How is WDW not what it used to be?

JusticeDisney

JusticeDisney

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I have read many posts here saying that WDW is not as good as it used to be, that it has fallen off in certain respects. Personally, I love WDW just as much now as I did when I first went almost four decades ago, but obviously there are plenty of others who believe there has been a drop off. So I'm just curious, what specifically do people think has gotten worse?
 
MKCP 1985

MKCP 1985

Well-Known Member
Don't take me for a critic by answering the question because I love going to Walt Disney World, but here are my fair minded observations:

It's way more expensive.

The new attractions, when they open, no longer seem to have that "wow" factor that once seemed to exclusive to Disney parks. In the past 20 years, some attractions have opened at Universal Studios parks that have turned some heads. Somewhere along the line, Disney let the competition catch up or at least close the gap in new attractions building.

Also, too many attractions and entertainment have closed or been canceled with nothing to replace them. An entire pavilion at Epcot - Wonders of Life - was closed with no replacement. Attractions have closed at the Disney Hollywood Studios park way before any demolition has been scheduled to occur - example being the Back Lot Tour. The Yeti breaks at Animal Kingdom and . . . it doesn't get fixed. The Magic Kingdom has been criticized for any number of reasons from being too crowded with not enough new rides opening or for taking away benches.

I agree with your belief that Walt Disney World is still a great place to vacation with or without kids. It is just that when we imagine what could be in 2016 after 45 years of operations, many would agree it could have done better in the past decade than it has done.
 
wdw93

wdw93

Member
I think the 'uber' planning that you now have to do is insane. Isn't it supposed to be a vacation? I miss the days when my husband and I would decide at the bus stop where we were going that day. Now we have to decide 6 mos ahead of time. We did not go to the world last year and we are not going this year either, and I am not so sure about next year. It is very sad to see so many people walking around looking at their mobile devices and not at what is happening around them. The real world has infiltrated my oasis.
 
JusticeDisney

JusticeDisney

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
MKCP 1985 said:
Don't take me for a critic by answering the question because I love going to Walt Disney World, but here are my fair minded observations:

It's way more expensive.

The new attractions, when they open, no longer seem to have that "wow" factor that once seemed to exclusive to Disney parks. In the past 20 years, some attractions have opened at Universal Studios parks that have turned some heads. Somewhere along the line, Disney let the competition catch up or at least close the gap in new attractions building.

Also, too many attractions and entertainment have closed or been canceled with nothing to replace them. An entire pavilion at Epcot - Wonders of Life - was closed with no replacement. Attractions have closed at the Disney Hollywood Studios park way before any demolition has been scheduled to occur - example being the Back Lot Tour. The Yeti breaks at Animal Kingdom and . . . it doesn't get fixed. The Magic Kingdom has been criticized for any number of reasons from being too crowded with not enough new rides opening or for taking away benches.

I agree with your belief that Walt Disney World is still a great place to vacation with or without kids. It is just that when we imagine what could be in 2016 after 45 years of operations, many would agree it could have done better in the past decade than it has done.
Click to expand...
Great post. Hadn't thought about all that, but you are right on the money.
 
JusticeDisney

JusticeDisney

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
wdw93 said:
I think the 'uber' planning that you now have to do is insane. Isn't it supposed to be a vacation? I miss the days when my husband and I would decide at the bus stop where we were going that day. Now we have to decide 6 mos ahead of time. We did not go to the world last year and we are not going this year either, and I am not so sure about next year. It is very sad to see so many people walking around looking at their mobile devices and not at what is happening around them. The real world has infiltrated my oasis.
Click to expand...
Could not agree with you more. It's actually sad how much advance planning has to go into what, as you said, is supposed to be a vacation getaway.
 
zeebs758

zeebs758

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
It was 9 years in between trips to Walt Disney World and the magic felt the same. All the nostalgia was still there. I think Disney let the competition catch up to them but they have a lot of cool stuff coming out in the next few years. People think they need to plan months in advance booking reservations and fast passes but they don't. My fiance's family went recently and they didn't booked anything. They booked while there were there. They were spontaneous and had a ton of fun.
 
brb1006

brb1006

Well-Known Member
MKCP 1985 said:
Don't take me for a critic by answering the question because I love going to Walt Disney World, but here are my fair minded observations:

It's way more expensive.

The new attractions, when they open, no longer seem to have that "wow" factor that once seemed to exclusive to Disney parks. In the past 20 years, some attractions have opened at Universal Studios parks that have turned some heads. Somewhere along the line, Disney let the competition catch up or at least close the gap in new attractions building.

Also, too many attractions and entertainment have closed or been canceled with nothing to replace them. An entire pavilion at Epcot - Wonders of Life - was closed with no replacement. Attractions have closed at the Disney Hollywood Studios park way before any demolition has been scheduled to occur - example being the Back Lot Tour. The Yeti breaks at Animal Kingdom and . . . it doesn't get fixed. The Magic Kingdom has been criticized for any number of reasons from being too crowded with not enough new rides opening or for taking away benches.

