OK, I'm Giving Up!

Y

yensid1967

Well-Known Member
In another post, I said, "Don't Count me Out". Well, a few things have changed and I am retiring to the decision to cancel my 2026 trip! Sad? a little. Probably because I am not comfortable with the direction Disney is going! Hopeful? Still holding onto 'a little' hope that things may/will change, and a trip 'could' be possible. But I am getting tired of all the money grabbing from Disney for things like Genie+, that should never have been put into the works when Fastpass was working just fine! Their reason for Genie+ was because of the pandemic! Pandemic is more relaxed, so bring back FASTPASS! As well as the offerings still not back to pre-pandemic levels as is the cast (or at least that's what they are saying) Honestly, I do not believe anything says with regards to reasoning why some fee has been applied or something has been taken away from the guest experience. I still cannot swallow the fact that they won't tell the public what their pandemic capacity level is, but they assure us they never daily reach it, but yet the parks are crowded as if it were at full capacity! Something doesn't sound/look right there! Are the executives lying to us? Most likely! We can complain on blogs all we want, but the true fact of the matter is that when Universal Orlando & Epic Universe start grabbing those die-hard Disney fans, that's when Disney will take notice. And for some guests, it may be too late to return to Disney. If Disney doesn't change their ways, I can see Disney World being a second thought park option! And that's sad to even write! But that's my opinions. Do I hope I get go ONE LAST TIME? Sure, but if I do go, I will not be spending a majority of my money at Disney!
What are your thoughts? Has Disney gone too far for you to go back? Would you still take that Orlando vacation, but spend the majority of your trip at Universal/Sea World?
 
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networkpro

networkpro

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
Everyone's situations are different. Distance and mode of travel, number of people, length of stay, expectations, level of activity, normal waking hours, normal dining hours, types of food that they like, disposable income, and convenience factors. I've gone to all of them for decades and each has high points and low points. Lodging near/for Seaworld has always for us been not that good. Universal is "point of thrill" and does very well with it, but going from A to B is just like another random amusement park.

I grew up in South Georgia, so there's lots more in Florida that I've been to besides Disney.
 
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JIMINYCR

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
Im not happy with many things recently inserted into a Disney trip like the change over to Genie+ and LL's, or being tied to devices etc.. We havent gone to WDW since Genie and LL's were implemented and when we do I'm not going to spend more on them. We have no control over Disneys policies and no matter how we object or campaign against them they wont change. We arent in a position to tell them how to run things and not enough people are avoiding Disney to make it hurt enough to influence change. And they have no9 responsibility to us to disclose any. umbers regarding park capacities, never have. So if things arent to your liking you have every right to not go. We are still on the fence about a next trip next year and will be waiting to see how things play out. We still find enough enjoyment to warrant a trip back and can work around certain things or will be willing to tolerate other things.
Uni is another option for us and we may plan more Uni days or other things around Orlando days than weve done before.
 
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Disstevefan1

Disstevefan1

Well-Known Member
yensid1967 said:
In another post, I said, "Don't Count me Out". Well, a few things have changed and I am retiring to the decision to cancel my 2026 trip! Sad? a little. Probably because I am not comfortable with the direction Disney is going! Hopeful? Still holding onto 'a little' hope that things may/will change, and a trip 'could' be possible. But I am getting tired of all the money grabbing from Disney for things like Genie+, that should never have been put into the works when Fastpass was working just fine! Their reason for Genie+ was because of the pandemic! Pandemic is more relaxed, so bring back FASTPASS! As well as the offerings still not back to pre-pandemic levels as is the cast (or at least that's what they are saying) Honestly, I do not believe anything says with regards to reasoning why some fee has been applied or something has been taken away from the guest experience. I still cannot swallow the fact that they won't tell the public what their pandemic capacity level is, but they assure us they never daily reach it, but yet the parks are crowded as if it were at full capacity! Something doesn't sound/look right there! Are the executives lying to us? Most likely! We can complain on blogs all we want, but the true fact of the matter is that when Universal Orlando & Epic Universe start grabbing those die-hard Disney fans, that's when Disney will take notice. And for some guests, it may be too late to return to Disney. If Disney doesn't change their ways, I can see Disney World being a second thought park option! And that's sad to even write! But that's my opinions. Do I hope I get go ONE LAST TIME? Sure, but if I do go, I will not be spending a majority of my money at Disney!
What are your thoughts? Has Disney gone too far for you to go back? Would you still take that Orlando vacation, but spend the majority of your trip at Universal/Sea World?
Click to expand...
By 2026 Epic Universe will be open!
Who knows, you may plan an awesome trip to Univeral Orlando and do maybe one day at WDW :)
 
