What happened to the WDW I knew and loved?

[minnie mum]

Plenty of people always say how the little details is what makes Disney so special but if you point out a bad little detail it is nit picking or not that big of a deal.

It seems to me most of the Disers have the attitude of you can do it your own way, if it is done just how i say.

Not at all. It's just that what is a bad little detail to you is of no importance to me. OTOH things that bug the daylights out of me, like flash photography and line jumping, is nit picking and being unnecessarily priggish to others.

I don't think anyone is saying that everyone has to love everything all the time. I don't think anyone is saying that someone can't voice their opinion.But consider just where you are voicing those opinions- on a WDW fan site. If the preponderance of responses are contrary to the OPs, exactly what else did you expect?

We are fans of WDW who are fully aware that the napkins are recycled paper and the hot dog buns taste like they're made of sawdust. We just don't consider these to be of sufficient importance as to have a hugely negative impact on our WDW vacations. We find other things to be MORE important. Our vacation priorities are different, that's all

 

[ellie05]

Not at all. It's just that what is a bad little detail to you is of no importance to me. OTOH things that bug the daylights out of me, like flash photography and line jumping, is nit picking and being unnecessarily priggish to others.

I don't think anyone is saying that everyone has to love everything all the time. I don't think anyone is saying that someone can't voice their opinion.But consider just where you are voicing those opinions- on a WDW fan site. If the preponderance of responses are contrary to the OPs, exactly what else did you expect?

We are fans of WDW who are fully aware that the napkins are recycled paper and the hot dog buns taste like they're made of sawdust. We just don't consider these to be of sufficient importance as to have a hugely negative impact on our WDW vacations. We find other things to be MORE important. Our vacation priorities are different, that's all

Honestly I am at WDW I am not paying attention to the napkins! Actually I don't think I have ever payed attention to any napkins in a trip ever. I think WDW has a good variety of restaurants at the parks and if you don't like the hot dog bun you can just go eat something else, now if it was the only restaurant in the park I would have a problem with it. Of course I also don't go to WDW expecting gourmet food. I think as theme parks are concern WDW has pretty good food. It is extremely hard to find a vacation destination that is so accommodating for special food (people with allergies, kosher, etc).

I think WDW has an good variety of souvenirs while I would agree that the quality is not as good as it use to be the variety is good. The past few years they have partner with so many different companies to create different products. D&B, Mac, OPI, Isabella fiore, le sport sac, etc. They have added the designer collections, etc. If that is not variety I don't know what is, because honestly I never been to a any place that has such a huge variety of souvenirs.

The details that makes Disney special to us is not in the napkins or the souvenirs or hot dog buns. It is the attitude of the CMs, the magic that holds within, the parades, fireworks and that first walk up main street. The interaction with the characters, the extra pixie dust. The ability to step out of the real world into a world with more magic. To put it in Walt's words
“Here is the world of imagination, hopes, and dreams. In this timeless land of enchantment, the age of chivalry, magic and make-believe are reborn - and fairy tales come true. Fantasyland is dedicated to the young-in-heart, to those who that when you wish upon a star, your dreams come true." That is why we love WDW.

 

[QueenElinor]

I think there's a lot of concrete thinking going on in this thread! I believe that the OP might having been using the napkins & shops as examples of how things have gone awry- in which case there are probably many other things that aren't how they should be. It's rarely just a few items that decline in quality when budgets are tightened- but you'll find it here and there and everywhere until it reaches a critical point where people start to notice- and the OP has. It doesn't matter if a person doesn't care about hot dogs or types of drinks- it's what they represent that's the problem.

It's disappointing to me because it's the details that draw me to Disney, because I mostly don't ride the rides. And as far as that goes, Disney doesn't even have the super-awesome rides that some other parks do. Really, the details and theming are the sine qua non of WDW and if they start to fail on this count, they won't be able to keep their customers at any price.

 

[princessallegra]

I really enjoy my time in the parks.
I don't really care about the napkins, and being able to see everything there is to buy for a souvenir by just checking one or two shops is a big plus for me!

I'm so excited to see the new fantasyland attractions, and can't wait to see what Avatarland will turn out to be!

The CMs there are always so nice to us, the parks are still the cleanest ones anywhere.

Can't comment on Casey's. I'm not a fan of the hot dog and have never tried it.

I've got three trips planned right now. President's week with my BFF and our two daughters, an anniversary getaway in April with DH, and a much anticipated 9 day AKL getaway for my BFF, her DH and DD and my DH, DD and me in August!

