Negative posts need not be posted!

[Rella]

I for one enjoy the good the bad and the ugly about a vacation. Maybe your just getting anxious about everything because that does happen. You want everything to be so perfect. And it wont! But you will still have a good time.

 

[penguin087]

Aren't most of us on these boards to get and share information from our trips? I want to know what the crowd levels are like during free dining this year so I can decide if I want to go this time next year. What is so "gloom and doom" about talking about crowd levels????????????????

 

[KJMAX1]

We leave in 27 hours until we leave!! Plus I get free dinning! WA HOO!! If we didnt have free dinning durning the time we are going Id have to eat that stuff they feed you at counter service. As a mom of 4 I am totally excited we get a sit down meal EVERYNIGHT!! We were going anyway at this time, but when the free dining plan came out, I was totally excited! I personally like it a little more crowded. We went in September once and it was down right depressing having everything close early(MK closed at 5pm!), and not a lot of people there....I like the activity and all the parks open later!

 

[splashmtnman]

I don't mind the negative either but just take it with a grain of salt. Although I think some people tend to get a little personal w/ the "free dining people" references. It's OK to be negative and truthful just don't get personal.I'll be at AKL 11/27-12/6 no free dining for that time but was able to get a discount on the savannah room.

 

[PortieOwner]

I just wish that when crowds are larger than expected WDW would have the parks open more hours.

 

[Mom to a Princess]

Hey - you know what I'd rather be in WDW even if it is crowded than say in a crowd in my hometown! Its WDW! Relax and enjoy yourself. Let the free dinning folks enjoy thier food fest and be grateful that you are able to be in WDW, even if it is crowded.

 

[trivial]

So people shouldn't post what you don't want to hear?

You know, it might be more effective to put your fingers in your ears and say, "Na-na-nah-I-can't-hear-you."

Or, just not opening the threads at all.

Harsh as it may sound, I couldn't agree more. The original post may as well have read, "If your opinions don't match mine, keep your mouth shut." Yay for tolerance and common respect.

 

[bicker]

I just wish that when crowds are larger than expected WDW would have the parks open more hours.

Well that's just it. As others have relayed, the crowds aren't larger than expected. The parks are just as crowded as they were intended to be. What's more crowded than usual are the restaurants.

 

[lovethattink]

I just wanted to say that I was at AK on Sunday and Epcot on Monday. AK was jammed packed. Epcot was empty, tues am. We ate at Biergarten at 12:05. The entire time we were there, there was only about 10 tables in use. This was a strict contrast to how crazy things were at AK on Sunday. I think your Disney experience just depends on which parks at what time. If you already have ADRs you are set and have nothing to worry about.

 

[Ardenne]

I don't mind the negative either but just take it with a grain of salt. Although I think some people tend to get a little personal w/ the "free dining people" references. It's OK to be negative and truthful just don't get personal.

I agree with this 100%. I don't mind people complaining about the crowds at all, but I did feel rather offended by the posts I've read here along the lines of 'Disney ought not to have any discounts at all, because things were better before all THOSE people were clogging up the parks.'

I somehow can't see Walt ever wanting to exclude anyone who wanted to come and enjoy the incredible magic he envisioned.

 

[bicker]

Well, I wouldn't say that. Walt wasn't the kindly old grandfather he was portrayed as. Disney has always worked the balance between making profit and providing a show. WDW is very expensive, and therefore already actively excludes many folks who simply couldn't afford it.

 

[Ardenne]

Well, I wouldn't say that. Walt wasn't the kindly old grandfather he was portrayed as. Disney has always worked the balance between making profit and providing a show. WDW is very expensive, and therefore already actively excludes many folks who simply couldn't afford it.

Well, you're probably right. I rather prefer the 'kindly old grandfather' image, but you're probably right, nevertheless.

Even if that's the case, though -- wouldn't the Walt you describe still prefer to minimize low attendance times in the parks? I think we can all agree that being in a relatively empty park is a WONDERFUL experience -- but from a profit perspective, it's not that good at all, unless you've increased ticket prices to compensate (as for the special hard-ticketed events, where there's lower attendance but a premium price for those hours.)

And regardless of what Walt would say or think, I still find the 'my family is more important than your family because I can afford to pay more' attitude obnoxious. If discounts exist, it's not a character blemish to take advantage of them.

 

[mking624]

Well, I wouldn't say that. Walt wasn't the kindly old grandfather he was portrayed as. Disney has always worked the balance between making profit and providing a show. WDW is very expensive, and therefore already actively excludes many folks who simply couldn't afford it.

The cost was heavily discussed not that long ago. The reality is that Disney is no more expensive than most vacations...in fact there are plenty of vacations that are considerably more. WDW can be as expensive as you want it to be...but it can also be pretty affordable as well. It all depends on how you're budgeting it.

 

[C.Ann]

I think the negative posts (done politely) can be helpful when making your plans.. Some will obviously be "over the top" exaggerated and some will present you with the bare facts, which you can then use accordingly..

Recently I have been spending a lot of time on tripadvisor.com looking for hotels to stay in when I drive to Florida for the winter after Christmas.. When looking at the reviews of the hotels, I look at the dates they were written and how many negatives there are as opposed to positives.. If one hotel has 8 positives and 1 negative then I'm pretty sure it's nothing more than a bad case of "you can't please everyone and some people simply can't be pleased at all".. If there are 8 negatives and 1 positive, then yes - I'm going to cross that hotel off of my list..

