My thoughts about our last Disney world vacation

[rstevens333]

I mean REALLY----I still get tears in my eyes just on the little boat ride from the Wilderness Lodge to the boat dock in front of the Magic Kingdo

I love that darn boat.

 

[chiisai]

I just want to highlight one problem in particular that seemed far worse than in the past - rides kept breaking down. There were at least six rides down at various times of the day in MK on Friday, including Splash Mountain being down for almost the whole day, and shorter closings for Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, Carousel of Progress, Philharmagic, Peoplemover and the Tiki Room. Some of these are not headliners (but some are), but they are some of our favorites and it seriously impacted our day. Not only did we not get to do what we wanted, but the multiple closings led to even longer lines on the open rides on a day that was already very crowded.

We were also there this day. It was a bummer. We got stuck on pirates for almost 20 minutes, too, around 9 or so. Now granted, not a bad place to be stuck, but when the lines for everything were double and triple normal due to all the other closures, it was hard to just wait through. We had a second day at MK and space went down again (along with the speedway), but fortunately it came up after about half an hour or so.

 

[leebee]

I think, for us, it's the loss of the things that made me feel like we were getting value for our dollar at Disney. Remember the days when you bought a ticket, it was good forEVER? If you bought 7 days park admission, you got to go into a Disney park on seven days. No expiration dates, no "use by," no "expires after 14 days." Talk about a deal! Then there were the "little things:" the roaming street musicians, the restaurant-specific napkins, Mickey-head shaped butter pats. No more salad bar fixings bars in the QS restaurants in MK. Lots of friendly, responsible CMs everywhere you looked (nowadays they have reduced the training), all those buildings at Epcot used to be full (Innoventions, wonders of Life pavilion), etc. It's not just the cost of everything and the crowd; it's that Disney has taken away many of the little thinks that made a Disney vacation such a unique experience and good value.

 

[Klayfish]

34 posts in this thread for the old standby, " if you don't like it don' t go", or a variation on it. It gets old.
People are allowed to voice their opinions and concerns over a place they obviously love, that's why they voice it!

Actually, what gets old is the repetitive whining about every last thing, over and over and over...let's see, there's: it's crowded, the restrooms aren't spotless, the food is bad, the shows are bad, they change their operating hours to ones that don't suit me personally, they're only concerned about money, some of the rides stink, on and on. Time and again.

You're right, people are allowed to voice their opinions. But perhaps you forget there are a lot of people who actually do love WDW and see plenty of good...tons of good...in it and what they do. It gets old to hear constant whining. Many of us come here because we want to talk about the thing we enjoy and love and are looking forward to. Not read about how someone doesn't want to go to a park because...gasp...there may be other people there too. I couldn't agree more that those who don't like it are free to speak up, but the internet is a big place. I'm sure there are plenty of sites devoted to those who want to complain about WDW. Just as you're annoyed that someone might actually defend WDW, those of us who really like it as it is now get rather annoyed with the whiners. So yeah, we can say as often as we like "If you don't like WDW, then don't go." And I couldn't agree with that more...if you want to come here just to complain, then why are you here? Why do you still go? Hang up the ears and find somewhere else.

Also remember that the attendance numbers grow year over year over year since 9/11. So obviously, not everyone thinks all these negative things about Disney.

Yeah, I'm a hard core Disney defender, and proud of it. Do I think it's perfect and can do no wrong? Nope. But I'm not interested in nitpicking about the little things that I think aren't exactly right. I'm focused on the (IMO) 98% of things they do have right and I enjoy every last moment of it. Just like anyone else here, I don't work in WDW corporate management, so I can't say for certainty that they're intentionally cutting corners and "don't care" about their guests. However, from a purely logical business perspective, I'd have a very, very hard time believing that to be the case. WDW is in the business of entertaining people, so that they come back. What sense would it make for them to say "To heck with what our guests actually think, we don't care about them, let's just make money"? Since their entire business is built around their guests, it would seem awful foolish to have that philosophy. So I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that they try to do the right thing. Whether you agree with what they do or not is certainly subjective, and everyone has their own opinions.

Sorry, rant over. I totally agree everyone has a right to their own opinion and has a right to voice it. But for those of us who love the place as it is and really enjoy reading about it, going there, etc...it gets quite old to hear the complaining over and over.