Love Disney, never a dull moment, unless you want one!

You have a fantastic outlook! Cheers!

 

[princessallegra]

Yeah, sorry, OP, but this place isn't very friendly to any criticism of the modern company's leadership decisions.

Make a negative comparison of any single aspect of the present and its corresponding aspect in the past, and you'll be written off as a hidebound reactionary who's just close-minded to any change whatsoever and wants to "make the parks into a museum."

They could double admission prices, cut hours in half, and turn Spaceship Earth into a commercial for hemorrhoid cream, but if you make a suggestion that maybe it would have been better not to do those things, you're just an immature child who doesn't want the CEO's to make any money.

All the things you care about are silly, because they're not the things they care about. There's only one way to appreciate the parks without getting dumped on,and that's to look at them with a completely un-analytical eye.

Hahahaha! Love this!

 

[JJsmama]

They keep trying to nickle and dime us each and every time--something in the past you didn't see. Be it all the same napkins that now say Disney Parks instead of diffierent ones for each restraunt and resort--like the cool ones at Sci-fi as an example.

I did like the resort-specific keepsakes, but I have not felt nickel and dimed at WDW at all. There is a LOT more nickel and diming at the other vacations resorts we go to. I still feel the MAGIC at WDW that I don't feel anywhere else.

 

[Ccann]

Everywhere we see the quality go down and price goes up. Yes even Disney but they still have a overall great product even if they are doing smaller cut backs with the napkins, producing a lower number of shirt designs but having them everywhere. Using cheaper materials. But those little details won't be noticed by the once in the life time travelers, or enough for people to stop going.
Which I am a once every few years traveler. (yes I am a napkin collector so the different napkins would be cool, but I know it could cost thousands of extra) It's cheaper for them to make a lot of one thing verses several designs( shirts, pins, napkins)

(disney is the exception)As far as management, I think the generation coming in after mine is lazy, I was born in 83. You see it everywhere, young people in a position to serve and act like we are putting them out for wanting them to do their job. There are just a handful of youth working that take pride in their job. I always try to go out of my way to make sure they know I appreciate them and that they are doing a wonderful job either by telling their manager or telling them.

One thing I am for sure about Disney services is and will remain on top, people who work for Disney has that magic inside, I have always seen CMs go out of their way to help.
I might stay clear of Casey's corner now that I know the
Hot dog buns aren't great, I wanted try it only because my name is Casey, but I am sure I can find something else to munch on

 

[ems_mom]

Well Casey's really seems to be barometer of quality for many. I'm one of a few that has never had a Casey's dog. My first trip to WDW was 24 years ago with my DH, his parents, and our three year old daughter. It was an amazing trip; I fell in love. The parks were definitely a lot less crowded; I'm not sure about merchandise and food.

We did day trips every year after that (while vacationing with my DH parents in Daytona). We didn't know about special events, resort dining, or anything really! We drove early from Daytona and stayed till the park closed. We chose a different park each year, but Epcot was always our favorite. Several years we brought our daughter's friend or cousin....somehow it always felt safe to let the teens wander without us at WDW.

Back then, there were no character lines or schedules...they roved around and you ran into them. I have a picture of Mickey and my daughter in a hug with no one around in the World Showcase. She was thrilled and it was a completely unexpected interaction.

Frankly, the problems at the parks today are varied and complex. Yes Disney is nickel and diming us but they're in the business to make money. And from what I've seen, the parks are busier than ever. The accountants on the boards may know...what are their profits if you compare '82 to '12?

 

[OThopeful35]

Not at all. It's just that what is a bad little detail to you is of no importance to me. OTOH things that bug the daylights out of me, like flash photography and line jumping, is nit picking and being unnecessarily priggish to others.

I don't think anyone is saying that everyone has to love everything all the time. I don't think anyone is saying that someone can't voice their opinion.But consider just where you are voicing those opinions- on a WDW fan site. If the preponderance of responses are contrary to the OPs, exactly what else did you expect?

We are fans of WDW who are fully aware that the napkins are recycled paper and the hot dog buns taste like they're made of sawdust. We just don't consider these to be of sufficient importance as to have a hugely negative impact on our WDW vacations. We find other things to be MORE important. Our vacation priorities are different, that's all

 

[Fantasmiss]

I miss all the little touches too...that's was one thing that made Disney World better than anywhere else.

I still think it's way WAAAAY better than anywhere else. There are new things now that weren't there then. It's just different, and the trick is to try and appreciate what's there now rather than be too sad about what's changed.

