LA Poolboy
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2015
- Messages
- 116
We live in Louisiana and completed WDW trip #30ish about a week ago. We have driven all but one trip so it is an undertaking to go. When our family started going back in 2003 our kids were 5 and 7 years old and it was magical in every sense of the word. Our 5 year old daughter wanted princesses and she got princesses. Our 7 year old son saw almost all the characters and shows that he wanted. Rides were just a bonus back then. The thing that struck me back then was how everyday seemed like the first day the parks were open. Everything looked freshly painted and clean. No trash anywhere. Cast members were constantly removing trash from the very clean trashcans and there were others picking up any little piece of paper that may have found its way to the grounds. The rooms were the same, clean and fresh. Mousekeeping did an amazing job. Cast members in the parks were always doing things to make a guest's day special. I don't remember seeing cast members just gathering in their exclusive groups and ignoring the guests. Needless to say...I was impressed. And even looking at the prices I couldn't wait to go back, and not just to see the excitement on our kids' faces, and my wife's face, I wanted to turn the corner on to Main Street, USA, and see the castle for myself.
Fast forward 22 years, after a pandemic that changed everything we thought we knew about everyday life, and our 30ish trip with our now grown son who still loves Disney. The parks don't look fresh and new everyday. As a matter of fact, it doesn't take long to find something that is in dired need of a paintjob. Maintenance must be where all the job cuts happened because so many times during the week things were not working...including Pirates for almost an entire day. Dwarfs was down at opening, as was Rise of the Resistance. Miraculously these rides started working through their issues right at 9:00 meaning the early magic half hour was basically standing in "not a line." And to top off the complaint with maintenance...the coolers in the food court at Pop Century went out the day before we were checking out and were not fixed by the time we left. So some portable coolers were brought in to offer a few cool drinks and food items, but not nearly what is normally offered. It was the straw the broke the camel's back for this trip. I know I am old now and have been immersed in the magic to the point of saturation, but this was bad. I don't understand how Disney's standards have fallen this far. And cast members had much less care for the guest experience than at any other time or visit for me. It's simply a job now it appears. Some were even to the point of being surly. Just to bring this to a close...I was disappointed.
With the prices that are charged now, and my saturation point being reached, I think I will volunteer to help drive if the family wants me to go to WDW with them, but I will save the money from park tickets and just stick around the resort. I can sit around the pool and read or whatever and probably have a better time than going back to the parks. But to end on a positive note, the Mickey Brownie sundae at Pop Century's food court was great!
Fast forward 22 years, after a pandemic that changed everything we thought we knew about everyday life, and our 30ish trip with our now grown son who still loves Disney. The parks don't look fresh and new everyday. As a matter of fact, it doesn't take long to find something that is in dired need of a paintjob. Maintenance must be where all the job cuts happened because so many times during the week things were not working...including Pirates for almost an entire day. Dwarfs was down at opening, as was Rise of the Resistance. Miraculously these rides started working through their issues right at 9:00 meaning the early magic half hour was basically standing in "not a line." And to top off the complaint with maintenance...the coolers in the food court at Pop Century went out the day before we were checking out and were not fixed by the time we left. So some portable coolers were brought in to offer a few cool drinks and food items, but not nearly what is normally offered. It was the straw the broke the camel's back for this trip. I know I am old now and have been immersed in the magic to the point of saturation, but this was bad. I don't understand how Disney's standards have fallen this far. And cast members had much less care for the guest experience than at any other time or visit for me. It's simply a job now it appears. Some were even to the point of being surly. Just to bring this to a close...I was disappointed.
With the prices that are charged now, and my saturation point being reached, I think I will volunteer to help drive if the family wants me to go to WDW with them, but I will save the money from park tickets and just stick around the resort. I can sit around the pool and read or whatever and probably have a better time than going back to the parks. But to end on a positive note, the Mickey Brownie sundae at Pop Century's food court was great!