 

[trvlgirlmq]

It also gets quite old to hear the rah rah cheers that Disney can do no wrong. If you don't want to read about people not having a 100% great time then DO NOT OPEN THOSE THREADS!! Easy peasy.

 

[Klayfish]

It also gets quite old to hear the wah, wah cries that Disney can do no right. If you don't want to read about people having a 100% great time then DO NOT OPEN THOSE THREADS!! Easy peasy.

Fixed that for ya...

EDIT: Besides, maybe I've been misinformed, but I thought the purpose of the Disboards was for Disney fans to talk about WDW. But all too often, it seems people think it's only for those who want to bash it, rain on it and put it down. Darn shame. For my part, I've never said or implied they can do no wrong. As I clearly pointed out, they're not perfect. But in my eyes, it's still quite a magical place full of fun, excitement and great experiences for my entire family. It's got a few warts, but the positives FAR, FAR outweigh the negatives. Why is it such a bad thing that I love the place and don't agree with those who bash it?

 

[TravelDad]

Fixed that for ya...

EDIT: Besides, maybe I've been misinformed, but I thought the purpose of the Disboards was for Disney fans to talk about WDW. But all too often, it seems people think it's only for those who want to bash it, rain on it and put it down. Darn shame.

Wow, I've never been told that I'm not a Disney fan before. I've always been told that I'm the biggest Disney fan that they've ever met. Weird that you would claim that anyone who doesn't agree with your position is not a fan and shouldn't come to the DIS boards.

 

[SaintsManiac]

We had things happen on our trip that were NOT magical. We didn't let it ruin the trip and I didn't come on here and complain about it. I took my issues to CMs DURING the vacation.

I don't defend Disney. They have issues just like any other company.

 

[dvcdream4fld]

I think we are all fans of WDW or else we wouldn't be on this forum. Most of us probably grew up going to WDW. I believe when we are younger and things are new, we probably don't notice the same things as we get older. However, I think we can all agree that if we compared the Disney experience to all other venues, then most often then not, it is superior. The question then becomes has the Disney experience decreased over the years. It is true that WDW is getting more crowded. I believe there are three options to dealing with the demand of larger crowds, increase the presence of cast members, raise the pricing to reduce crowds and/or expand the parks to deal with the crowds. As we all know, Disney pricing is increasing and there is construction walls everywhere. I guess the question is are they increasing the presence of cast members. To be honest, I am not sure. By the way, I purposefully say presence of cast members instead of amount of cast members, because just having more cast members is not really what we have come to love about Disney. I think we all love the details in the park and resorts, but I believe the presence of cast members makes the difference between a good and bad experience. In my opinion, Disney does a good job at selling the Disney experience, but I think where Disney may be lacking is adequate training, staffing and motivation to increase the presence of their cast members to keep up with increase in crowds at Disney.

 

[Klayfish]

Wow, I've never been told that I'm not a Disney fan before. I've always been told that I'm the biggest Disney fan that they've ever met. Weird that you would claim that anyone who doesn't agree with your position is not a fan and shouldn't come to the DIS boards.

Hmmm...can you show me exactly where it was that I said that you weren't a Disney fan and/or nobody but people who agree with my feelings should come to the DIS boards? Weird, I can't seem to find it. In fact, I'm now saying for the third time that I agree WDW isn't perfect. However, just like it's the right of people to give their subjective negative opinion and disagree with those who have a positive opinion, I can certainly give my subjective opinion. Or can't I? Weird. Forgive me for thinking a forum devoted to WDW should try to be a positive place. My bad. Nothing wrong with voicing opinions, but it sure seems that if anyone disagrees with some of the negative opinions, it's a horrible thing. Darn shame.

 

[TravelDad]

Actually, what gets old is the repetitive whining about every last thing, over and over and over...let's see, there's: it's crowded, the restrooms aren't spotless, the food is bad, the shows are bad, they change their operating hours to ones that don't suit me personally, they're only concerned about money, some of the rides stink, on and on. Time and again.