Upvote 0
JohnD

JohnD

Well-Known Member
yensid1967 said:
In another post, I said, "Don't Count me Out". Well, a few things have changed and I am retiring to the decision to cancel my 2026 trip! Sad? a little. Probably because I am not comfortable with the direction Disney is going! Hopeful? Still holding onto 'a little' hope that things may/will change, and a trip 'could' be possible. But I am getting tired of all the money grabbing from Disney for things like Genie+, that should never have been put into the works when Fastpass was working just fine! Their reason for Genie+ was because of the pandemic! Pandemic is more relaxed, so bring back FASTPASS! As well as the offerings still not back to pre-pandemic levels as is the cast (or at least that's what they are saying) Honestly, I do not believe anything says with regards to reasoning why some fee has been applied or something has been taken away from the guest experience. I still cannot swallow the fact that they won't tell the public what their pandemic capacity level is, but they assure us they never daily reach it, but yet the parks are crowded as if it were at full capacity! Something doesn't sound/look right there! Are the executives lying to us? Most likely! We can complain on blogs all we want, but the true fact of the matter is that when Universal Orlando & Epic Universe start grabbing those die-hard Disney fans, that's when Disney will take notice. And for some guests, it may be too late to return to Disney. If Disney doesn't change their ways, I can see Disney World being a second thought park option! And that's sad to even write! But that's my opinions. Do I hope I get go ONE LAST TIME? Sure, but if I do go, I will not be spending a majority of my money at Disney!
What are your thoughts? Has Disney gone too far for you to go back? Would you still take that Orlando vacation, but spend the majority of your trip at Universal/Sea World?
Click to expand...
Well, that's four years away so it's a little too soon to say you're going to cancel, IMHO. Maybe when you're a year or less out. As for me, I'm going in late September and it will be my first experience with Genie+. I'll have a better idea of my own personal experience after that.
 
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Minnesota disney fan

Minnesota disney fan

Well-Known Member
We have already quit going to WDW. Sadly, we used to go every year or more. We were the ones everyone went to for disney advice. Our kids knew where we were going for vacation every year, they didn't need to even ask!
We noticed a decline before covid, but not enough to stop us from going to our happy place.
Now, with all the changes for the worse, we are going to other places. We used to go to Universal just one day, then increased it to 2 days, then...We realized that we were happier at Universal with less stress and more fun, even before covid.
So, we won't be back to WDW unless they completely change their ways, and go back to excellent customer service and offer ROI.
It has opened up a lot of other possibilities of places to visit, and we can't wait to do just that.
I keep looking at these sites to see if things are changing for the better but haven't seen it yet.
I never thought we would give up disney, but they gave up on us.
 
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J

jpinkc

Well-Known Member
We are in the same boat. Went Holidays 21, and it was horrible. Genie+ was a joke. They offered no help on a ADR time and ROTR overlapping as it was the only time we could get. Having to constantly use phone etc. It just was not an enjoyable trip.
 
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Vegas Disney Fan

Vegas Disney Fan

Well-Known Member
I don’t think we’ll ever stop going, we enjoy it too much.

With all the recent changes we are going less though, and we added a couple days at Uni for the first time on our next trip so we’ll see how that influences future trips also.

The changes aren’t enough to keep us away entirely but we are doing new things elsewhere though, Dollywood is probably next on our list. We’ll keep going, just less often.
 
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Weather_Lady

Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
I'm with you. We're planning one more trip in a year or two - simply to use up gift cards and comp tickets from a previous trip. We've lowered our expectations to match the new status quo of longer lines, more rules, less flexibility, fewer hours, surlier CMs, and less ride reliability, and although I know we'll make the best of it and have a fun time because "that's how we do," we have no plans to return thereafter (and wouldn't go at all if we didn't have these "leftovers" to use up).

WDW used to be the best: the best-themed, best-maintained, best-staffed, cleanest, easiest, most stress-free, escapist vacation a family could find on this coast. For whatever reason ($$$), it's chosen not to be anymore.

I tell myself that my lack of enthusiasm is because I don't want to pay so much more for so much less, so I'm just being a responsible consumer. In reality though, my reasons are more [embarrassingly] emotional: I hesitate to visit WDW for the same reason I don't tend to visit a distant-but-beloved relative of mine who's slowly killing himself with a meth addiction: I can't bear to helplessly watch something I loved and respected and with which I have years of beautiful memories - changing priorities, abandoning standards, degenerating before my eyes, and turning itself into a lurid parody of the excellence and brilliance it used to exemplify.
 
