Am I The Lucky One?

[real mad hatter]

Hatter - I'll NEVER fault anyone for being positive or how they want to direct that positivity (ie spend their money). To each his own.
I've got a pretty positive attitude toward life in general, grateful for all that I have, etc. etc. although I slip up with the occasional complaint here and there
Same goes for WDW - I LOVE the place. I've had too many great memories to count and every penny I've spent as an adult has been absolutely worth it.
However I also don't fault the "Doom and Gloomers" here -- because what @raven24 said was SPOT ON - I think that crew loves WDW just as much as the "Pixie Dusters' ...even (dare I say) more!

Me? I think I fall right in the middle. I notice all the things that are wrong at the World..and I remember when it was "WHAT IT WAS" ...and I'm upset that the parks are in the state they are today....but fo right now? The value still outweighs what's wrong with the place. Bottom line? The mouse keeps getting my money every year and when I'm finally fed up to the point I can't take it anymore, I'll express my dissatisfaction with my wallet.

In the meantime Hatter I say to you: "Stay gold Ponyboy"

. Cheers Shookie,I agree with you,unfortunately I never knew the golden period,tho Iam loving it at this moment,long may it continue.

 

[real mad hatter]

I'm with you, Hatter. For a while now, I've been thinking there should be a forum specifically for those who want to complain/criticize/rip stuff apart- and then the rest of the forums can be left alone to discuss Disney magic, trip planning and other topics that make us happy instead of frustrated.

I came on the forums to be more informed about what's going on, to plan better trips, share a common love of Disney and help others do the same. It seems like so many of the threads get weighed down with negativity and quite frankly I find it really frustrating!

Granted, I respect that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, so I don't pick fights- but if we all love Disney, which is why we are here in the first place, we should be able to enjoy and celebrate all the good things *more often* than we complain about the bad. I'm headed to WDW in only a few weeks and I am determined to have the best vacation ever. Will stuff go wrong? Sure! Will it be perfect? Nope. But "normal" days are never perfect either. If I write a trip report (still on the fence) I will be choosing to celebrate the positives rather than complaining about the negatives.

real mad hatter- Thank you for always being such a positive voice around here, we need more people like you!

Totally agree with your comments,everybody has different views and many compare "The golden era" to today's. I missed out on that " Era" but I'am loving the one at the moment.

 

[marni1971]

Here we go...Longer park hours. like 0800 till 3.00 isn't long enough..Better choice of food.. Your spoilt where you live then...New ideas.. Fantasyland??? More shopping.. Tell my DW that..Downtown Disney alone has her shopping till dropping.

Your last two posts answer your own question. Glad you're enjoying parks-lite.

 

[real mad hatter]

Your last two posts answer your own question. Glad you're enjoying parks-lite.

What was my question again?

 

[sgtmgd]

I don't see you as being lucky. Just unaware of the problems at the resort.

When people complain, it's because they love the place so darn much, and they want to see it in its best shape. That's it. They don't hate the place. In fact, they love it to death.

You haven't seen complaining or "doom and gloomers" until you've met the Disneyland community. I was on MiceChat the other day and someone was ed off that the schedule for New Years (or something like that) wasn't holiday themed. People were even complaining about the Golden Horseshoe Revue.

I know you have an adoration for WDW, Hatter, but when things are blatantly wrong and it's dead in your face, like the sad state of Splash and Maelstrom, or anything else, we shouldn't be getting irritated when one speaks up about it. Walt Disney held a standard for Disneyland, when he was alive, and that standard should still be held for all the other Disney theme parks around the world. No ifs, ands or buts about it.

I'm actually grateful for people reporting this stuff. I've held off a first time visit to WDW because of the state its in right now. This is a good thing, as I don't want to have a bad and negative first impression.