You're right, people are allowed to voice their opinions. But perhaps you forget there are a lot of people who actually do love WDW and see plenty of good...tons of good...in it and what they do. It gets old to hear constant whining. Many of us come here because we want to talk about the thing we enjoy and love and are looking forward to. Not read about how someone doesn't want to go to a park because...gasp...there may be other people there too. I couldn't agree more that those who don't like it are free to speak up, but the internet is a big place. I'm sure there are plenty of sites devoted to those who want to complain about WDW. Just as you're annoyed that someone might actually defend WDW, those of us who really like it as it is now get rather annoyed with the whiners. So yeah, we can say as often as we like "If you don't like WDW, then don't go." And I couldn't agree with that more...if you want to come here just to complain, then why are you here? Why do you still go? Hang up the ears and find somewhere else.
.

I definitely understand both sides, but I think we first have to agree that virtually everyone on this site is a pretty big fan of Disney, warts and all. I don't think anyone on here is saying that they don't like Disney. However your statement had some pretty inflammatory verbiage towards people who complain, and their lack of fandom for doing so.

First underline: Implying that if you whine or have anything negative we don't "actually love WDW" or "see any good in it."
Second underline: "The internet is a big place...there are plenty of sites devoted to Disney complaining"
Third underline: "if you want to come here just to complain, then why are you here?

I'm not trying to stir the pot, just think that this is the ideal place to discuss The Good, The Bad, and everything in between. And the "if you don't like it, leave" comments stifle discussion as opposed to promoting it.

 

[Klayfish]

So precisely where was it that I said "TravelDad isn't a WDW fan"? I didn't see it. Nor did I say that if you don't agree with my opinion, you aren't allowed here. As you said yourself you're reading implications into what I said. Can't help you there. Never specifically said that everyone who says anything negative isn't a fan. If that's how you took it, that's up to you. My exact words were "a lot of people who actually do love WDW and see plenty of good...tons of good...in it and what they do. It gets old to hear constant whining." Never said that everyone who whines can't be a WDW fan by definition. Nor do I feel that way.

It's just my opinion, if it bothers you, sorry. At the end of the day, I move on and my feelings aren't hurt or changed. Hope you do the same. To me, I see the DISboards as a place where fans would come to share positive things and enjoyment. Never said anyone who doesn't feel that way shouldn't be here...my point is simply if you truly felt that way and really didn't like WDW anymore, why would you want to come here? Not that you can't come here. And just like people can get tired of WDW defenders, others can get tired of WDW complainers, right? But each to their own.

 

[anniemae]

People have the right to be disappointed, it's okay. Really. If a person is happy with the state of Disney, great. Different people have different standards. What is fine for one person, may be a deal breaker for another. Something that may ruin your trip may not even be a blip on my radar. Again, it's okay.

The people who defend Disney no matter what can keep on doing it, it's fine. I also kind of feel like the ones who defend Disney so much have never been when Disney was truly in it's prime. We would go and there were no crowds, the smallest details were attended to, cm's were different, everything was spotless, the parks were in excellent shape, you never waited more than 15 mins for a ride etc. It was blissful. Those who have only experienced the Disney of today don't have anything to compare it to. Again, it' okay, it's just a different perspective.

It reminds me of a funny quote someone on these board wrote, I don't know who, but it stuck with me. It was something like, "If Disney decided to whack every 10th guest who entered a park in the knee with a lead pipe, there are certain on these boards who would blame YOU for being the 10th guest in line."

We still love Disney, but we are aware of the flaws. We still go because we have a good time, the kids love it and we make amazing memories. When that changes, we will look into other destinations.

 

[disneyseniors]

Actually, what gets old is the repetitive whining about every last thing, over and over and over...let's see, there's: it's crowded, the restrooms aren't spotless, the food is bad, the shows are bad, they change their operating hours to ones that don't suit me personally, they're only concerned about money, some of the rides stink, on and on. Time and again.

lot of people who actually do love WDW and see plenty of good...tons of good...in it and what they do. It gets old to hear constant whining. Many of us come here because we want to talk about the thing we enjoy and love and are looking forward to. Not read about how someone doesn't want to go to a park because...gasp...there may be other people there too. I couldn't agree more that those who don't like it are free to speak up, but the internet is a big place. I'm sure there are plenty of sites devoted to those who want to complain about WDW. Just as you're annoyed that someone might actually defend WDW, those of us who really like it as it is now get rather annoyed with the whiners. So yeah, we can say as often as we like "If you don't like WDW, then don't go." And I couldn't agree with that more...if you want to come here just to complain, then why are you here? Why do you still go? Hang up the ears and find somewhere else.

