WDW getting too complicated???

[mom2rtk]

I agree. And as I said, if I didn't do any planning or make any reservations or FP ahead of time, I think I could enjoy myself, but at the level of $100+ per person? Not so much. For me, I think that would be closer to a $60 or $70 experience.

I made my ADRs late this time, but not that late, and I couldn't get 'reasonable' dining times for just about anything I wanted unless I wanted to eat at 8:30 PM. I was able to score a BOG during the time I wanted, but that was because I used TP's reservation finder, which is not something that even all TP subscribers seem to know about, much less the average person who doesn't even know TP exists.

Add to all this ride closures, parade cancellations, so much under construction, and no commitment from Disney as to final and complete scheduling, and it's annoying.

For me, the planning (and anticipation) was a big part of the value of a trip. That's totally gone now from the positive to the negative column.

We actually considered swapping back to WDW this year. 4 months out free dining had already come and gone. I decided we would still go. So I signed up for the dining finder. I caught 2 reservations on non optimal days for what I wanted, but since then....... nothing. Every single time I got a notification I logged on immediately and was still too late. So I think more people are using it.

So we swapped back to DLR. The dining reservation window just opened.

 

[loves to dive]

I think it might depend upon what you want out of the trip. If you want to ride as many rides as physically possible and eat at only the "must do" places, yes, it might indeed require complicated planning. I stand by the fact that most first time visitors don't know that there are "must do" things and so just enjoy being there. Personally, any time away from work and home problems is worth it for me, even if I were paying $100/day (which I don't since I have an AP). I think for OP it is indeed just getting old and too complicated and it's time to take a break. Each person has their own tolerance level and when you hit it, you hit it and it's time to throw in the towel. There is so much to see and do out there it's not worth stressing about going on vacation.

 

[JJZMgailey]

I know times change.

But I recall the early days--when there weren't 18 different Park Pass options.

When you didn't need to get a reservation for dinner 6 months ahead of time just so you could eat at a restaurant at the time you wanted.

When you didn't have to get a FastPass for a 2 minute long ride months in advance..or risk a 2 hour long wait in line if you wanted to get on that attraction.

Our first visit we just called Papeete Bay directly THAT SAME DAY to get dinner reservations--and got on each and every attraction at the MK w/o hardly a wait in line for any of them.

Ah--the good old days!!!

I never visited Walt Disney World during these glorious days that you speak of, but I'm really enjoying this thread! In fact, we decided to feature it on today's DIS Daily Fix because we liked it so much!

 

[HopperFan]

The problem Disney has and has yet to realize...is that the experience for someone that wants to put together a last minute trip, or the day traveler has been severely degraded over the past number of years. It is true that if you do not have a really good understanding of all the deadlines and time frames and the FP system, it greatly effects your experience....This has to be addressed at some point

I am sure Disney gets plenty of complaints from some of the last minute travelers who did no planning. Those guests made the optional last minute decision to go. Why is Disney responsible for what they did or did not do?

I went last December with 48 hour notice to see Osborne Lights. Disney hotel was not bad price, did multiple parks and lots of attractions, grabbed ADR at California Grill during Holiday Wishes, walked up to BD Lounge and had a wonderful evening. If you are flexible you can have a good trip.

Why does it have to be addressed? Last minute folks are not Disney's target market. They want that family that will book in advance for a week on property, buy big tickets, dining plan or at least book meals every day, book those side experiences, shop in the stores, get photopass ............ drop a big bucketful in the cash register. That last minute visitor ..... don't see Disney ever spending much time to market to them ... because they will come regardless.

 

[mom2rtk]

I am sure Disney gets plenty of complaints from some of the last minute travelers who did no planning. Those guests made the optional last minute decision to go. Why is Disney responsible for what they did or did not do?

I went last December with 48 hour notice to see Osborne Lights. Disney hotel was not bad price, did multiple parks and lots of attractions, grabbed ADR at California Grill during Holiday Wishes, walked up to BD Lounge and had a wonderful evening. If you are flexible you can have a good trip.

Why does it have to be addressed? Last minute folks are not Disney's target market. They want that family that will book in advance for a week on property, buy big tickets, dining plan or at least book meals every day, book those side experiences, shop in the stores, get photopass ............ drop a big bucketful in the cash register. That last minute visitor ..... don't see Disney ever spending much time to market to them ... because they will come regardless.