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Y

yensid1967

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I appreciate all your responses and agree with all of them! I just wished TDC would read all the negative comments on blogs like this one, I'm sure they will see that even their die-hard fans are calling it quits, let alone, those that use to buy AP's every year and now aren't renewing! I think they need BETTER leadership in CEO position! They need to get back to Walt's philosophy and create parks for EVERYONE to enjoy with their kids! It should not be dependent on how much money you have to afford a vacation. They need to get back to QUALITY and not quantity. Disney in the 90's was a great affordable place to go! Now, its "let's see how much they will keep spending' and 'how much can we increase prices, and they will still come' kind of mentality.

But as of now, unless things change, I will not be planning a Disney emphasis vacation! I may go 1 day to Disney and spend my money in other theme parks/places. Disney will not be my emphasis for Florida until things change!
 
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Weather_Lady

Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
yensid1967 said:
I just wished TDC would read all the negative comments on blogs like this one, I'm sure they will see that even their die-hard fans are calling it quits, let alone, those that use to buy AP's every year and now aren't renewing!
Click to expand...
If they're not reading such comments, they're burying their heads in the sand. Read the latest few TripAdvisor reviews of WDW on any given day now (currently rated #115 out of #446 Orlando attractions - barely clinging to the top third, and although the four parks score better individually, they've all fallen behind one or both Universal parks in the rankings), and they're the same tenor one sees here. Complaints like, "magic is gone," "disappointing," "Walt would be ashamed," "dirty and out-of-date," "nickel and dimed," and "too stressful" dominate the reviews. The problem is, management knows exactly how guest satisfaction has tanked: they just don't care. They'd rather lure in rich one-and-dones than attract everyday families and do what it takes to make them want to return. The whole business model has changed.

www.tripadvisor.com

Walt Disney World Resort (Orlando) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

www.tripadvisor.com www.tripadvisor.com
 
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yensid67

yensid67

Well-Known Member
"They'd rather lure in rich one-and-dones than attract everyday families and do what it takes to make them want to return. The whole business model has changed."

I agree that the new management does not care about the guests. Even the AP guests have vowed not to renew their Annul Passes. It is sad to think that something so loved by many has turned into a ONLY RICH or those who can afford to spend the money. But they will reap what they are sowing now. I hope Disney wakes up or sees that they are alienating their returning guests...those that come back every year. The day will come when DIsney is not the number one destination, which will most likely be taken by Universal.

I am sad just thinking how things have gotten so far off track of what the parks use to be, to what they are now! I wish UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT would be taken from the Tiki Room and placed at the entrance of WDW...hell those bird could manage better that the current WDW management!!! I think the new management/CEO should sit down and look at what worked for each park and implement a plan! DHS would be great as a working studio again. Epcot needs to go back to EDUTAINMENT...Magic Kingdom needs to go back to the EIsner decade when the attention to details mattered, and when FP's in every park worked to get every guests on the rides they wanted to ride that day! Animal Kingdom just needs to go back to the original park with the conservation station/petting zoo/animal hospital area

What do you think?
 
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dave&di

dave&di

Well-Known Member
We went to WDW in ‘08, ‘10, ‘12 and ‘13, we saved a lot in between (travelling from the UK) to go back every 2 years, it was our ‘happy place’, then life got in the way and we haven’t been back since.

Then the pandemic happened and life stopped being normal, we decided a year ago that we had to go back to WDW in 2023. Personally I hate that technology is heavily involved, we used to turn our phones off and pack them in our case at the airport and never touch them again until we returned home. We used to be spontaneous and do what we wanted, feeling care free.

I hate how everything must be organised in such fine detail. I hate that everything is now overly expensive. I hate that rides are now purchased rather than being included in the ticket, yes I get it a choice to purchase them!

BUT…. We both have an itch to scratch, we need to return. It’ll be a make or break trip, we wouldn’t be able to afford to return for several years afterwards anyway! I don’t like the direction Disney is taking but I’m a sucker who’s giving them my money in the hope I’ll still find it as magical as I once did. If not, we’ll know it’s now longer for us and we won’t feel as though we lost something special to us.
 
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yensid67

yensid67

Well-Known Member
"Personally I hate that technology is heavily involved, we used to turn our phones off and pack them in our case at the airport and never touch them again until we returned home. We used to be spontaneous and do what we wanted, feeling care free."
--> MOST when on vacation want a break from everything...including being on our phones. What did we do without cell phones!!?? we enjoyed ourselves a lot more, we checked our answering machine when we got home and made the calls we needed to make!