Also remember that the attendance numbers grow year over year over year since 9/11. So obviously, not everyone thinks all these negative things about Disney.

Yeah, I'm a hard core Disney defender, and proud of it. Do I think it's perfect and can do no wrong? Nope. But I'm not interested in nitpicking about the little things that I think aren't exactly right. I'm focused on the (IMO) 98% of things they do have right and I enjoy every last moment of it. Just like anyone else here, I don't work in WDW corporate management, so I can't say for certainty that they're intentionally cutting corners and "don't care" about their guests. However, from a purely logical business perspective, I'd have a very, very hard time believing that to be the case. WDW is in the business of entertaining people, so that they come back. What sense would it make for them to say "To heck with what our guests actually think, we don't care about them, let's just make money"? Since their entire business is built around their guests, it would seem awful foolish to have that philosophy. So I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that they try to do the right thing. Whether you agree with what they do or not is certainly subjective, and everyone has their own opinions.

Sorry, rant over. I totally agree everyone has a right to their own opinion and has a right to voice it. But for those of us who love the place as it is and really enjoy reading about it, going there, etc...it gets quite old to hear the complaining over and over.

Actually, what gets old is the repetitive whining about every last thing, over and over and over...let's see, there's: it's crowded, the restrooms aren't spotless, the food is bad, the shows are bad, they change their operating hours to ones that don't suit me personally, they're only concerned about money, some of the rides stink, on and on. Time and again.

You're right, people are allowed to voice their opinions. But perhaps you forget there are a lot of people who actually do love WDW and see plenty of good...tons of good...in it and what they do. It gets old to hear constant whining. Many of us come here because we want to talk about the thing we enjoy and love and are looking forward to. Not read about how someone doesn't want to go to a park because...gasp...there may be other people there too. I couldn't agree more that those who don't like it are free to speak up, but the internet is a big place. I'm sure there are plenty of sites devoted to those who want to complain about WDW. Just as you're annoyed that someone might actually defend WDW, those of us who really like it as it is now get rather annoyed with the whiners. So yeah, we can say as often as we like "If you don't like WDW, then don't go." And I couldn't agree with that more...if you want to come here just to complain, then why are you here? Why do you still go? Hang up the ears and find somewhere else.

Also remember that the attendance numbers grow year over year over year since 9/11. So obviously, not everyone thinks all these negative things about Disney.

Yeah, I'm a hard core Disney defender, and proud of it. Do I think it's perfect and can do no wrong? Nope. But I'm not interested in nitpicking about the little things that I think aren't exactly right. I'm focused on the (IMO) 98% of things they do have right and I enjoy every last moment of it. Just like anyone else here, I don't work in WDW corporate management, so I can't say for certainty that they're intentionally cutting corners and "don't care" about their guests. However, from a purely logical business perspective, I'd have a very, very hard time believing that to be the case. WDW is in the business of entertaining people, so that they come back. What sense would it make for them to say "To heck with what our guests actually think, we don't care about them, let's just make money"? Since their entire business is built around their guests, it would seem awful foolish to have that philosophy. So I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that they try to do the right thing. Whether you agree with what they do or not is certainly subjective, and everyone has their own opinions.

Sorry, rant over. I totally agree everyone has a right to their own opinion and has a right to voice it. But for those of us who love the place as it is and really enjoy reading about it, going there, etc...it gets quite old to hear the complaining over and over.

Wow, a lot of ranting. This must hit a nerve. You must not forget that the people on these boards all love Disney or they wouldn't be on here. The posters who voice their personal concerns about wdw also love Disney just as much as you do. If they didn't love Disney, they wouldn't be concerned over things they feel are wrong. It seems that every time a poster voices his concerns about something, whether it be broken down rides, poor maintenance, etc, etc, they get jumped on by people who see no wrong with Disney. That's what I get tired of seeing. Sure, you love it. But that doesn't mean others can't voice their concerns about a place they also love. It is a discussion board and there seems to be a lot of posters who feel something is definitely not quite up to snuff with Disney. They have the right to discuss this with others. If you don't want to read this, then why don't you simply switch to another thread? That is a simple solution. I don't waste my time with threads I don't care for.
I think that we can agree that we all love Disney and let it go at that. You think there is never anything wrong, and others have issues that have arisen on their trips and they voice them. Surely we can all get along and not take issue with every little thing we don't agree with. Have a magical day!

