I have been a disboarder for years. It was common in the last 15 years to always see SOME threads of people unhappy with change at Disney, but I have to say, I really can’t believe what is going on.
I am a super planner, and have always enjoyed the planning. The thrill of the hunt, the score of a great dining ressie, a trio of excellent and well timed fast passes, free dining hotel discount on the room and resort you wanted. I was good with it all.
I came back to this board to plan, hopefully, a trip at the end of the summer, for a family group of 8 people, and also a potential
DVC purchase. (grandkids!) I don’t think that’s going to happen now. It’s like Disney is in systemic system failure. Before, there was some decline, but then there were a lot of amazing things added. Under the leadership of the new guy, things appear to be imploding.
The cost alone is horrifying. Adding genie + to eight tickets, and then individual top ride expenses on top of the price of a ticket? The annual pass is not only stupid expensive, but now I question whether it will always be around as it’s been unavailable for purchase for periods of time, and if you buy into DVC, aps always made the best sense.
i think people would object less to genie + if it actually worked, so there is that. And perhaps, genie works really well for someone who does not plan or a first time visitor? Maybe it’s only messing up us Uber planners?
But there are other things that are indicators of a crumbling giant when you read through these many threads, and the frequency of these complaints and threads means to me that there really is cause for concern.
Dirty bathrooms and litter? Walt would be horrified. Lack of custodial service really represents that the ideals original to Walt Disney are of no importance anymore. I would also add, making the park so expensive that it’s becoming unattainable for the average family to afford is also counter to Walt’s vision.
Lack of bus and boat transportation? Monorail undependable? No Trams in the parking lot? Yikes. ( I could easily take my three young kids to Disney back in the day, because I knew I could reliably get around to the parks and hotel without a problem. When they added magical express, that made it even better- now that is going too)
The absolute decline of food quality. But this has been going on for years in my opinion- although I have not dined here in years, many people who I have sent with restaurants recommendations come back and say, really??
But the biggest thing that just blows my mind, that makes me know the mouse is coughing up blood while someone is strangling it, it’s the new Star Wars hotel. Omg, have you seen this state of the art 6,000 grand for two nights hotel? Holy cow. Every imagineer must be slinking around completely mortified. They must have been given ten bucks and an account at the dollar store for set design. Truly unbelievable. It does not even look like Star Wars! It looks like a generic sci fit set, based on the 1960s show, lost in space!. And the interactive features seem completely lame, such a huge miss, I can’t even fathom it.
It will be interesting to see how guests find it when it opens in March. But I think it’s pretty telling that every date is available for booking in June, July, and August. It was fully booked for the first three months, but now there is availability- likely due to cancellations?
i think cost, genie +, and the new leader are just killing WDW. The direction it’s going is not one I want to see anyways, and that makes me sad. But a dirty, expensive, crowded, trip, where you are required to plan each morning at 7 am or stand in long lines, preorder mediocre food, and only be able half in the parks what I could do, well, it’s not all that attractive to me. I think I will wait a year and see how things are going.
agree with you about having to have my phone in my hand the whole day 
It is really annoying. All you see in the parks are a bunch of people walking around like robots glued to their phone trying not to run into eachother 
