Never Again...

[scottmel]

I just thought of another "never again". After our most recent trip in Nov 2010 as a group totalling 7 people, all very good friends who were helping me celebrate my 40th a couple of months early, both my DH and I declared NEVER AGAIN. We had a good time...but everyone had such diverse touring styles that it was all just TOO MUCH!

One example: It was our first evening at the MK and Wishes was just about to start - my FAVE of the nighttime events in all the world. My best friend shrugged this off, instead preferring to stay inside a store on Main Street and shop! Turns out this was to be a MAJOR preferred activity for her, so she spent extra hours inside the stores all week long. No biggie. Just a shock to me that anyone would spend SO MUCH TIME inside the stores, as cool and uniquely themed as they may be, looking at expensive merchandise than doing anything else.

The most frustrating incident came one morning when we had just arrived at DHS. "Wait" my friend said. "I have to pee." Okay. We all waited as she dashed into a restroom near the front of the park. A few minutes later, she joined us. Then my BIL decided he had to go. OKAY. We waited. 3, 4 ,5 minutes. BIL arrives back and then my friend's DH decided he had to go. Seriously?? Now, I thought they were all messing with me, but no. I must admit that I lost it just a little and shouted "Who has to go when Sheldon comes back? Cause I think I'll wait til he or she comes back AND THEN I'm going to go pee." Not my finest moment. Did I mention that we were a group of 7 grown ups travelling without children. I mean COME ON - we wasted 15 minutes doing the pee-pee dance. SO annoying.

Heed the warning folks...the magic does NOT necessarily multiply when you go with more people. My DH and I agreed that the best trip we ever had was just the two of us back in '06. And I have read dozens of trip reports that echo this same sentiment - travelling with a large group of friends or extended family comes with a boat load of issues and challenges and stress and potential meltdowns of EPIC proportion!

All that being said, DH and I must be slow learners cause our next trip this Nov will consist of no less than 12 people (including 4 children).

Thanks for posting this....Makes me feel better. Last summer we met up with dear friends and their 3 kids but we stayed at different hotels and only met up for 2 park days. We had a great time and I was sort of lamenting this summer we had no one to meet up with but DH reminded me of some times we felt slowed down or having to adjust our schedule, etc. I was feeling sort of missing it a bit until I read your warning!!! Thanks! I needed that!

 

[sly1971]

I would suggest a Disney cruise if you're willing to try another group vacation. We've had 17, 19, and will have 16 again next Easter. We're all together but don't have to hold hands everywhere. We all meet up at dinner or head to the beach together. It was nice. It's all the magic you love about Disney but relaxing & pampering. Almost makes WDW feel like it's work.

Thanks for the tip. We are actually going on a cruise next April with a group (to celebrate my DH's 40th B-day). I wanted to try the Disney Dream (it looks AMAZING), but we couldn't convince the rest of the invitees that a Disney cruise would be so cool...some people have a hard time letting go of the perception that Disney isn't just for little kids (their loss). Instead we are trying Royal Caribbean. But I WILL be on the Dream or the Fantasy in the next year or so. Thanks again for your input, really appreciate it.

 

[sly1971]

Thanks for posting this....Makes me feel better. Last summer we met up with dear friends and their 3 kids but we stayed at different hotels and only met up for 2 park days. We had a great time and I was sort of lamenting this summer we had no one to meet up with but DH reminded me of some times we felt slowed down or having to adjust our schedule, etc. I was feeling sort of missing it a bit until I read your warning!!! Thanks! I needed that!

No problem - it's funny how even just different walking speeds can make a big impact on your enjoyment of the day. There's always the pull to "share the magic" but when everyone is constantly compromising, it starts to feel like work ~ the last way you want to feel at Disney!

 

[NOLA_Tink]

I would have to say that my one never again is: Disney Quest. I don't even have words for the place.

I also have another one that gets on my nerves but have to do at least once during a trip to Disney and that It's a Small World. With them singing the same thing over and over and over and over again it just gets so very annoying.
-------------------------------------------

As for all the other rides and attractions there we love them all. We find something in everyone of them that we enjoy very much.

I totally agree about Disney Quest. For us, it was such a waste of time & money. I try to look for the positive in everything, so I chalked it up being able to have a new Disney experience, but DH & I were completely bored.