 

[disneyseniors]

Wow, a lot of ranting. This must hit a nerve. You must not forget that the people on these boards all love Disney or they wouldn't be on here. The posters who voice their personal concerns about wdw also love Disney just as much as you do. If they didn't love Disney, they wouldn't be concerned over things they feel are wrong. It seems that every time a poster voices his concerns about something, whether it be broken down rides, poor maintenance, etc, etc, they get jumped on by people who see no wrong with Disney. That's what I get tired of seeing. Sure, you love it. But that doesn't mean others can't voice their concerns about a place they also love. It is a discussion board and there seems to be a lot of posters who feel something is definitely not quite up to snuff with Disney. They have the right to discuss this with others. I do feel that the same old , If yo don't like it, don't go is rather insulting to others. think about it If you don't want to read this, then why don't you simply switch to another thread? That is a simple solution. I don't waste my time with threads I don't care for.
I think that we can agree that we all love Disney and let it go at that. You think there is never anything wrong, and others have issues that have arisen on their trips and they voice them. Surely we can all get along and not take issue with every little thing we don't agree with. Have a magical day!

 

[disneyseniors]

Fixed that for ya...

EDIT: Besides, maybe I've been misinformed, but I thought the purpose of the Disboards was for Disney fans to talk about WDW. But all too often, it seems people think it's only for those who want to bash it, rain on it and put it down. Darn shame. For my part, I've never said or implied they can do no wrong. As I clearly pointed out, they're not perfect. But in my eyes, it's still quite a magical place full of fun, excitement and great experiences for my entire family. It's got a few warts, but the positives FAR, FAR outweigh the negatives. Why is it such a bad thing that I love the place and don't agree with those who bash it?

The dis boards are for Disney fans, all of us. Because we all love Disney, otherwise, why waste our time on boards we don't like? You have misconceptions of who the Disney fans are, and in your opinion they are the ones who only say positive things about Disney that should be allowed to comment? That's rather prejudice. We all are fans, we have valid concerns, we are going to voice them. And yes, we have wonderful fun filled stories about our trips to WDW too, imagine that! So this place is not only for what you consider fans to post. It is for all those who love Disney and want to discuss.
As it has been pointed out before many times, if you don't want to read these threads, then please don't. Just go to another one filled with the pixie dust that you so want them all to be.

 

[TravelDad]

So precisely where was it that I said "TravelDad isn't a WDW fan"? I didn't see it. Nor did I say that if you don't agree with my opinion, you aren't allowed here. As you said yourself you're reading implications into what I said. Can't help you there. Never specifically said that everyone who says anything negative isn't a fan. If that's how you took it, that's up to you. My exact words were "a lot of people who actually do love WDW and see plenty of good...tons of good...in it and what they do. It gets old to hear constant whining." Never said that everyone who whines can't be a WDW fan by definition. Nor do I feel that way.

It's just my opinion, if it bothers you, sorry. At the end of the day, I move on and my feelings aren't hurt or changed. Hope you do the same. To me, I see the DISboards as a place where fans would come to share positive things and enjoyment. Never said anyone who doesn't feel that way shouldn't be here...my point is simply if you truly felt that way and really didn't like WDW anymore, why would you want to come here? Not that you can't come here. And just like people can get tired of WDW defenders, others can get tired of WDW complainers, right? But each to their own.

Quit trolling and bounce to another thread, you are derailing and contributing zero to any conversation. Just trying to stir crap up with people. Do yourself and everyone else a favor and go to a thread that you can be happy at.

 

[TravelDad]

The dis boards are for Disney fans, all of us. Because we all love Disney, otherwise, why waste our time on boards we don't like? You have misconceptions of who the Disney fans are, and in your opinion they are the ones who only say positive things about Disney that should be allowed to comment? That's rather prejudice. We all are fans, we have valid concerns, we are going to voice them. And yes, we have wonderful fun filled stories about our trips to WDW too, imagine that! So this place is not only for what you consider fans to post. It is for all those who love Disney and want to discuss.
As it has been pointed out before many times, if you don't want to read these threads, then please don't. Just go to another one filled with the pixie dust that you so want them all to be.

 

[disneyseniors]

LOL you are so right, traveldad. I think I could repeat the above over and over and it would still not sink in. So, no more feeding the troll........

 

[Planogirl]

Never mind...