Why I may not go again

[kalel8145]

I like reality and informed choices. I come to these forums to hear about everyone's experiences, so I try to help everyone by providing information and returning the favor.

My responses are for the greater good.

Its all good. I am not trying to insult anyone here. If it comes across that way, many apologies. There are just a lot of these threads where it is obvious people, not all, spend their trips, and purposely look for anything they can to rip on Disney World. Some of them totally legit. Some of them, complaining for the sake of complaining(i.e. Halloween treats out too early). Yes I could scroll past, but it is a forum site. Why take a trip somewhere where you perceive the show quality to be below your standards?

I don't go to Disney World for reality, I go to get away from reality. Looking for issues just brings reality back in my face.

 

[Married5Times]

complaining for the sake of complaining(i.e. Halloween treats out too early).

"treats" coming out early?

do you mean Halloween decorations in August? Or do you mean at Boo To You nights cast brings out candy too early as in before it gets dark?

 

[kalel8145]

"treats" coming out early?

do you mean Halloween decorations in August? Or do you mean at Boo To You nights cast brings out candy too early as in before it gets dark?

Halfway to Halloween https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...disneys-halfway-to-halloween-eats-and-treats/

 

[Married5Times]

ohhhh, halfway to Halloween.....I see.

ya, that dont be makin sents. I spit on that grave.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

Its all good. I am not trying to insult anyone here. If it comes across that way, many apologies. There are just a lot of these threads where it is obvious people, not all, spend their trips, and purposely look for anything they can to rip on Disney World. Some of them totally legit. Some of them, complaining for the sake of complaining(i.e. Halloween treats out too early). Yes I could scroll past, but it is a forum site. Why take a trip somewhere where you perceive the show quality to be below your standards?

I don't go to Disney World for reality, I go to get away from reality. Looking for issues just brings reality back in my face.

That's a weird charge though, to assume others are 'looking for issues,' no? Mind, we've all seen our share of internet trolls. I read every post with some grain of salt.

My posts in this thread have covered both the aspects of G+/ILL that I find tolerable, and the aspects I find disagreeable. I try to share my honest experience without insulting anyone else, and I have been attempting to do that for a long time.

If WDW has warts, I want to know about them, so I can spend my vacation dollars on the WDW experiences that are of value. I don't understand why anyone would want to pretend everything at WDW is always perfect. WDW has never been perfect, that is part of why it is always evolving. That's part of what I enjoy about WDW.

But as you say, to each her own.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

The way I see it, if somebody says they are "done" with WDW, but are hanging around WDW forums regularly, they are not truly DONE with WDW. Maybe taking a hiatus, but not fully done. Like a person saying they are DONE with sweets but still lingering around a bakery window, seeing what's going on and what's new... wondering if just one more bite will harm their waistline.

View attachment 635792

Like most of you reading, I too am "done" with Disney... until my next trip.

Speaking for myself, people who stick around this site after saying 'I'm done with Disney' know what Disney used to be. We are around and reminisce a lot on the way it was. To have people around who remember the feels Disney used to give also gives me a feel of community and an old school Disney family.

 

[The Colonel]

I still enjoy going so I'm going to keep going. I love Walt and what he built as much as I hate the current management and their philosophies and politics. I don't want to give it up until I'm not having fun.

I find that the more I read about Disney, and listen to podcasts and such (or read the news for that matter), the more uneasy I am about funding these clowns who run things. I knew about their agendas long before this year. But it's out in the open now and hard to ignore.

But when I get there, that all fades away in my childlike happiness. But the magic is fading fast. Unless they right the ship somehow, I don't see this as a long-term thing anymore. I'm all booked up for 2022, but I've started making alternate plans for 2023 and those plans include much less Disney.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

Pepper's Ghost, you are not the only one who feels this way. My wife and I and now my daughter and her family feel the same way. They just came back from the Keys, and I am going back to Texas to see the State Fair this year.

Yes, Peppers Ghost and Dog ate Mouse: (love that name, we are doing the same. No more disney for us, and we are getting ready for a trip next week to Tennessee. Maybe one to Arizona or Florida in the fall (a non disney Fla trip though. There are several like us who do not speak up, but just quit and go other places. Our entire family has had it too and will not return. The grandsons prefer Universal, as do we, even before all the decline started.

