10 Most Disappointing Destinations in the World

Is WDW more of a letdown than a must-see?

  • Yes

    Votes: 24 8.8%

  • No

    Votes: 249 91.2%
  • Total voters
    273
BwanaBob

BwanaBob

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
http://www.smartertravel.com/photo-...g-destinations-in-the-world.html?id=713&all=1

#8

Walt Disney World, Florida
stm5347ee10d177120140411.jpg

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons via CC Attribution/Share Alike)
Paying $99 per day to be trapped in a park surrounded by other peoples' children and fully grown adults who like Disney? No thanks. Even a bottle of water will run you $2.50 once you're within reach of the Mouse's greedy grasp. And if you're thinking about purchasing a "specialty" cocktail to numb the pain of being at Disney World, you'll have to shell out $8.50 per drink.



Also, local channel posted piece on it too:
http://mynews13.com/content/news/cf...icles/cfn/2014/4/18/disney_disappointing.html


Sooo.... What say you WDWMagic? Share the same sentiments?
 
stevehousse

stevehousse

Well-Known Member
I find it off that they pointed out the fact that a cocktail will cost you $8.50 as being a rip off because here in IL that's the norm anywhere you go!

I will say that a trip to Disney as a newcomer can be somewhat overwhelming I think with all the planning and such! Especially with all the changes to their systems being so new (MM+)...I don't think I would nessecarily call it disappointing though...
 
TubaGeek

TubaGeek

God bless the "Ignore" button.
That's a loaded question.
I'm CONSTANTLY disappointed by WDW, but, like the parent of an underperforming child, I still love it.
It depends so much on your nostalgia for the parks and characters. As others have pointed out, it's sheer scope and scale is so impressive, that many first-time visitors are won over by that alone.
I guess it depends heavily on if you know what Disney has accomplished in the past.
All things considered, I don't think I can bring myself to vote one way or the other. It's just too loaded a question.
EDIT: I voted "No". Whether or not you're let down, it is DEFINITELY a "must-see".
 
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B

Bolna

Well-Known Member
Ok, if anyone would ever hype Frankfurt, Germany as a tourist destination, I would expect people to be disappointed. But I never have heard of it being one of the places where people think they have to go to!
 
B

Bolna

Well-Known Member
Dj Corona said:
I would say maybe for Oktoberfest, but Munich is pretty much the place to go for that!
Click to expand...

Yes, and I even don't know what kind of similar fair Frankfurt has, and I used to live there... It is a nice place, it's fun to spend an evening drinking cider and having hard boiled eggs in green sauce (local dish, very delicious). It also has some decent art museums. And it is a transportation hub. But a "hyped" tourist destination?
 
Dj Corona

Dj Corona

Active Member
Yeah, not so much....a couple of those "destinations" in that article were head-scratchers. My family and I have never looked at each other and said, "Gibraltar?? Heck yeah, how soon can we go?!"
 
Pumbas Nakasak

Pumbas Nakasak

Heading for the great escape.
Bolna said:
Ok, if anyone would ever hype Frankfurt, Germany as a tourist destination, I would expect people to be disappointed. But I never have heard of it being one of the places where people think they have to go to!
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Sachsenhausen is pretty decent. I mean I think London is crap but I wouldnt class Canary Wharf or Thread needle street as must see places anyway. Unless you are a bank spotter who would visit Frankfarts bank sector either?

Nothing wrong with Gib, it annoys the Spanish thats good enough for me.
 
ParentsOf4

ParentsOf4

Well-Known Member
I've read Caroline Morse's piece a few times and still don't understand what arbitrary standard she used to determine "disappointing".

She criticizes Casablanca as being a "very commercial city" with "mostly office buildings", and to go "to the rest of Morocco if you want a more authentic experience". I hate to shock her but that is the genuine Casablanca. It's a place where people live and work, not some artificial tourist trap.

As far as Frankfurt goes, I didn't realize that Frankfurt was a major tourist destination.

Disappointing is expecting one thing but then failing to meet that expectation.

The only thing that was disappointing, it seems, was how little she bothered to learn about the places she presumably visited before she visited them.
 
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danlb_2000

danlb_2000

Premium Member
BwanaBob said:
http://www.smartertravel.com/photo-...g-destinations-in-the-world.html?id=713&all=1

#8

Walt Disney World, Florida
stm5347ee10d177120140411.jpg

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons via CC Attribution/Share Alike)
Paying $99 per day to be trapped in a park surrounded by other peoples' children and fully grown adults who like Disney? No thanks. Even a bottle of water will run you $2.50 once you're within reach of the Mouse's greedy grasp. And if you're thinking about purchasing a "specialty" cocktail to numb the pain of being at Disney World, you'll have to shell out $8.50 per drink.



Also, local channel posted piece on it too:
http://mynews13.com/content/news/cf...icles/cfn/2014/4/18/disney_disappointing.html


Sooo.... What say you WDWMagic? Share the same sentiments?
Click to expand...

"and fully grown adults who like Disney", this statement alone totally invalidates anything they have to say. They obviously don't "get it".
 
CDavid

CDavid

Well-Known Member
ParentsOf4 said:
I've read Caroline Morse's piece a few times and still don't understand what arbitrary standard she used to determine "disappointing".
Click to expand...

This is the key point. The only things she references in the Disney paragraph are prices (admittedly, Disney isn't cheap), the prevalence of children, and adults "who like Disney". But, just what were her expectations before visiting the place, because it's a bit hard to imagine anyone planning a trip to a Disney park and not expecting hordes of children. We all know some Disney fanatics can overdose on the pixie-dust, but just as you would expect to see people who like to ski at a ski resort, it probably shouldn't be too much of a surprise to find those who like Disney (or theme parks) at Walt Disney World. What was she looking for in a destination, anyway? That makes all the difference; You don't get a similar experience at Liberty Island and Las Vegas.

At $99, she appears to be referring to a day guest at the Magic Kingdom, where you would indeed find the most children (and arguably an environment that many people more readily associate with being "Disney"). But when she talks about that $8.50 specialty cocktail, it seems more like World Showcase (or a resort). But that is neither $99 nor as overtly child-centric as the Magic Kingdom is often perceived. She comments on the lines for everything at Liberty Island, but oddly, not a peep about lines in WDW - and we certainly know those exist!

I have to wonder just what she evaluated for this little article and - indeed - what criteria and standards she used for her evaluation. Actually, did she even visit all ten destinations personally, and if so how long ago, which potentially makes a huge difference. Again, on what standard were these ten destinations evaluated, and what were the expectations of those visiting - what were they seeking in a vacation.
 
B

Bolna

Well-Known Member
ParentsOf4 said:
The only thing that was disappointing, it seems, was how little she bothered to learn about the places she presumably visited before she visited them.
Click to expand...

Yes, it is a rather bizarre list. And I agree with you, it seems like the author did have little understanding about the places beforehand. Maybe a better name for the list would be "May 10 least favourite vacation experiences". Because I think it is merely a subjective list of places she did not enjoy, not a evaluation of the difference between "hype" and reality, which it supposedly claims to be,
 

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