Saying that, if they closed down Fantasmic or even Philharmagic I'd cry, whine and complain much much more than anyone on this thread does.

Easy for me to say although I often don't manage to do it myself, but life is generally a lot better when you look on the bright side so I do try. There are many other much worse reasons for that to sometimes be difficult. But my 88 year old granddad swears the people he knows who got to be old are the ones with the ability to look on the bright side and make the best out of any situation.

 

[fla4fun]

I don't necessarily agree with the all the details the OP posted, but I agree with the sentiment. WDW has changed a lot over the years, and not all of the changes have been for the better. However, there have been positive changes as well - it's not all bad.

I do have an issue with the whole grain buns - sometimes. For example, I got a burger at DHS and the whole grain bun was soft and very tasty. But I got one at Epcot and the bun was dry and nasty. Maybe it's how they are storing the buns, or how old the buns are - I don't know. Personally, if I wanted to eat healthy, I probably would be dining on something other than burgers and hot dogs - so why not leave me my nice soft white bun? If I want to eat healthy on vacation, I would buy a salad or something like that, but since I eat healthy food at home, vacation is my time to splurge and I feel like they're taking a lot of what makes dining a splurge away. Offer healthy choices for those who want them, but keep some classic fun food on the menu too. (BTW - I always get the corn dog nuggets at Casey's, so I've never personally tried the buns there).

I have mixed feelings about the merchandise. On the one hand, I do miss the wide variety of choices when the resorts and parks had different items in their stores. On the other hand, I don't miss spending the last day of my trip running from park to park and resort to resort to finish up my souvenir shopping. I do notice some differences in the items for sale in the different parks - but it's very subtle. I also miss stores like the antique store in MK, where you could get really interesting, Disney yet not Disney, souvenirs. I have a lovely wall mirror I bought there, as well as some jewelry and a pair of antique opera glasses. No one but me would know they are "Disney" souvenirs.

As far as paper products go, so long as they are functional, I don't care what logo they have on them. They can be Disney, blank, with a sponsor's logo - I don't care. I know there are some people who probably collect paper products, but I'm not one of them, so if Disney wants to go to all recycled products with no printing on them at all, I'd be OK with it. I am more interested in the recycling aspect than what it looks like.

Do I feel like I'm being nickeled and dimed at Disney? No, not really. That would imply that I'm being charged for things that used to be included - and I don't think that's the case. Still, I feel the prices have been raised quite a bit on food and merchandise that is of a lesser quality than it used to be, in my opinion.

 

[eliza61]

This is exactly right. Only the most frequent visitor would notice (or care) about things like napkin design or the fact that all the shops sell the same t-shirts. These are nostalgic touches that Dis'ers would notice. But we are an insignificant minority in the grand scheme of things. I have enough different t-shirts accumulated over 40 years. The fact that they have homogenized them doesn't phase me. All in all, if the sum total of one's complaints comes in the form of napkins, t-shirts, cocktails and hot dog buns, then I'd say that these "recent college grade" are doing OK.

Very true. but for me in contributes to the "overall atmosphere". It's not the tee shirt itself, it was the fun I had ooh and ahhing over the cute stuff I use to enjoy going through the gift shops, picking htings up and admiring them, looking at the clever play on words on the shirts. for me now it's a decline. really what is so clever about "WDW2012" on every thing and any thing? Really couldn't spark the old imagination any further. What is so clever in seeing "jack skeleton" in every shop even when the ride has absolutely nothing to do with Night mare on holloween" or whatever the movie is called.

I compare my vacations to a bicycle wheel with a lot of spokes, no one spoke is more important than the other. great hotels, great restaurants, clean parks and hotels all contribute to the entire vacation.

The hot dog buns are just a symbolism to the overall decline in quality. when I first started going to wdw I looked forward to the different restaurants, I expected great food. Now I expect for the food to be mediocre so when I get that stale bun I'm not surprised and actually I more surprised if it's actually fresh. See the difference?
So when the mediocre becomes the standard, that's what makes me a bit sad a nostalgia. Like I said I've definitely noticed my lower expectations. If my room is dirty when I check it, I am no longer surprised, if my food is chain quality at best, nope, no surprise.

Now don't mind me I totally admit that maybe annually or 2X's a year makes me notice the "little" things. I'm hoping absence will make the heart grow fonder.

 

[evaready51]

When we were there in July the napkins said nothing, they were plain brown!!