 

[graphite1326]

Really? Or were you joking?? Reminds me of the old folks no one pays attention to because every sentence stars with "back when I was young".

This past Easter my church challenged the congregation to give up "complaining " for Lent, we got plastic bracelets to wear as a reminder, we were supposed to "snap" our wrist when we realized we had been needless whining, I totally admit that the first day I lasted all of 30 minutes. I had to take a break from here when I realized just how many of the threads here are complaints.
All good, they make interesting reads

What about those of us who are not Catholic?

 

[Disstevefan1]

Really? Or were you joking?? Reminds me of the old folks no one pays attention to because every sentence stars with "back when I was young".

This past Easter my church challenged the congregation to give up "complaining " for Lent, we got plastic bracelets to wear as a reminder, we were supposed to "snap" our wrist when we realized we had been needless whining, I totally admit that the first day I lasted all of 30 minutes. I had to take a break from here when I realized just how many of the threads here are complaints.
All good, they make interesting reads

A WDW vacationer trying to give up complaining for lent?
You should have picked something easier like giving up chocolate or ice cream or your favorite snack.

 

[macefamily]

This is a good discussion. Personally, I don't think my wife and daughter will ever break from Disney. I already did. I took a trip to Jacksonville a few weeks ago. I usually try to get an AirBNB and head down to the parks for a few days. Instead, I chose to stay put in J-ville and go to some great restaurants. Also went to the beach one day. I got spoiled when we went to the parks three times in the early pandemic. It was like we had them to ourselves. I know that wasn't possible forever, and things eventually are getting back to normal. But I'm disappointed in what Disney did through the pandemic....they planned for a HUGE money-grab. Prices are outrageous and their new LL is embarrassing. They just do it right out in the open. Eventually the bathrooms are going to have credit card swipes to use them.

 

[Pepper's Ghost]

Yes, Peppers Ghost and Dog ate Mouse: (love that name, we are doing the same. No more disney for us, and we are getting ready for a trip next week to Tennessee. Maybe one to Arizona or Florida in the fall (a non disney Fla trip though. There are several like us who do not speak up, but just quit and go other places. Our entire family has had it too and will not return. The grandsons prefer Universal, as do we, even before all the decline started.

A close friend wants to go to Disney this fall. She's been mentioning it since early during covid, but we didn't feel comfortable through last fall. Now she wants to go this year, but she really doesn't understand the complexity and hassle involved with the trip. She doesn't realize how much it's changed in just a few months. I'm trying to convince her to go to Universal Halloween Horror Nights instead. I told her I have zero desire to go to Disney, so maybe we'll put off the trip until Disney attendance falls, they make changes to improve the experience, or she agrees to go to Universal.

 

[jpinkc]

A close friend wants to go to Disney this fall. She's been mentioning it since early during covid, but we didn't feel comfortable through last fall. Now she wants to go this year, but she really doesn't understand the complexity and hassle involved with the trip. She doesn't realize how much it's changed in just a few months. I'm trying to convince her to go to Universal Halloween Horror Nights instead. I told her I have zero desire to go to Disney, so maybe we'll put off the trip until Disney attendance falls, they make changes to improve the experience, or she agrees to go to Universal.

We went over Thanksgiving 2021 and it really seemed to us that the magic was not there. It felt like to us that it was just work and not fun that trip. Maybe its the Genie+ and the LL upcharges. We did have some issues with dining reservations too. Never in my life did we have a trip that felt so unmagical and stressfull. We are getting the itch but I dont see us scratching it anytime soon. We talked about it again last night, but my wife and kids still feel like its just not the same anymore at WDW. We might try DL but I hate to admit it but I think they are afraid to try DL and find out that its as bad as WDW is now. I am the only one who has been to DL and thats wow 25 or more years ago(I might be lying and its 30yrs). Its before wife and kids. I just know WDW was where we went to escape and it just did not feel like a place to escape too, maybe Escape From now but, still just sad.

