What keeps us coming back?

[eliza61]

Happy Holidays All,

Lately, I've been cruising this forum and the trip planning forum and I've been noticing (is it just me?) quite a lot of post complaining about WDW. Every thing from "the deluxes are not worth the money because they are really just 3 star hotels" to lousy CM's, lousy menus at restaurants (will some one make a final decision, is it or is it not because of the DDP), slow bus service, outrageous food prices and let's not even get started on the park and resort cleanliness issue. Hey, I thought the Grinch is supposed to be hanging out over at Universal.

So my question is, during this season of making merry (or martinis, or margaritas or cosmopolitans). What do you think is so great about Disney. What is it that makes us keep coming back?

For me, it's consistently the most fun I have with my family than any other place we can think of. Every time we go, we have a great time!

Wishing every one Peace, Joy and lots of Pixie dust during this truly magical season.

E.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We "found" Disney's Christmas celebrations in 2002, and a December trip has been a must do since then. We bought DVC in 2003, in time for us to get in a weekend stay at VWL. December been a time for us to invite family and friends since then, most of our "not immediate family" use of points is during December. We'll always come back for that.

I also love flowers and especially enjoy Epcot's Flower and Garden show. So, even without DVC, WDW will have DH and I as repeat customers for that and Christmastime at the very least.

I can't speak for our DS&DDiL and their family. If it comes to pass that they are turned off by a decline in conditions at WDW, we would certainly sell most of our points.(For now this seems unlikely, see the last paragraph! However, they are a very health conscious family and bathroom/resort decline could change their minds.) We bought DVC and have added on, not only for our use, but for the family. Our other DS thinks that Disney brain washes people into thinking they are having a great time. He's come with us for extended family vacations, but it's more to see the family than to enjoy the MAGIC!

So, we're not Grinches, but we are somewhat wary of the future of WDW and our whole family's part in it. Recently I read an article about baby boomers, and longevity, that said that if both spouses are alive at age 65, the probability is high that one will still be around at age 95. Well, I would turn 95 in 2042, which happens to be the date of our DVC's expiration. DDiL was dismayed to hear that maybe she/they won't be inheriting our points after all!!! So right now, there's one branch of our family that really does enjoy what Disney has to offer as much if not more than we do. The ball is in Disney's hands. We don't worry about DDP, but conditions and cleanliness are of paramount importance.

Peace and Joy to you too!

Bobbi

 

[ADP]

To answer the first part of your question, I think people are complaining more because the prices are continually rising. Hotels and park admissions rise every year and we are not seeing the quality and service increasing at the pace the prices are increasing. If Disney is going to increasingly raise there prices every year then expectations are going to increase as well. Raising there ticket prices twice in one year really set a lot of people off.

What keeps us coming back to Walt Disney World:
1. We love theme parks. I've been to several theme/amusement parks in the midwest and Disney/Orlando has the best parks I've experienced.
2. WDW provides a lot of variety. There are so many things to do on property besides the parks. Just WDW itself is like going to a city and experiencing everything it has to offer. We like to call it our second home.
3. When I am WDW I feel like I'm in control. I know where everything is, I know what to do in certain situations. That feeling provides me with a certain level of comfort I can't get anywhere else. For example, if I want to ride Everst by myself and the stand-by line is 50 minutes I know to check the single rider line and maybe cut my wait time by 30 minutes.

Happy Holidays!

 

[ACDSNY]

I thought we've all been brainwashed while on the rides...no really it's all the wonderful experiences and memories over the years.

 

[disneydenisel]

Disney makes me smile a lot and remember growing up with a trip to Disneyland every year. The flood of memories that I feel when I step onto Main Street (DL or MK) is always overwhelming, and I feel delightfully happy . It is truly magical .

My kids have enjoyed their first two trips to WDW so much, I can't wait to make more memories with them.

 

[bradisgoofy]

You can see by my signature we go every year, why, We LOVE WDW and everything Disney. We have NEVER had any kind of bad experiences at or around WDW. If we did, we'd let it pass. I will say I do have a problem with some of the changes Eisner ( sp?) made, that's why Roy quit. I just hope with Roy back on the "Board" that he will keep the company moving the way Walt would have wanted.

 

[dumbo71]

lousy menus at restaurants (will some one make a final decision, is it or is it not because of the DDP),

So my question is, during this season of making merry (or martinis, or margaritas or cosmopolitans). What do you think is so great about Disney. What is it that makes us keep coming back?

Part one I quoted: YES, it is thanks to DDP and free dining promotions.


Part two: We continue to come because it is a family friendly place that we enjoy in the comforts of a 2 bedroom room at DVC.

 

[dumbo71]

We have NEVER had any kind of bad experiences at or around WDW. If we did, we'd let it pass.

You just might be the guest of the millenium. A WDW executive's dream guest, one that simply enjoys the magic.

