Just got home tonight from WDW and we've decided that this is our last trip unless grandchildren come along years from now. Yes, we enjoyed our vacation but it is nothing like it use to be for us. And it has nothing to do with how we approached the trip either as we were so looking forward to it, it has everything to do with that feeling that we usually get but did not feel this time around.
FP+ & bands worked fine for those we prebooked - but once used by noon adding more was a moot point as nothing was left.
MNSSHP tickets would not work (showed up as park regular park tickets) and had to trek all the way back to City Hall and wait in line where we had to be issued new ones. There were tons of people in line upset.
Mine train was down at MK in the morning, had to back track to that ride later in the day. Nice little ride but not sure why all the hype or why it took so long to build.
MNSSHP - way too many tickets sold for this event compared to prior years.
Very big issue for me that I always thought WDW was a step above on: the parks, buses and boats are not as clean - especially the bathrooms. Bathrooms were so dirty, the sinks are stained, paint peeling and they use to smell nice all the time but did not at all this trip. The bus windows and hand bars were filthy, even first thing in the morning.
The parks really need fresh paint in many areas - something Disney use to keep up very well. It is looking very dated and in need of TLC.
Walls everywhere due to construction (AK, MK, DTD). Sure, we want them to add new things but it was very bad this trip to the point that the atmosphere was affected by it.
Cast members not very pleasant overall. Some even out right rude - especially at counter service. And it seems like there aren't as many CMs as there use to be which may be part of the problem. We felt like herded cattle all day long on the rides.
Photographers - we paid for Memory Maker and only encountered 2 photographers (one at AK and one at Epcot) who went out of their way to make special photos for us. Some even seemed put out to take pictures or snapped only one or two. Maybe this is because we are adults (my DS is 19 years old). We are glad to have the ride photos and a few of those out in the park turned out good but otherwise not so sure it was worth it.
The Swan was great, it was our first offsite stay but the location is perfect, the renovated rooms were nice and the buses were very convenient/quick compared to when we've stayed onsite.
We had a good time overall as we didn't let the above get to us. However, we've always chosen Disney for vacations as they always held a higher standard and had customer service that could not be beat. This time it really just felt like a theme park vacation with people pushing and shoving and not "Disney" magical at all. We feel Disney is putting greed before customer service these days. This was the first time we couldn't wait to leave and make the 12 hour drive home.
On the flip side, Universal is just getting better every visit. We stayed there for 3 nights before heading to WDW. The parks were super clean. The rides are very cool and up to date. There was a huge difference with the staff there compared to Disney - they were super super nice everywhere we went from the hotel, guest services, in the parks and City Walk. They truly made us feel special (like Disney use to). Visitors at Universal even seemed happier, smiling and joking. At Disney it seemed like so many people were having melt downs and walking around with haggard/frustrated faces while pushing their way through heavy crowds.
For us it is sad, but we know its time to move on.
Our opinion is only one of many but I will send Disney an email about our experience.
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