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I will admit to not noticing the napkins, and I don't think I've ever eaten a hotdog in WDW. But I do agree that the parks portion of the Walt Disney Company seems to be cutting corners.

Vote with your pocketbook and go somewhere else if you aren't happy.

 

[BlakeNJ]

I know the bottom line is about the almighty $, but WDW in the past wasn't like the 1 I just came back from. They keep trying to nickle and dime us each and every time--something in the past you didn't see. Be it all the same napkins that now say Disney Parks instead of diffierent ones for each restraunt and resort--like the cool ones at Sci-fi as an example. Or the fact that you have about the same 10 hats and 20 shirts to pick from at just about each and every shop/resort store. There was a time where you get a hard to find character hat/shirt (say scrooge mcduck) and when you found it, it was truly special becuase you had to look at many shops to find it. Now 1-2 shops and you got all covered. Add to it the mixed drink list is down to about 10 drinks becuase 'all restraunts and bars get the same supply". We looked forward to the different drinks, now same drinks just under different name at each place. The worst change was at Casey's Corner where they not only switched the Hot Dog , but the bun. The reason behind this was the old buns wouldn't hold all the toppings for their chicago style and Barbque slaw dogs which is a higher mark-up. Guess I really got a bad bun becuase #1 it was rock hard, and #2 its still managed to fall apart, that I had to eat with a fork.I can go on and on, but like I said the bottom $ wins out over the poast at WDW.

Really, napkins was your first thing to complain about. Napkins really don't bother me much on vacation. If changing the napkins and keeping the same liquor stocked means we get new rides, experiences, I'll take it. I'm not a drinker so something like that wouldn't bother me. I can see if your like a variety of drinks, this might be frustrating. But napkins, hardly something to complain about!

 

[Magpie]

Everywhere we see the quality go down and price goes up. Yes even Disney but they still have a overall great product even if they are doing smaller cut backs with the napkins, producing a lower number of shirt designs but having them everywhere. Using cheaper materials. But those little details won't be noticed by the once in the life time travelers, or enough for people to stop going.
Which I am a once every few years traveler. (yes I am a napkin collector so the different napkins would be cool, but I know it could cost thousands of extra) It's cheaper for them to make a lot of one thing verses several designs( shirts, pins, napkins)

(disney is the exception)As far as management, I think the generation coming in after mine is lazy, I was born in 83. You see it everywhere, young people in a position to serve and act like we are putting them out for wanting them to do their job. There are just a handful of youth working that take pride in their job. I always try to go out of my way to make sure they know I appreciate them and that they are doing a wonderful job either by telling their manager or telling them.

One thing I am for sure about Disney services is and will remain on top, people who work for Disney has that magic inside, I have always seen CMs go out of their way to help.
I might stay clear of Casey's corner now that I know the
Hot dog buns aren't great, I wanted try it only because my name is Casey, but I am sure I can find something else to munch on

Just have to point out, at 29 years old you ARE one of the "kids these days". Your generation is just beginning to land those management positions, and make those corporate decisions, as you guys enter your thirties. You'll be most powerful when you hit your forties.

A "generation" is 20 to 25 years long, depending on your definition. The generation coming in after you? They're still in grade school!

Give the poor kids a break. They're not even old enough to legally work yet.

 

[Nancyg56]

Well Said! That kinda was my point about all the Nickel and Dime stuff Disney has been doing. I pay a high price when I go there and have high expectations when there . Disney was always head and shoulders above everyone else. JMO but its getting closer to just shoulders being ahead of of the rest lately.

I agree that Disney did set the bar higher than many other vacation destinations and that frequent visitors are going to notice the differences that have taken place. I admit that Disney is my favorite family vacation spot and so I do have a bias.

I believe that Disney, like many other corporations, have got to balance their prices, services and their profit margin and therefore must try to find ways to keep their prices affordable and still continue make enough money to keep up their services. It cannot be easy in this economy, what do you cut and continue to meet those high expectations guests have come to associate with a WDW vacation?

I have priced family vacations in my area and I just cannot compare the value , even after factoring airfare into my budget. I will notice that some of those special touches are missing but I still do not feel nickle-dimed. Six Flags leave me feeling that way. Disney-not so much.

