Reminiscing: what do you miss most from the Disney parks of the 2000s/2010s?

[olliesmom]

As we move toward a new decade and are looking at planning a Disney trip for 2021, I've been feeling really sentimental about what feels like a golden era of Disney parks, from roughly 2004 when we started going frequently until 2015 when our visits started tapering off. We used to go once or twice a year and our frequency is now every 2-3 years, even though we now have a young family and are probably more than ever Disney's target demographic. I just very acutely miss so much of the charm from the parks and have been sitting thinking about some of the losses, big and small, that feel like they add up to a big difference.

Off the top of my mind:

- Evening parades at the Magic Kingdom. There was such a sense of magic to them and even if we didn't sit and watch, I have wonderful memories of walking through the park, seeing the twinkle of the lights over the crowds and hearing the music as we walked.

- World Showcase Players (and many of the other Epcot WS performers). I never saw a Players show I didn't enjoy, they engaged so well with the audience and made a lot of strangers in a large park feel like a group of old friends.

- The old Pecos Bill menu, complete with plastic cheese. There may have been nothing objectively good about their menu, but it felt like classic Disney food and that fixins' bar was great.

- Real EMH - when you could stay in the Magic Kingdom until 2 or 3am with no upcharge and feel like you really had the park to yourself, it felt like a true perk and worth the premium of staying at at Disney hotel.

- Iluminations. I'll wait to see what the new Epcot show is like before fully grieving this one, but I already miss it.

- Wishes. I know there are a lot of fans of Happily Ever After, but Wishes was classic Disney to me.

- The Magic of Disney Animation. This was a must-do for us and something you couldn't find at your local theme park. The drawings made a wonderful souvenir and it was something I looked forward to with every trip.

- Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights - this is one of those attractions I wish I could bring my children to see, and was high on my list of special holiday events that made Christmas at Disney so magical.

- PUSH the trash can. We were lucky enough to have a few interactions with him, these little touches were full of delight and again differentiated Disney from our local amusement park.

 

[tzvdmd]

Value season.

 

[snappy]

All of the above plus a good many of the Citizens of Hollywood and Tapestry of dreams parade in EPCOT.

 

[kiddo76]

The old FP system.

 

[Disneylover99]

Resort, ticket and food prices.
Yeah. I know. Everything goes up.

But this past trip and my future trips I’ve priced out have made me pine for cheaper times. Lol

 

[snappy]

Yea I sure liked those 10 day non expiring Park hoppers. Ah well. You can’t take it with you.

 

[COSMOnKELLY]

The Great Movie Ride

 

[Communicore1991]

Injecting intellectual property into everything.

 

[leebee]

Non-expiring tickets. SUCH a selling point when people point out the cost... Yeah, but if you don't use them, they are good FOREVER!

"Specific" things: Resort specific mugs, park/location specific merchandise. Disney's so generic now. I look at my park-specific mugs and remember each trip, wonderful times. I look at the more recent, generic mugs, and can't even remember when I got them. Same with the merchandise.

The little things that you found nowhere but at Disney: Souvenir menus and placemats, Mickey-head butter, towel animals, pre-show/parade entertainment (so you didn't mind waiting 45 mins for a show to start), street performers, light/music shows as part of the walkways, stuff like that.

"Junior" prices at the resorts and buffets. All this business about a 10 year old paying adult prices! I also remember when you could get half-portions at the restaurants. They'd charge you half-price, plus $1, and you'd get a half-portion of the meal. GREAT for kids who like real (rather than "kid") food and seniors, and those of us with small appetites (or who have had bariatric surgery).

I used to be able to point out the value, the "special" things that only Disney did, when folks complained about the price. Not so much anymore...