 

[bluslag]

We keep coming back because its our vacation. We don't usually follow the crowd even though our kids have wanted us to go to Mexico or Hawaii. It means a lot to me that I know we are pretty safe in Disney World. We don't need a car and we can do as much or little as we want to. There are great restaurants. We eat early so when we get out we can walk and people watch at our own pace. I can't say every meal was perfect but that can happen at home when you go to your favorite restarant. We probably have found things that were not just right in our room but we tend to ignore them unless they are really bad. One year we thought the grounds were not be taken care of as good as the year before. But none of these things would keep us from coming back. Each year it is more fun to see who will go with us.We cant wait till we can go alone. We don't see that happening anytime soon.

 

[ACDSNY]

Oh I forgot to mention those Mickey Ice Cream sandwiches and Churros!

The trips by ourselves seem strange...I'm always looking around for the rest of group.

 

[rinkwide]

...What is it that makes us keep coming back?...

I suspect it's an aerosol form of some mild narcotic.

 

[bradisgoofy]

You just might be the guest of the millenium. A WDW executive's dream guest, one that simply enjoys the magic.

Correct, Thank you.

 

[bigsmooth]

I suspect it's an aerosol form of some mild narcotic.

That makes total sense. Although I always thought it was something to do with the repetitive droning of all those smiling robots singing in Its a Small World. Pretty sure there is some sort of subliminal mental programming that occurs. Look at when people get off the ride, they are sort of glazed over, occasionally you'll see them wiping drool out of the corner of their mouths. Or it could be instead of subliminal programming contained within the song itself, this is where they spray the aerosol.

I do like to keep going back because it is a fun place to take the family, fun place to eat a variety of good food with all kinds of different experiences.

I have no doubt there will be cycles of degrading quality followed by cycles of improving quality. Business will cut until they can't cut anymore, people notice the incremental effects adding up and vote with their pocket books, shareholders vote with their pocket books. And then invest in improvements until they can't afford to invest anymore. Repeat this until you miss a cycle and go out of business or get rescued by new management.

Just today who have the Interent to post your collective complaining while remaining anonymous. Makes it more fun.

 

[boscoj]

As corny as it sounds, being in either Disneyland or Disneyworld allows our family to be immersed in an enviroment that allows us to put the concerns of everyday life on the "back burner" for a while. Now granted there are a few bumps here and there (ie, rude guests, questionable food quality...) but just seeing eveyone's faces light up when they enter the parks, especially the DS's, is priceless! I honestly can't think of any other vacation spot that can have this type of "happy" influence on my family!

 

[brightspark]

I thought we've all been brainwashed while on the rides...

This could be it!!

Seriously we love the attention to detail that's in everything and everywhere you look. We love the fact that we've always had great interaction from CM's that you don't get in the other florida theme parks (won't even mention them by name) and it's so clean with so many wonderful things to do and see.

We bought DVC on the last trip and are going home for the first time in Jan... we can't wait. Sometimes when I read all these complaints I wonder if I visit the same WDW as everyone else !!!

Weyhey... WE LOVE DISNEY !!!

 

[Uncleromulus]

It may well be the "collective memory" thing of all the combined past trips--
But rude guests, bad behavior, etc etc pretty much keeps us out of the Theme Parks most of the time. We hit our favorites (if no lines) and then we're out.
90% of our WDW vacation is now just relaxing, mini-golf, swimming and having dinner. If those things begin to unravel, we can certainly vacation elsewhere.
Once unthinkable, but as time goes by, who knows??

 

[DVC Grammy]

"Ev'rybody's gotta happy place......." and WDW is mine!!!

 

[solgent]

WDW is unique because it's diverse and large enough to satisfy all family members.

DH does not like to travel and explore new places and go go go the way I do. He likes the "do-nothing" kind of vacation. That is unacceptably boring to me. Often our solution is that he stays home while I take the kids places.

But he loves WDW because he grew up with it. So it's the one destination that he really enjoys and that has plenty for me to do.

Of course the kids love it because they love the movies, the music, the rides, and just everything about being there, and that also makes DH & I both happy.

 

[chainkid]

I have always loved Disney even before becoming a member. When I stayed at the boardwalk for the first time and was lucky enough to get two boardwalk view studios I thought it doesn't get any better than this. Since becoming members we take our whole extended family every three years in early Dec. It is one of the few places we could go and satisfy everyone's taste for a vacation. No car needed..golf,tennis,parks,fireworks, great restaurants, entertainment and fun family dinners in our grand villas. So even when we complain about the decline in cleanliness and other problems its because we consider this our home and we more than others notice the small things that disappear. Eventually all small things add up to major dissatisfaction with your vacations. Hopefully we will never get to that point because Disney is a really unique place where all ages can have a blast.

 

[nhdisnut]

As corny as it sounds, being in either Disneyland or Disneyworld allows our family to be immersed in an enviroment that allows us to put the concerns of everyday life on the "back burner" for a while.

This is exactly how I feel. WDW gives us a wonderful, magical escape where we are away from the pressures of work, and where our family simply can be a family. Yes there are other vacations that can (and have) given us this feeling, but Disney has a magical hold on us that is hard to explain to those who don't "get it." I figure if one has to have some type of addiction, an addiction to WDW is not too bad a one to have!