 

[Pepper's Ghost]

We went over Thanksgiving 2021 and it really seemed to us that the magic was not there. It felt like to us that it was just work and not fun that trip. Maybe its the Genie+ and the LL upcharges. We did have some issues with dining reservations too. Never in my life did we have a trip that felt so unmagical and stressfull. We are getting the itch but I dont see us scratching it anytime soon. We talked about it again last night, but my wife and kids still feel like its just not the same anymore at WDW. We might try DL but I hate to admit it but I think they are afraid to try DL and find out that its as bad as WDW is now. I am the only one who has been to DL and thats wow 25 or more years ago(I might be lying and its 30yrs). Its before wife and kids. I just know WDW was where we went to escape and it just did not feel like a place to escape too, maybe Escape From now but, still just sad.

I hear ya. I can't speak through personal experience that the magic is gone due to recent changes, but the last trip I was there, it just felt like I was trying to find something that wasn't there anymore. Aside from all the recent changes made to unmagicalize WDW , the last time I visited it felt a bit strange/alien. I know many on these boards love the atmosphere and buzz as much as I do. The sound of people having fun, laughing, talking, the sounds of Disney in the background... all of that feed into the magical feel. As crowded as it was when I was there, it was strangely quiet. I mean, there's always noise, talking, etc., but it was much less than it used to be. And if you look around everyone is staring at their phones in a zombie-like state. People just seemed oblivious to their surroundings, and not talking to each other, not even in the same family. You just see moms and dads clicking the app to find FPs or whatever else, kids were on FB or other social media apps taking selfies or posting whatever, and other kids just playing shooting games on their phones. It wasn't like it once was even just 12 years ago where moms and dads told their kids to put phones away. Kids would swing from dad's arm, laughing, crying, whatever. There was physical interaction and families spending quality time together. Not just 4 people in the same group all staring at their phones. This wasn't just one family either. It was almost everyone (probably 60-80%) in every line I stood in. That's much less social interaction.

It felt like a microcosm of social decay in general, and it has infiltrated the WDW bubble. I know I shouldn't care about what other people are doing, but like I said... I've always loved the buzz of the parks listening to the sound of joy and fun. That was missing the last time I went. Then, add all of the most recent changes making people even more dependent on their phones. So sad.

And I struggle to understand those who question why people are complaining, but are still on these boards. Is anyone on here a fan of a professional sports team? When your favorite team is not good, you still love the team, talk to your friends about them, and complain about everything that's going wrong, players who su¢k, etc. You're not a fan if you just don't follow them in the bad times. That's what's going on here on the forums. People are airing their grievances with an ownership team that is raising ticket prices, and putting a terrible product on the field. Heck, they're not even maintaining the field anymore. If Disney ran a baseball team, when a foul post falls over in the outfield, first they'd make the teams play around it while they put caution tape around it, and eventually they'll stand it back up and lean it back against the upper deck until some later time. Maybe they'll even put a strobe light on it and make it the Disco Foul Post while it leans against the upper deck.

 

[Married5Times]

When your favorite team is not good, you still love the team, talk to your friends about them, and complain about everything that's going wrong, players who su¢k, etc. You're not a fan if you just don't follow them in the bad times. That's what's going on here on the forums.

and this is what Spike Lee, Mickeal Rappaport and perhaps Steven A Smith feel about their beloved NY Knicks............love their team but publically criticize the front office and owner James Dolan. They hate the direction the franchise has been going

 

[GimpYancIent]

I hear ya. I can't speak through personal experience that the magic is gone due to recent changes, but the last trip I was there, it just felt like I was trying to find something that wasn't there anymore. Aside from all the recent changes made to unmagicalize WDW , the last time I visited it felt a bit strange/alien. I know many on these boards love the atmosphere and buzz as much as I do. The sound of people having fun, laughing, talking, the sounds of Disney in the background... all of that feed into the magical feel. As crowded as it was when I was there, it was strangely quiet. I mean, there's always noise, talking, etc., but it was much less than it used to be. And if you look around everyone is staring at their phones in a zombie-like state. People just seemed oblivious to their surroundings, and not talking to each other, not even in the same family. You just see moms and dads clicking the app to find FPs or whatever else, kids were on FB or other social media apps taking selfies or posting whatever, and other kids just playing shooting games on their phones. It wasn't like it once was even just 12 years ago where moms and dads told their kids to put phones away. Kids would swing from dad's arm, laughing, crying, whatever. There was physical interaction and families spending quality time together. Not just 4 people in the same group all staring at their phones. This wasn't just one family either. It was almost everyone (probably 60-80%) in every line I stood in. That's much less social interaction.

