CMs were rude and the park dirty. That's not a "less than stellar" report, that's an indictment.

Others have been pointing our that a) the parks are crowded, but it didn't bother them b) Fps are available with research and everybody else paid $105 to be there c) maybe they ought to make Fps next time. Most agreed on the kiosks and people split on good CM/bad CM and dirty/not-so-dirty.

The OP said they were a newbie but joined a decade ago and have more than 100 posts. They can't have been uniformed about Fps and crowd levels if they've been around here, because those two things have dominated this forum of at least three years, and the ones that haven't been about that have been about that the CMs aren't as good as they used to be and the park's not as clean as it used to be. People disagree with those assessments.

These are the truths to face for the future:

• Disney is crowded, all the time. It is only going to get more crowded, all the time.
• If you want to use Fps, you have to do some research. Disney makes that research easy, but you have to do it. If you want to do EVERYTHING at the exact time you want to do it, you'll need to be at least 30 days ahead of your visit. But also, most rides have Fps available the night before. Most.
• SB lines are, and always have been, long. But they exist, and if you don't want to make FP reservations for whatever reason, SB lines are always an option.
• It is more expensive to buy food at disney than it is at the grocery store, or even most food courts. There are other places that are more expsensive, too.

OP wanted to come in and rip WDW, perfectly within his rights. But if you rip WDW to a forum of people who spend their time thinking about WDW, you're going to get arguments. It doesn't mean someone is drinking Kool-Aid -- it means they disagree with the parts of OP's personal experience they wanted to extrapolate to an indictment of the resort.

 

[mshanson3121]

I think you've mentioned this before and if I am mixing it up please correct me, but didn't you guys use a DAS? I know that brings its own challenges (not underestimating that at all) but I imagine it can also help with not needing a touring plan as much?

Yes and no. We still had to wait just as long as you would, the difference is, we didn't have to stand in line, so we could go do something else while waiting for our return time. But, we also did RD every morning, and saved our FP+ for the times when wait times would be picking up. For the first 2 hours typically, we never had to use the DAS, because wait times were 15-20 minutes or less (with the exception of some of the biggies, which we used FP+ for or DAS for later). There were a couple times we did another ride while waiting for our DAS return time, but they were "small" rides like the carousel or Aladdin's Magic Carpets, which never had long waits anyways. I think we only used the DAS card a total of 4-5 times, on our 6 days in parks. However, had we stayed in the parks all day, each day, we would have used it more in the afternoons, so in that case, it would make more of a difference.

But really, I think RD is the key to avoiding having to stress over touring plans. I remember our last morning at MK we did RD, it was a park crowd level 8, non-recommended day due to morning EMH (we were off-site guests), and still we were able to do all four characters in the Storybook Circus M&Gs, Enchanted Tales with Belle (FP+), Little Mermaid ride (DAS), Tea Cups, Alice and Rabbit M&G, two rides on the Tomorrowland Speedway and Monsters Laughfloor by 11:00, all without a touring plan. We easily could have gotten another ride in too, but there was a technical delay while we were "on" Enchanted Tales (the mirror refused to open up to let us in the next room).

 

[Dis703]

Food prices are just as high at our area theme park, amusement parks, zoos, museums, ball parks, concerts, etc. I never understand why there is always such a complaint about Disney food prices in that respect.

FWIW, the $105 a day ticket I also happen to think is pretty great in comparison to other forms of entertainment. I actually flew to Disney in October for a 1 night stay and a ticket to MNSSHP for the same price I spent on a concert ticket for a 2 hour show earlier that month. I always feel like I get way more for my money at Disney.