 

[moviegirl11]

I want/need to read through the whole thread but I like some of the posts.

Re: the Stitch "ride," I liked it so much more when it was Alien Encounter. Then it was creepy and fun. The Stitch thing just seems silly.

My own Never Agains:

• Disney Quest
• Going at the end of July (too hot, too crowded)
• Staying at a value resort - this one's sort of a "probably not." The only time I stayed at a value (ASM) is when I went at the end of July. Hot, majorly crowded, the buses were packed. It was just too much. I'd probably consider it again if I went at a less popular time.
• The Luau at Poly. I won't say I was completely disappointed but it was pricy and I can't see ever opting to do it again.

 

[ysprincess]

For me, it's definitely Soarin'.
I don't know what it is about it, but I just don't love it. Not so much the ride for me.

 

[jjsmom]

For us, we will never again attempt Presidents Day Week which (not only popular Northeast school holiday week), but also the same as Daytona 500. I may possibly do Epcot World Showcase, but we've been to MK & Studios, and both times weve just left.
Also, a good friend and fellow Disney fanatic splurged for the Disney Tea for herself and 8 yr old daughter. She claimed it was a total rip off (this gal is usually very easy going, but she was downright angry). Again, that was someone else's opinion.

Another fanatic friend (who can afford to stay at any resort property she wants), always, always stays at the Value resorts. Her grandkids talked her into staying at a moderate. When she got back, she was mad at spending the extra money. (I wish I had such problems). She said NEVER AGAIN! The Value resorts are "fabulous" and just as good if not better than the mods.

 

[jjsmom]

Oh gracious! This is for Scottmel and sly1971; I posted but I wasn't finished! The same lady who loves the Value resorts just got back. The "added" 2 extra extended family members to their annual trip. One of the "add-ons" complained about everything all week long, and made the trip miserable for everyone else. I really like when it's just my immediate family; no groups.

 

[#1PoohBearFan]

Hoop Dee Doo review....oh my goodness...Ive never been to something so lame in all my life....it was awful. My 8yr old begged me the whole time if we could leave...my 2yr old half hid his head half cried the whole time. There was no kids menu and despite people on this board telling me to ask the waiters to bring my kids something different..they wouldnt. Kids starved, jokes were lame, singing awful, food mediochre..totaly waste of time and money.

Thats weird...but me & my family went, and we loved it! We are going back in August, and doing it again. Maybe it depends on the person you are, but I like the food and thought the show was great.

 

[#1PoohBearFan]

Sounds Dangerous was okay, I guess, but wasn't that interesting, or exciting. We did it maybe 2 or 3 years ago, and haven't gona back to it since. I wouldn't recommend it.

Nemo Musical - It's too long! My sister and my mom love it, though, so I gotta see it anyway. At some points, its cute, but I'm not that into musicals and it just doesn't really interest me.

 

[Alexander]

There are many things that are not on my list of things to do, but my kids have things they like and since it is their vacation too and we visit 4 times a year, we will do things I don't care for. Disney Quest is the most recent. I hate all arcades and DQ is an arcade nightmare! But...I have a 4 y/o and I can't exactly send him in there alone!

I don't say I will NEVER do things again because I never say never because you just never know. We have traveled with family who were new to WDW and we did things for them that normally we wouldn't do if it were just my immediate family. Also, as my kids get older they want to try different things that they couldn't do before. Not a fan of the value resorts, but my kids really love the theming of Sports, so if we need one night somewhere we will consider staying there.

 

[kalee45]

You guys are so diplomatic, with taking other travelers' wishes into account! Me, I AM the Planner, my family just goes along with me & as long as they have fun, they do not question! I, also, am the only DIS'er , so they bow to my greater knowledge! (if you haven't caught onto the tongue in cheek nature of this post by now, just skip it). Anyway: we do not do Stitch (did try it once: YUCK!), we will never do another FW show (Hoop de Doo, Backyard BBQ; again once was too much: food not great, entertainment not present). Stuff we haven't tried but we/I have no real interest in: DisneyQuest, waterparks (impossible to watch 4 kids around water & have fun!), La Nouba, Test Track, Mission Space. May try these last two this June if it fits into The Plan !