If the rumors are true and attendance really is down, then Disney needs to consider all segments of the market. I think that's exactly what they are trying to do by making Plaza Inn walk up during lunch. That wasn't enough to nudge me to go ahead and book when I was late to the game (about 4 months out) but it indicates to me they are looking at the issue.

I'll just own the fact that I don't go to Disney to be flexible. I usually have a list of things I really "need" to do when I consider booking a trip. If I can't do those things, I tend to back off and save my chips to play somewhere else.

 

[gmboy95]

I am sure Disney gets plenty of complaints from some of the last minute travelers who did no planning. Those guests made the optional last minute decision to go. Why is Disney responsible for what they did or did not do?

I went last December with 48 hour notice to see Osborne Lights. Disney hotel was not bad price, did multiple parks and lots of attractions, grabbed ADR at California Grill during Holiday Wishes, walked up to BD Lounge and had a wonderful evening. If you are flexible you can have a good trip.

Why does it have to be addressed? Last minute folks are not Disney's target market. They want that family that will book in advance for a week on property, buy big tickets, dining plan or at least book meals every day, book those side experiences, shop in the stores, get photopass ............ drop a big bucketful in the cash register. That last minute visitor ..... don't see Disney ever spending much time to market to them ... because they will come regardless.

I understand your point, but it is predicated that this is the way it has always been....it certainly wasn't as soon as just a decade ago. You could take a last minute trip, make ADR's...switch em up if you wanted to.....expecting a person who makes a day trip to Disney or a 3 or 4 month decision to go to Disney, to have the same understanding as us is ridiculous....and yes, Disney should be aware of this, because today's day trip, or last minute trip person, is tomorrows DVC member or yearly traveler

 

[Lothlórien]

Isn't it the same for many things? Plane tickets, try to compare air fare or baggage rules with 10-20 years ago. Or the many different credit cards, loyalty programs and coupons you have for different stores, where you get product A at store 1, but product B at another store because there is an offer and product C at a third store as you earn Rewards points with a loyalty card. In the olden days there was one shop.

But also the customer changed. In the olden days, you waited in line because you didn't complain about these things. You followed the group and did what the company offered. Now the customer is much more vocal and at some point said: I don't want to to wait an hour. I want more for my money. It isn't just Disney who wants to make more money and predictable customer behavior better so they can steer them, we are partially the cause of the developments.

The world gets as complicated as you make it yourself. If you don't care about how you spend your time or money, you can still live as in the 90s.

Airfare is a piece of cake.

 

[ssdowning]

You'll get lots of responses from folks who "like it just fine" and got to change with the times and you just need to know how to work the system. You won't hear that from me. We began going to Disney in 1982 and I was an adult by that time. We loved it from our first experience. When hubby retired and we moved to Central FL to live full time, we got annual passes and lived just about 40 minutes away. Loved it still even after regular visits as our boys were growing up and even as annual pass holders. Then the other shoe dropped. Never and I do mean never used any fast pass except once in a great while to get a second ride on Soarin' before leaving the Land. And that was optional. We did all we wanted -- meals, attractions, etc. Suddenly (or so it seemed) you NEEDED a fast pass for everything. Things we never needed to stand in line for and now they required "reservations". We knew when to go. Knew our favorite things. Knew which ones would have lengthy lines if we fiddled and fooled around too long. And I expect lots of flack, but I'm too old now to care much what the popular ideas are. We were at Disney way back when and learned the ropes. We moved back north in late summer 2012 and very nearly missed all the hullaballoo and huge changes that we didn't want. We could no longer tour our way and it was as good a time as any to say goodbye to Disney. We went back once in 2014 and I'm almost sorry we did. Our Disney days were great memories. Too complicated now for us (after all those years). Everyone who loves it now is welcome to our share of it. And you surely don't think that Disney did all this for the benefit of the guest, now do you?? Seriously??

While you make some good points, just the fact that you are still posting on the message board says you have not written Disney off for good. My wife and I are going nxt week for just a few days without children. (They are not too happy about that. Our last trip was 2013 with 4 kids and fp+ wasn't in full use yet. Will be different. This will be our 3rd trip. We are probably going to take whole family around the end of may or first of June next year.