 

[AngiTN]

Actually, it can work out quite well, as DD22 and I did something similar in Nov. 2015. We had been at Disney Studios for the day, but of course all the ADRs were gone so we figured we'd eat counter service. However, we were hot, hungry, and exhausted by mid-afternoon, so decided that we needed a nice, sit-down TS dinner if we were going to make it long enough to see Osborne Lights. We tried for an ADR somewhere at the Studios, but it was a level 8 crowd, so of course nothing had "opened up." Around 4:30, she checked Biergarten and there was plenty of availability, so she made a reservation for 7:30. We saw Indiana Jones and then rode the Great Movie Ride (no FP+ for either) and then took the boat to Epcot. We had dinner, leaving the restaurant right at 9pm, when Illuminations was starting. We found a decent viewing spot, watched the show, hustled over to the boat, and caught the last 30 mins. of Osborne Lights. SO, being almost a walk-up at Biergarten and just watching Illuminations without stalking a viewing spot worked out quite nicely, for us!

It's a very good thing you had PH passes, or AP

 

[lugnut33]

Sorry you were disappointed.

I think the MK especially is suffering from too-high crowds, too often.

Exactly. Everything the OP disliked is a direct result of record crowds jamming into the parks. Great for Disney, but not for the consumer.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

Believe me, there are MANY, MANY spur of the moment guests. I know this from experience. Many of them think FP works like the other parks' Quick Cues etc for $. They are many first time visitors, and many many unplanned visitors. MANY. Probably a good half or more. Maybe more than that.... Did I mention how many unplanned guests there are?

If they stop at a window, lets say to convert older Non Expiring tickets to new RFID ones, they will be given a map and a times guide along with a sheet explaining the entire FP + program, how to reserve it using the PHONE app (not just the kiosks) and how the program works.

I'm sorry there was a miscommunication, but honestly, if you had asked Guest Relations or any ticket window CM, you would have gotten a single page pamphlet in your language (almost any language) and in print.

Crowds are VERY high right now, that is true. I think it has a lot to do with the Lights at Hollywood, this being their last year drawing a lot of visitors, not to mention that the Very Merry parties run this time of year, not specifically during Xmas when the kids actually ARE off of school. (this is because closing the parks at 7pm would NOT be an option for that many packed out guests.)

Also, OP appears to be operating on a misconception...that most of MK visitors have kids...we don't, many don't, and many kids who are locals get off around 2pm and if the park is open until 12am (like last night) can play in it all evening long. We also got off work and played in the park yesterday, crowds high but not unmanageable. Still got Jungle Cruise, Big Thunder and Buzz FPs around 1pm in the afternoon. This idea that the parks aren't busy unless school is out is definitely extremely outdated. (Also, I might mention that I was personally schooled at home, as was our whole family, after elementary school, and while I do NOT want to open that can of worms, it definitely made travel times to Disney a lot more flexible.) That having been said, the holiday time IS the peak time, and that's for a variety of factors, only partly being school is out.

As to the hidden FP, they are usually in an out of the way area that is sheltered from weather elements. While it may seem hidden, they need to be out of most of the elements (and frankly no one wants to get rained on) and they need to be out of the way of the general traffic so that they don't impede the flow of the crowds or the lines associated with them.

I know Disney might appear to have gotten more complicated, but those who do learn the new systems (especially us locals who get used to grabbing our phones, seeing what 3 attractions are available that we want the week or even month before and even same day if we want), it becomes VERY convenient.

This is true for any vacation. If I had researched the layouts of the ships more from some of my previous cruises, I wouldn't STILL be made fun of for losing my bearings all over the place and not being able to find a buffet on a cruise ship...

I also blame myself for walking blindly into the worst movie I have ever seen that I thought was going to be a puzzling disaster and turned into a weird sort of religious message...ahem...Knowing...

Point being, the times I haven't done the due diligence, I REALLY wished I would have!

 

[mom2rtk]

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 ?

OP, I agree. It sort of defies logic to think that you would actually reserve ride times ahead of a trip to an amusement park. I'm not sure why anyone would expect you to anticipate that. I do feel bad for the thousands of guests that come through the gates every day with no idea they are already behind for the day and that fastpasses for one or more attractions might already be gone before rope drop ever took place.