I agree with your belief that Walt Disney World is still a great place to vacation with or without kids. It is just that when we imagine what could be in 2016 after 45 years of operations, many would agree it could have done better in the past decade than it has done.
Click to expand...
Was WDW that expensive between the 70's,80's and 90's?
 
E

EnergyKing

Well-Known Member
Penny Arcade of the Past: Wow, look at all these old games. It's like the sign says...an actual arcade!
Penny Arcade of today: Oh, look, Winnie the Pooh dolls.
Main Street Cinema of the Past: Cool, Steamboat Willie is playing. It's like the sign says...an actual cinema!
Main Street Cinema of today: Oh, neat, more Winnie the Pooh dolls.

I rest my case.
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
Of all the things to complain about, the most controllable is expense. True, compared to 4 decades ago it is more expensive, but, I have to ask... what isn't? Do you know what a new car cost back then? Do you know what a home cost back then? Do you know what groceries cost back then? How about gas prices? Everything cost more now then back then, however, in some areas it is way out of line. Hotels onsite, are close to robbery. There is no excuse for those prices, none! Well, there is one... people are willing to pay it, so it falls under the heading of whatever the public will bear. And you do not have to stay onsite. There is no requirement. The perks are not all that better then not staying there. I've done both, I'm not just guessing.

Also one needs to look at other forms of entertainment when comparing the cost of admission. Top price for a ticket covering opening to closing is a little more then $100.00. Anyone been to a ballgame, a theater production or even played golf on famous golf courses. I was watching a golf tournament at Pebble Beach yesterday. It's a public golf course when the pros are not playing, it cost over $400.00 for 18 holes and they are pushing you to be out of there in 4.5 hours tops! Yes, it is way more expensive then 40+ years ago, but, it is still a bargain
 
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BoarderPhreak

BoarderPhreak

Well-Known Member
There are SO many ways WDW is different than it was in the past - to be fair, both pro and con. It's not all doom and gloom.

However, one underlying and dramatic change is the attitude and unfortunately, affects everything else. It used to be that the guest experience was the single most important aspect. Every night, Main Street USA would get pressure washed, burnt out bulbs fixed and flaky or faded paint refreshed. This seems to have taken quite the back seat over time. Granted, WDW is more than just the MK these days. But that's a matter of staffing.
 
U

UpAllNight

Well-Known Member
For us on our last trip we felt WDW had become a victim of its own success in that their wasn't the capacity required in any of the parks to make an enjoyable day. Seeing how full the parks were too just made us think with the money rolling in they could be doing more. Was 11 years since our last visit and out of the new additions throughout Florida, Universal provided a lot more 'Wow' moments.
 
copcarguyp71

copcarguyp71

Well-Known Member
WHOOWEE...ok, here goes.

Empty unused spaces (too numerous to count) labelled "special events"
- Golden Horseshoe
- Oddyssey
- WOL pavillion
- Imagination upstairs
- River Country
- Discovery Island
- Millennium Village
....just to name a few

Cheap lazy overlays of existing rides
Half done refurbs (looking squarely at you SSE!!!)
Declining sit down dining quality
Fastpass lines longer than stand by
Shut off fountains and water features
Juggernaut outbuild of DVC when owners (no...not all) are unhappy with quality of existing properties declining.
Meet-n-greets taking place of actual attractions
Broken effects never fixed (Universe of Energy, Expedition Everest and Dinosaur come to mind first)
Kicking guests out early who paid full price for a full day in the parks due to a "special event" and not offering them a reduced rate to attend that event or for the shortened day in the park.
 
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WondersOfLife

WondersOfLife

Blink, blink. Breathe, breathe. Day in, day out.
"Bob... May I see the plans for our next big theme park hit?"
"Yes, Brad. Here are the plans for a Frozen sing-along."
"Bravo, Bob. This will surely knock Universal out of the water."
"Indubitably."

29XYmgE.gif
 
TBrooker11

TBrooker11

Active Member
I think a lot of it has to do with the refurbishments most rides have gotten. I personally never experienced a lot of the rides so I cannot personally say this but I have heard from people who have been WDW nuts for years they are not very happy with a lot of the refurbs. Some of the ones I have heard include:

  • Journey Into Imagination eliminating the Dream Finder
  • World of Motion turning into Test Track
  • Maelstrom becoming a Frozen ride
  • Horizons turning into Mission Space
  • Characters being placed in Epcot in general
  • Seven Dwarfs Mine Train not going over well with fans
  • Hollywood Studios becoming a graveland
Then some things I have notice are just a good amount of space not being used at all or being wasted, like:

  • Odyssey Restaurant
  • Wonders of Life Pavilion
  • Innoventions
  • Open space in World Showcase
 

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