The one that really got me is the lack of variety in the park and resort gift shops.For example the major resort gift shops used to have all kinds of clothing and merchandise with the resorts name and logo,I went into the Wilderness Lodge gift shop a couple of weeks ago and there was nothing,they had a bunch of merchandise with the Disney Vacation club logo that they can obviously sell at every resort but little to nothing with the name Wilderness lodge.I think it might be saving them money by producing more of the same mass produced merchandise but in the end they'll end up selling less than they would of.It wasn't just on my last visit I always like to look for unique shirts with the resorts name and every day you see fewer and fewer options,I'm just not buying what they have.

I cannot remember where I read this but I did read that Disney Resorts have begun to add resort specific items back into their inventory. I do hope so, I liked buying resort clothing. The last time I remember being able to do this easily was 5 years ago at AKL. Even the Poly did not have much. We'll see in November

Yeah, sorry, OP, but this place isn't very friendly to any criticism of the modern company's leadership decisions.

Make a negative comparison of any single aspect of the present and its corresponding aspect in the past, and you'll be written off as a hidebound reactionary who's just close-minded to any change whatsoever and wants to "make the parks into a museum."

They could double admission prices, cut hours in half, and turn Spaceship Earth into a commercial for hemorrhoid cream, but if you make a suggestion that maybe it would have been better not to do those things, you're just an immature child who doesn't want the CEO's to make any money.

All the things you care about are silly, because they're not the things they care about. There's only one way to appreciate the parks without getting dumped on,and that's to look at them with a completely un-analytical eye.

I am not sure this is fair. I admit to loving my Disney vacations but I am certainly not blind to deficits that occur while at Disney. When my family plans a vacation the first thing we do is determine our budget and then see what we can do and yet remain within that budget. I am not willing to accept substandard service, dirty rooms and poor quality food in order to stay within that budget. If that was the case there are plenty of destinations in my neck of the woods that would give me those little pleasures

I believe that while there are some folks on the boards who believe that a Disney vacation is really not a vacation but a pilgrimage. I am not one of those folks and I bet most of the members here are not those people either. I do think that most of us are realistic about the way business work and what we can get for our money if we visit a=different vacation destinations.

I know what I am willing to accept on a vacation. I know that if I am going to give something up I will let napkins go. I miss the resort specific cups and while I would pay a bit more for one I realize others may not and I respect that was probably another cost cut that Disney implemented. Would I like a different refill cup for every resort I stay at? Yes. Will I be upset that they are gone? No.

My point is that I bet we all notice changes, we probably are mostly repeat visitors. I think that fairness is at least understanding why changes are happening and weighing how much more we all would be willing to spend in order to keep everything the way we remember it.

I want to be able to afford to take my family to visit WDW more often so I am willing to accept some subtle changes. That does not mean I will sacrifice cleanliness. I will not tolerate old or bad food. I would complain if the services I paid for were mediocre. I will not worry about napkins and cups.

 

[bookgirl2632]

Well, here's a perspective from an infrequent Disney traveler. We are planning a trip for September 2013, so it'll be seven years since our last trip. It was five years between our last two. We don't get down often, obviously, though I'd love to go every other year.

Anyway, when we go next year, I'm quite certain we won't be looking at the napkins. Since all the merchandise will be new to us, we'll thoroughly revel in shopping. All that concerns me is that I'm able to ride Space Mountain as many times as I'd like or have that ghost sit next to me in the Haunted Mansion. I'm so looking forward to the new Fantasyland. I can't wait to try out Toy Story Mania. I'm so excited to go on the Safari again. And that first glimpse of the castle will be as magical as ever.

No, napkins are of little concern to me.

 

[eliza61]

I agree that Disney did set the bar higher than many other vacation destinations and that frequent visitors are going to notice the differences that have taken place. I admit that Disney is my favorite family vacation spot and so I do have a bias.

I believe that Disney, like many other corporations, have got to balance their prices, services and their profit margin and therefore must try to find ways to keep their prices affordable and still continue make enough money to keep up their services. It cannot be easy in this economy, what do you cut and continue to meet those high expectations guests have come to associate with a WDW vacation?

I have priced family vacations in my area and I just cannot compare the value , even after factoring airfare into my budget. I will notice that some of those special touches are missing but I still do not feel nickle-dimed. Six Flags leave me feeling that way. Disney-not so much.