Dont take this the wrong way...I respect your opinion..right up to the point that I see you've never been to WDW. Full disclouser on my part...Ive been dozens of times...including twice last year..and two trips in the hopper for this year. You wont satisfy everyone no matter how many things are refurbished...I rode slash mountain several times last year and yes there are things that need repair..but in no way did I ever feel like I just wasted my time or effort to ride it. I hadnt seen that hte Golden Horseshoe Review was being utilized for anything other than an overflow lunch /dinner spot. I'm always amused by the Walt wouldnt let this or that happen..but I certainly remember being at Disney in the early days with seversal attractions like 20,000 Leagues that were down...or Space Mountain in the early days had multiple issues. Ive been when the POTC and Haunted Mansion were down. These things will always irk people in the parks that day as it costs alot for those experiences but its the nature of the beast. Disney will never be 100% pristine..people who expect that or something even close than that are being unrealistic. By and large unless you go to Disney "wanting" a poor experience and are just one of those people who want to complain then you will never enjoy what the Disney experience is and thats a shame. You should book your first trip to WDW spen a few days exploring what WDW has to offer and then comment on how you feel, not to comment to someone that has been several times like Hatter about the state of the parks and you've never been there. Disney isnt for everyone..I certainly dont agree with all decisions made or that no e-ticket rides have been added to the parks in recent memory, but that certainly wont stop me from enjoying the 2 trips I have booked this year.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Dont take this the wrong way...I respect your opinion..right up to the point that I see you've never been to WDW. Full disclouser on my part...Ive been dozens of times...including twice last year..and two trips in the hopper for this year. You wont satisfy everyone no matter how many things are refurbished...I rode slash mountain several times last year and yes there are things that need repair..but in no way did I ever feel like I just wasted my time or effort to ride it. I hadnt seen that hte Golden Horseshoe Review was being utilized for anything other than an overflow lunch /dinner spot. I'm always amused by the Walt wouldnt let this or that happen..but I certainly remember being at Disney in the early days with seversal attractions like 20,000 Leagues that were down...or Space Mountain in the early days had multiple issues. Ive been when the POTC and Haunted Mansion were down. These things will always irk people in the parks that day as it costs alot for those experiences but its the nature of the beast. Disney will never be 100% pristine..people who expect that or something even close than that are being unrealistic. By and large unless you go to Disney "wanting" a poor experience and are just one of those people who want to complain then you will never enjoy what the Disney experience is and thats a shame. You should book your first trip to WDW spen a few days exploring what WDW has to offer and then comment on how you feel, not to comment to someone that has been several times like Hatter about the state of the parks and you've never been there. Disney isnt for everyone..I certainly dont agree with all decisions made or that no e-ticket rides have been added to the parks in recent memory, but that certainly wont stop me from enjoying the 2 trips I have booked this year.

Thank you for commenting. The thing is, I didn't say I NEVER, EVER wanted to go to WDW. I said I don't want to go, as of right now. Believe it or not, I'm still planning a trip. I'm thinking 2016 or later. I want the Mine Train to be open when I go. That doesn't open until 2014. Something is happening in 2015 here where I live, so that's why I'm thinking 2016. I've said it once and I'll say it again; first impressions are everything.

 

[Stevek]

I was about to post something very similar to the OP so I'm glad this came up. We are Disneyland locals and have only made 2 trips to WDW, Feb 2006 and Nov/Dec 2010. Both times, I noticed nothing wrong with any of the parks (other than higher than expected crowds in 2010...touring plans was way off) and thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of our trip. Our first trip we stayed at AKL and loved it. That being said, we didn't spend a ton of time in our room so that aspect became much less important to us when we planned our 2010 trip. Consequently, we stayed at POP and and had a great experience. Yes, the rooms were smaller but totally worked for our family of 4. And the food court was perfect for our pre-park breakfasts. We visited every park and multiple resorts and at no time did we see anything that appeared to be malfunctioning or in disrepair.

I wonder if it has really gone as far downhill in the past 2 years as many make it appear. Granted, we have a limited data set for comparisons. The issues with the Tree of Life and Splash Mountain are troubling and hopefully aren't a sign of things to come as we are planning on going back in 2015. And things like the Yeti didn't bother me as I never experienced it in it's fully functioning manner. That doesn't excuse it not being fixed but my guess is that it's current state doesn't diminish the experience of the average guest. The only other negative was dining. We pretty much ate everywhere we wanted but getting times were a bit challenging as we booked our trip inside the standard booking window. Consequently, many of the restaurants were booked up. We actually had better experiences just walking up and waiting for a very short time to be seated. Again, our experiences have been good but I've never been one of those that overanalyzes every aspect (lightbulb out, chipped paint, etc) to the point it ruins my visits.

 

[real mad hatter]

Well Stevek,from Southern California ( love San Diego by the way ) have been going since 2004, every two years,and I haven't seen any major problems.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Why do the happy campers keep chuntering on about ruined trips? Surely such a happy all is right in the World crew can appreciate that it is possible to notice things wrong but still have a good time? But then like all zealots perhaps they just cant stand to see their faith challenged.

Its funny that both Hatter and I come from the same place, Im just not from the part you marry your cousin or livestock.

 

[Stevek]

Why do the happy campers keep chuntering on about ruined trips? Surely such a happy all is right in the World crew can appreciate that it is possible to notice things wrong but still have a good time? But then like all zealots perhaps they just cant stand to see their faith challenged.

Of course there are people that notice the bad but still have a great time. I'm more challenged by the people that notice the bad, constantly harp on how bad it is but still keep going back for more. I certainly wouldn't keep throwing dollars at Disney if everytime I went I was let down.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Of course there are people that notice the bad but still have a great time. I'm more challenged by the people that notice the bad, constantly harp on how bad it is but still keep going back for more. I certainly wouldn't keep throwing dollars at Disney if everytime I went I was let down.