It felt like a microcosm of social decay in general, and it has infiltrated the WDW bubble. I know I shouldn't care about what other people are doing, but like I said... I've always loved the buzz of the parks listening to the sound of joy and fun. That was missing the last time I went. Then, add all of the most recent changes making people even more dependent on their phones. So sad.

And I struggle to understand those who question why people are complaining, but are still on these boards. Is anyone on here a fan of a professional sports team? When your favorite team is not good, you still love the team, talk to your friends about them, and complain about everything that's going wrong, players who su¢k, etc. You're not a fan if you just don't follow them in the bad times. That's what's going on here on the forums. People are airing their grievances with an ownership team that is raising ticket prices, and putting a terrible product on the field. Heck, they're not even maintaining the field anymore. If Disney ran a baseball team, when a foul post falls over in the outfield, first they'd make the teams play around it while they put caution tape around it, and eventually they'll stand it back up and lean it back against the upper deck until some later time. Maybe they'll even put a strobe light on it and make it the Disco Foul Post while it leans against the upper deck.

Just because a fan no longer goes to the park, purchases paraphernalia and does not throw money at the franchise experiences does not mean you are no longer a fan. Deep down a true fan will want to keep up on what is going on, what changes are occurring and specially what improvements are being made. If and when the product generated by the team improves to the level where the fan see's value in investing time and money the fan will be back in the park cheering. These boards are that last connection.

 

[Pepper's Ghost]

Just because a fan no longer goes to the park, purchases paraphernalia and does not throw money at the franchise experiences does not mean you are no longer a fan. Deep down a true fan will want to keep up on what is going on, what changes are occurring and specially what improvements are being made. If and when the product generated by the team improves to the level where the fan see's value in investing time and money the fan will be back in the park cheering. These boards are that last connection.

Yep, that's my point. I don't understand those who question criticizing Disney on these boards. Fans aren't blind, and don't have to have blind faith accepting all the bad moves, choices, investments. We can be fans waiting for the team to improve the franchise enough for us to want to return. That's what encourages a business to improve. Don't reward them for a bad product. For those that blindly return no matter what, more power to you. It just reminds me of Cubs fans through the bad years who were 1 of just 3,000 people in the stands watching a team that struggled to win 40 games per year. It was all the people who wouldn't buy the product that motivated the Cubs to win in 2016. Not the ones with blind faith. Just sayin'.

 

[WondersOfLife]

Really? Or were you joking?? Reminds me of the old folks no one pays attention to because every sentence stars with "back when I was young".

This past Easter my church challenged the congregation to give up "complaining " for Lent, we got plastic bracelets to wear as a reminder, we were supposed to "snap" our wrist when we realized we had been needless whining, I totally admit that the first day I lasted all of 30 minutes. I had to take a break from here when I realized just how many of the threads here are complaints.
All good, they make interesting reads

Not joking. What’s even more fascinating is I’m only 24. As a disney park addict who grew up recreating theme parks on roller coaster tycoon, watching numerous historical videos and ride throughs of past and present attractions on YouTube as a kid, among many other insanely fanatic things... I firmly stand by the fact that WDW is in an utter crap state of limbo right now.

...I stick around these forums to reminisce on what once was. Dramatic, sure. But everyone is crazy about one little thing in their lives. And if they’re not, they’ve gotta be pretty dull.

 

[LittleMerman]

There's no doubt that a WDW trip is very complicated, especially if you want to maximize your trip. You have to learn about all the tips and tricks, keep a lot of booking dates in mind, and the parks have become extremely overcrowded at almost all times. The most annoying part is that it's incredibly competitive and it feels disappointing when you don't get everything you tried to book - dining reservations, Genie+ selections, etc.

At the end of the day, I still have a blast there and will continue to go for life. But I often feel badly for people that aren't die-hard fans, like us, that don't know all the tips and tricks and everything. I wish it wasn't so tricky to book a vacation but to me it's still worth it. Maybe one day they'll come up with a better system to make everything more simple. Or perhaps they like the fact that by not getting every reservation we want, it keeps us coming back time and time again in hopes of booking those things next time.

 

[SBlake]

Cedar Point

Haven't made it out there yet but that's a bucket list park for me.