"I hate how everything must be organized in such fine detail. I hate that everything is now overly expensive. I hate that rides are now purchased rather than being included in the ticket, yes I get it a choice to purchase them!"
--> Disney has sucked the magic out of planning a vacation! It use to be part of the journey, now it just seems like a chore to plan everything down to the day, before you even arrive! Gone is the day of spontaneity and hello to the days of pre-planning. Yes, you have to pre9plan at Universal, but I don't think it's to the point of what you have to do for a Disney vacation!

IF YOU FEEL LIKE THIS, WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION TO SAVE OUR MAGIC FOR OUR BELOVED VACCATION SPOT! WE NEED TO DEMAND THAT THEY START PUTTING THE TRUE GUESTS NEEDS FIRST INSTEAD OF THEIR WALLET! WE NEED TO DEMAND THE ATTENTION TO QUALITY AND DETAIL BE FRONT AND CENTER, WE NEED TO MAKE IT KNOWN THAT WE ARE THE RETURNING GUESTS WHO KEEPS THE PENNIES COMING INTO THEIR WALLETS. WE NEED TO DEMAND THIS AND SO MUCH MORE!

Maybe if they start to get letters of 'concern' maybe they will change for the positive!? We can only hope! If Disney doesn't respond to such a campaign. then the only thing we can do as guests is start spending our Disney Dollars at Universal! Maybe when that happens, TWDC will wake up and make the changes to gain our trust back! (I think Disney will become a second-thought park soon to Universal!)
 
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Chi84

Chi84

Premium Member
yensid67 said:
"Personally I hate that technology is heavily involved, we used to turn our phones off and pack them in our case at the airport and never touch them again until we returned home. We used to be spontaneous and do what we wanted, feeling care free."
--> MOST when on vacation want a break from everything...including being on our phones. What did we do without cell phones!!?? we enjoyed ourselves a lot more, we checked our answering machine when we got home and made the calls we needed to make!

"I hate how everything must be organized in such fine detail. I hate that everything is now overly expensive. I hate that rides are now purchased rather than being included in the ticket, yes I get it a choice to purchase them!"
--> Disney has sucked the magic out of planning a vacation! It use to be part of the journey, now it just seems like a chore to plan everything down to the day, before you even arrive! Gone is the day of spontaneity and hello to the days of pre-planning. Yes, you have to pre9plan at Universal, but I don't think it's to the point of what you have to do for a Disney vacation!

IF YOU FEEL LIKE THIS, WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION TO SAVE OUR MAGIC FOR OUR BELOVED VACCATION SPOT! WE NEED TO DEMAND THAT THEY START PUTTING THE TRUE GUESTS NEEDS FIRST INSTEAD OF THEIR WALLET! WE NEED TO DEMAND THE ATTENTION TO QUALITY AND DETAIL BE FRONT AND CENTER, WE NEED TO MAKE IT KNOWN THAT WE ARE THE RETURNING GUESTS WHO KEEPS THE PENNIES COMING INTO THEIR WALLETS. WE NEED TO DEMAND THIS AND SO MUCH MORE!

Maybe if they start to get letters of 'concern' maybe they will change for the positive!? We can only hope! If Disney doesn't respond to such a campaign. then the only thing we can do as guests is start spending our Disney Dollars at Universal! Maybe when that happens, TWDC will wake up and make the changes to gain our trust back! (I think Disney will become a second-thought park soon to Universal!)
Click to expand...
When was a Disney vacation ever spontaneous? I remember getting both the official and unofficial guides to plan our vacations in the 1980’s.
 
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Tony the Tigger

Tony the Tigger

Well-Known Member
Upvote 1
King Racoon 77

King Racoon 77

Thank you sir. You were an inspiration.
Premium Member
dave&di said:
We went to WDW in ‘08, ‘10, ‘12 and ‘13, we saved a lot in between (travelling from the UK) to go back every 2 years, it was our ‘happy place’, then life got in the way and we haven’t been back since.

Then the pandemic happened and life stopped being normal, we decided a year ago that we had to go back to WDW in 2023. Personally I hate that technology is heavily involved, we used to turn our phones off and pack them in our case at the airport and never touch them again until we returned home. We used to be spontaneous and do what we wanted, feeling care free.

I hate how everything must be organised in such fine detail. I hate that everything is now overly expensive. I hate that rides are now purchased rather than being included in the ticket, yes I get it a choice to purchase them!

BUT…. We both have an itch to scratch, we need to return. It’ll be a make or break trip, we wouldn’t be able to afford to return for several years afterwards anyway! I don’t like the direction Disney is taking but I’m a sucker who’s giving them my money in the hope I’ll still find it as magical as I once did. If not, we’ll know it’s now longer for us and we won’t feel as though we lost something special to us.
Click to expand...
Have you considered a shorter trip across ( or under) the water to DLP ?
 
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