I cannot remember where I read this but I did read that Disney Resorts have begun to add resort specific items back into their inventory. I do hope so, I liked buying resort clothing. The last time I remember being able to do this easily was 5 years ago at AKL. Even the Poly did not have much. We'll see in November



I am not sure this is fair. I admit to loving my Disney vacations but I am certainly not blind to deficits that occur while at Disney. When my family plans a vacation the first thing we do is determine our budget and then see what we can do and yet remain within that budget. I am not willing to accept substandard service, dirty rooms and poor quality food in order to stay within that budget. If that was the case there are plenty of destinations in my neck of the woods that would give me those little pleasures

I believe that while there are some folks on the boards who believe that a Disney vacation is really not a vacation but a pilgrimage. I am not one of those folks and I bet most of the members here are not those people either. I do think that most of us are realistic about the way business work and what we can get for our money if we visit a=different vacation destinations.

I know what I am willing to accept on a vacation. I know that if I am going to give something up I will let napkins go. I miss the resort specific cups and while I would pay a bit more for one I realize others may not and I respect that was probably another cost cut that Disney implemented. Would I like a different refill cup for every resort I stay at? Yes. Will I be upset that they are gone? No.

My point is that I bet we all notice changes, we probably are mostly repeat visitors. I think that fairness is at least understanding why changes are happening and weighing how much more we all would be willing to spend in order to keep everything the way we remember it.

I want to be able to afford to take my family to visit WDW more often so I am willing to accept some subtle changes. That does not mean I will sacrifice cleanliness. I will not tolerate old or bad food. I would complain if the services I paid for were mediocre. I will not worry about napkins and cups.

Great post, let me just say all I want is the same consideration.

If I say the resort was dirty, I don't want to be told to "lighten up, I should be happy that I'm blessed to be able to go to disney". I am not "blessed" to go to disney, disney is not some omnipotent God. I worked darn hard to PAY for the trip. Disney entered into a contract to provide me with certain standards which I forked over money. I expect them to uphold that contract.

If I say the rolls are stale, once again I don't want to be told I'm whining about nothing. Bad food is NOT "nothing" to me. I'll take the crazy label because whether it's a hot dog or a filet mignon I would like to be able to actually enjoy my food. Disney is not giving it to me free so why shouldn't I complain.

So maybe some times a napkin isn't really about the napkin. I just hate it when I'm told that my concerns are not worthy to be laid on the alter of Walt.

But then I've definitely learned that this is 100% not the place to ever say any thing negative about the mouse world. It can only lead to pain.

 

[goofy4tink]

Do I love WDW? Sure do. I own DVC at both BLT and BWV. I have been an AP holder for the past 7 years. This is my favorite vacation spot...where I go to relax and refresh. BUT.....
having said all that, there have been many cost saving practices over the past few years. I liked the individual napkins or drink stirrers at each restaurant. Sorry, but I did. I liked that I could try different food at different restaurants. Now, that doesn't really happen very often unless I pay a ton for signature dining.
I loved going to the special parties. Went to MVMCP every year, at least once. Now?? Maybe every other year, once..if that. Why?? They have continually raised the price, have taken away the DVC/AP discounts at the time most of us are there, and then taken away a lot of the 'free' stuff within the party. Mickey's Night Before Christmas was always a huge favorite, but they did away with that. I'm sure it was expensive to produce, but that party wasn't cheap by any means. They used to give you a terrific button for attending the party. It was so nice to collect them. And they gave out a free 5x7 photo....not anymore. There used to be more cocoa/cookie spots.
The decorations during the holidays have decreased. And don't get me started on the Lights of Winter over at Epcot.
Yet, every year the cost of tickets goes up. And we get less. They decreased EMH hours. Now the changes with FP.
And then there are the limited showings of various shows. We all know what happens at DHS when there are only 2 or 3 showings of Fantasmic! that week..those days/nights are horrendously crowded in there.

Yes, I would love to see new attractions/lands. Everyone does. But in all reality, Disney does seem to be charging us more, but giving us less. For those who have only been going for a few years, you most likely won't see the difference. But those of us who have been heading to WDW for 10+ years?? We sure do. And we all know that things change...that's to be expected. But to take stuff away but charge more?? No more unique drinks at different lounges...that used to be fun. Now, I don't even bother sitting and relaxing for an hour or so in a lounge. The drinks are expensive and the same as at home.

I don't want to sound jaded or unhappy. But many of us are very disappointed in the way things have been handled in recent years. Yes, Disney is a business...and it has to report to it's shareholders. I get that, I'm sure everyone does. But, Disney management needs to understand (or remember) that they can't continue to rely on those first time visitors......there are many repeat visitors. They need taking care of as well. And when we start to see so many things change, and not for the better, we start thinking about going elsewhere. And to have Disney think that 'Oh well, there will always be those new people coming along' is very short sighted.