This and the after hours tickets have me worried. It seems Disney is experimenting with doing away with free EMH and trying to find new ways of making people pay for what was previously free. While EMH and late park openings during busier times may still be accessible when these special events aren't taking place, how long will it remain so? This just tops of the long list of rather "unmagical" things Disney has been doing in recent years. I will be visiting next month with my oldest son for his 16th birthday celebration and have taken him every year for the last 13 years of his life, but the Disney I fell in love with as a child myself and even as a mother taking my own children for the first time, is a far cry from the conglomerate machine that is operating today. It is sad to see and barely distinguishable as it has happened slowly over time, but as you step back and dissect the changes, it is sad to see what it is becoming. Please don't bash me for my opinion. Yes, we still go because it has become a tradition and special place for my family, but that does not mean that I can't be sad or unhappy about the recent changes taking place.
I'm not bashing you, but I would ask what are your specific complaints? EMH haven't gone away, and aside from a lot of fear mongering, no one is suggesting they are going away. I'm rather sure WDW will continue to provide some sort of in-park benefit for on-site guests even if they do replace them with something else.
The problems we're seeing at Disney aren't as much about Disney as they are about its popularity. As I said above, I think this early morning Fantasyland program is a way for them to combat the horror that Rope Drop has become. I don't know if it will work, or if it's justified, but Rope Drop used to be a simple little thing they did to open to park to a few hundred early risers. Now the crowds back up to the tapstiles. This is a scary place of WDW to be in, because they aren't prepared -- nor do they want to be -- for people storming the gates every morning. Yet that is what RD has become as people continually do whatever they can to maximize their vacation, touring sites and Disney boards constantly reinforcing the idea that the only way to have a great time is to get to the park early. It was this kind of behavior that caused the demise of FP-, this idea of each individual person doing whatever it takes to get the most rides. I'm not criticizing; WDW costs a lot of money, and people want to get all they can for their dollar. But as more and more people come to the park, more and more people demand a limited amount of ride capacity. And Disney has to find a way to adjust. Likewise, I'm certain this new program is either to counter or in response to early morning ADRs and people using them to get early access to rides -- RD isn't enough for many of them, they want an even bigger head start. I'm not blaming them, but it sets up a situation where WDW then allows a small group of savvy users an advantage. And, given that many of those BOG visitors brag about the fact they aren't really using the dining reservation they've made, it would make sense that WDW needs to make a change.
So they came up with this -- a chance for people to pay to get that head start. I don't think the cost of either early morning or late nights is excessive, but it is more. But goodness, they need to do something. Because people keep coming. Universal brought more people to Orlando -- do you think those people don't make a stop at WDW? Attendance has risen every year -- even a 1 percent increase means an extra 500 people a day in the park. What used to be slow is now busy, and what used to be busy is now packed. They've got to develop ways to spread out and manage crowds, because the alternative is acting like Wally the Moose, and turning people away at the door. And we all know how that turned out.
The other thing I'd point out is that I grew up in Orlando, so I spent a fair amount of time at Disney. There have always been lines. There have always been waits. It has always been expensive. As a kid, we thought it was worth it until it wasn't. We all want better for our kids than we had, so we want their times to be short, and their experiences maximized whenever we can do it. But a theme park -- especially this one -- only allows you to do that with a price. Universal's Express Pass can cost more than the cost of admission-- same thing for Elitch Gardens here in Denver. Iv'e no idea what WDW could charge for that kind of pass, but my guess is it would be a lot more. What they are doing instead is giving people the option of buying into a less-crowded situation for a limited amount of their day. I actually think it's the kinder of the two options.
I'm sorry you're not having as much fun there as you think you should. I get that -- my wife is the same way. But at some point even memories and wishes run into the real logistics of crowds, and I think WDW is there, and probably will remain there for a long, long time.