Take the posts with a grain of salt and use them to plan out your days.. Crowded or not, Disney is a fun place to be!!!

Have a great trip!!!!

 

[goofy4tink]

Back a few years ago, we were planning a stay at POR. Well, Disney came out with the Fairy Tale package...book 4 nights, get three free. So, we changed over to WL, then yet again to the Polynesian. At the time of our actual visit, people were complaining about the increase in numbers of people in the parks. It was mid-August, the 15th or so. Yes, the Florida and other southern schools are back in session so the 'natives' aren't in the parks nearly as much. But, once they offered that package, the numbers that booked was incredible. Then, we had the hurricane season from 'you know where'. People were hesitant to travel to WDW during an active hurricane season. So, they enticed people with free dining. Me, I would rather have a room discount and then eat the way we actually eat. But, others like the 'free dining'. So, now we have people heading to the resorts/parks in huge numbers. Mid August used to be a quiet time of year to go, not so much anymore. Same with Sept. I'm seeing many more posts from those who are going in Sept for the first time. Free dining is free dining. If you were thinking about a trip in July, but could get free dining in late August, I would imagine you would make the change in dates. I also think there are a lot more people with little kids that are traveling in late Sept/early Oct in order to get the dining for nothing. Heck, take your kids out of 1st grade for a few days for free dining? Yep, that's what will happen.
However, Disney has always started cutting back on park hours the third week in August. Then, they stay open later for Labor Day and then back to the shortened hours after that.
Negative postings? Perhaps. But I'm sure that I'm pretty similar to most people. I would like to make some 'informed' decisions when I plan my trips to WDW. So, hearing the good, the bad and the ugly only helps. But, it is possible to state the bad and the ugly in a nice manner, rather than in an insulting or belittling manner.

 

[bicker]

Even if that's the case, though -- wouldn't the Walt you describe still prefer to minimize low attendance times in the parks?

Let's leave Walt out of it. He's dead, and probably doesn't like us disturbing him in the grave like this.

With regard to minimizing low attendance, it's a balancing act. If you provide too much of an incentive, you degrade the value of the commodity. So in the right measure, yes; beyond that measure, no. Disney does a great job of finding the optimal balance.

And regardless of what Walt would say or think, I still find the 'my family is more important than your family because I can afford to pay more' attitude obnoxious.

Yes, I agree. Saying that your family is more important... is rude. Saying that your family should get more because you are willing and able to pay more is appropriate and respectful.

 

[bicker]

The cost was heavily discussed not that long ago. The reality is that Disney is no more expensive than most vacations...

Yet it is very expensive for many people, and therefore excludes those people solely on financial grounds. Indeed, in our society, many people are excluded from taking vacations at all, for a variety of money-based reasons. I don't think many people would seriously advocate anything substantial to allieviate that inequity.

 

[Christopher Robin]

But once a person actually puts up the cash, whether they can or cannot well afford it, they should be treated the same as everyone else who shells out the dough. I sense a holier than thou attitude among many on this (and other) threads. ie. 'those "free dining" people'.

I knew a man once, he was very well off. I asked why he drove such a beat up car when he could afford a much better one. His response? "How do you think I came to be in a position to afford nice things? By not spending all my money on nice things, of course."

How I spend my cash, whether I can afford it well or not, and whether I am 'entitled' to be at the World, is no one's business.

Again, once a person pays what ever is required, they are an equal to all present.

Carpi Disney.

 

[bicker]

But once a person actually puts up the cash, whether they can or cannot well afford it, they should be treated the same as everyone else who shells out the dough.

They should be treated the same as everyone else who shells out the same amount of money, and provides the same amount of contribution to the company's bottom-line, yes.

I sense a holier than thou attitude among many on this (and other) threads. ie. 'those "free dining" people'.

I agree that asserting that some people are "better" than others, and that some people are "rabble" (I think I've seen that in one of the threads) is really quite rude and inappropriate. This is a business issue and should be considered as strictly business.

 

[mking624]

Yet it is very expensive for many people, and therefore excludes those people solely on financial grounds. Indeed, in our society, many people are excluded from taking vacations at all, for a variety of money-based reasons. I don't think many people would seriously advocate anything substantial to allieviate that inequity.

Oh I agree, but to a point...I'm just pointing out that WDW can be affordable depending on how you budget it. DH & I were able to take a 5 day, 4 night trip staying on site with parkhoppers for less than $500 one year. For some people, that's still a lot of money...and yes they do forfeit vacationing year after year (aside from a trip I did with extended family when I was a little girl, vacationing was unheard of for me until I got married). We wound up spending more money going to places like Gatlinburg, TN or Wisconsin Dells...which are considerably closer to us and have less to offer than WDW.

"Expensive" is really all relative to the person spending the money. For some, a $500 is too expensive...for others it's not expensive until it hits $2000 or more. So saying "it's expensive" is not really a helpful way of describing WDW. I don't consider it to be expensive when I look at ALL it has to offer. But others wouldn't necessarily agree. Which is why it's relative. One person's idea of "expensive" is not necessarily another person's idea.