 

[5boyz]

Thought, "Oh hey we have 30 minutes before we can go to SciFi for our ressie, let's duck in here and just waste some time." If you want a nap, go to the show. It was the most boring thing I have ever done!

Is that the one you sit in the dark with head phones on and listen to Drew Carey and maybe the chair moves or something? Did it once and will never do that again..it was sooooo boring.....

 

[Danacarolyn]

I have to say for us the Tiki Room at Magic Kingdom was awful. It was rauccous, unfunny and the songs were done badly. The kids were freaked out by the insulting birds and we were all very disapointed.

 

[carlossanta]

It was the most crowded time I have ever spent at Disney, we couldn't get anywhere near the stages, and because the churches use it as an evangelism thing, the people there were rude and very questionable. It was not a pleasant experience in any way, except that it was the first time we had Dole Whip!

 

[jjsmom]

I have to say for us the Tiki Room at Magic Kingdom was awful. It was rauccous, unfunny and the songs were done badly. The kids were freaked out by the insulting birds and we were all very disapointed.

OH dear me, this in an ongoing joke in my family. My sweet mother in law (God love her) adores the Tiki birds. Her 3 adult sons and all the grandchildren pick on her so bad because the Tiki bird attraction (they say) is godawful. I didn't think it was so bad, although I thought when I asked to see it, my husband was going to leave me, right there in the middle of MK.

 

[stashbin]

Never again will we stay at CBR.
Never again will I do the Narnia "ride" LOL
Never again will I do Stitch.
Never again will I waste 2 table services at Brown Derby!
Never again for It's a Small World.
Never again TOT.....
And I have never done the water parks because, well...waterparks gross me out!

 

[miztressuz]

Absolutely will not do AK Safari or Dinosaur. These are the only two rides in my whole life where the "people with bad backs, expectant mothers, .... should not ride" warning actually applied! Both hurt my hip and back. I did do Dinosaur a couple years after the first time cuz I thought I was just in pain from the Safari ride - but no, that hurts the hip too. On this upcoming trip my hubby's family is all coming (18 total). So they picked the AK Safari Grand Gathering dinner to do - we bowed out. As much as we would have like to have the GG experience I wasn't paying just for dinner as you couldn't drag me back on the Safari jeep

There are lots of others that I wouldn't voluntarily go back to and you guys have pretty much hit them all here But if absolutely begged I would go through Drew Carey (such a waste of space, can't believe they haven't thought of another use for that yet), Monster's Laugh floor, Stitch, Small World (have to beg alot!), Figment, and any of the shows in HS. Since we're going with newbies on this round I probably will get to relive these again. If the thread is still alive after I do 'rnd 2' of these I'll let you know which have moved to the 'absolutely never again' list

To do Disney Quest again I'd have to get a really good discount ticket. Or have Disney make it like D&B's where you pay points or something for each attraction.

 

[JenSop]

But see, so many of these attractions have been re-done and it's the NEW incarnations that are seriously lacking. The old Tiki Room wasn't fabulous, but it was way better than the crappy one "Under New Management."

And it breaks my heart (as it does many others) that the Figment ride was ruined forever after their stupid renovation years ago. Seriously - the original when I was a kid (1980's) was my FAVORITE ride at all of Disney. Figment was our favorite character. (I still love Figment because of that original ride.) I really can't ride the new one except for every few trips - it just makes me too sad.

 

[jjan]

I will never do the dining plan again- free or otherwise. Too much bad food, too much time trying to get where we were supposed to eat.

Tomorrowland Indy Speedway- I thought that I was going to have whiplash for the rest of my life. After waiting in a huge long line, our car broke down and had to be pushed back in after only half of the ride.

I think that I am over staying on property. I really loved Pop, but its slowly lost its charm with thin walls and housekeeping letting doors slam against deadbolts over and over. I'm too cheap to stay at moderates or higher for better accommodations when there are such amazing places as Bonnet Creek, etc.

I actually love most of the rides that are mentioned in this thread and really did enjoy Hoop De Doo. I hope that anyone that is using this thread for planning realizes that they should give all the rides a chance- it would be sad to miss out on something just because someone else "hates" it.