Disney? I thought it was WDW that we were talking about?

 

[The Empress Lilly]

I was about to post something very similar to the OP so I'm glad this came up. We are Disneyland locals and have only made 2 trips to WDW, Feb 2006 and Nov/Dec 2010. Both times, I noticed nothing wrong with any of the parks (other than higher than expected crowds in 2010...touring plans was way off) and thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of our trip. Our first trip we stayed at AKL and loved it. That being said, we didn't spend a ton of time in our room so that aspect became much less important to us when we planned our 2010 trip. Consequently, we stayed at POP and and had a great experience. Yes, the rooms were smaller but totally worked for our family of 4. And the food court was perfect for our pre-park breakfasts. We visited every park and multiple resorts and at no time did we see anything that appeared to be malfunctioning or in disrepair.

I wonder if it has really gone as far downhill in the past 2 years as many make it appear. Granted, we have a limited data set for comparisons. The issues with the Tree of Life and Splash Mountain are troubling and hopefully aren't a sign of things to come as we are planning on going back in 2015. And things like the Yeti didn't bother me as I never experienced it in it's fully functioning manner. That doesn't excuse it not being fixed but my guess is that it's current state doesn't diminish the experience of the average guest. The only other negative was dining. We pretty much ate everywhere we wanted but getting times were a bit challenging as we booked our trip inside the standard booking window. Consequently, many of the restaurants were booked up. We actually had better experiences just walking up and waiting for a very short time to be seated. Again, our experiences have been good but I've never been one of those that overanalyzes every aspect (lightbulb out, chipped paint, etc) to the point it ruins my visits.

For me, the turning point is 1994. This is when the Epcotalypse started. This is the time that marked the difference between the beautifully build parks DHS (1989) and DLP (1992), and the underwhelming parks of after 1994: Paris Studios, DCA, DAK. 1994 is the turning poitn after which the MK was turned into an infantile cartoon kingdom. Etc.

Personally, I've never really cared much about lightbulbs and mould and chipped paint. No, my gripe is about the destruction of a stylish, classy, sometimes even surprisingly sophisticated and elegant vacation resort. Destroyed by a horde of vandals, who turned it into a tacky, garish, abrassive experience, trailer trash and chav central.

WDW is still great. I still have a magical time. But I know what is missing.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Totally agree with your comments,everybody has different views and many compare "The golden era" to today's. I missed out on that " Era" but I'am loving the one at the moment.

Meh, we all have to take the world as it is. No point in obsessing about other people's Golden Ages. You only know current WDW, and you love that, so no need to be apologetic about it. It is the WDW as it is presented to you, as it is part of your life.

Me, I've never seen the golden age of Rome, or the Paris of the nineteenth century, or Renaissance Florence. I still love those places. What's it to me that the history books say they were once the light of the world? I live now, in the 21st century, I appreciate them for what they are now.

 

[bethymouse]

Hatter- you're the best!
I have to admit this past trip (stayed at POLY) I noticed a few flaws with the resort itself ( I believe they're working on this) and some dirty seats in theater attractions as well as some needed paint jobs. This trip ( 2012) was not as expected. I guess I hyped up the POLY a bit too much. The room itself was just OK. The resort grounds are still beautiful, and the convenience of the monorail can't be beat!
It is getting a bit expensive for our tastes since we no longer prefer value/moderate resorts ( spoiled rotten). We will have to limit our trips to every other year. So, our next trip will be late 2014 and we hope to enjoy the fullness of the new FL w/ the mine train as well as the "new" TT. I wish we could go in 2013, but maybe we'll appreciate it more if we don't go every year.

 

[ddbowdoin]

so... I'm 27 (almost 28, end of month) and I went to Disney as a child in 1993, twice in 1997, and once in 1998. At the time I certainly enjoyed Disney but it wasn't anything I remember, mainly because my parents brought us down as "the thing parents do". I remember certain experiences, but as a whole they are slightly dim memories. I took a 12 year break from Disney... and one day my wife (then girlfriend) and I were laying in bed thinking of a fun vacation. We just randomly thought Disney... why not!

and here I am now... May 2010, March 2011, July 2012, March 2013, June 2013... I am now a full on Disney nerd.

but I never experienced the world like some of the older members here, I don't look at the gates now with a retrospective perception. Are things perfect, no... far from it, but there is a lot of negativity that I feel comes from nit picking. I think its terrible when an attraction goes down, and lets say due to time constraints you don't get to ride Splash or Space... but when a park runs this many days in a row for this amount of time it's a major feat they only go down as much as they do.

This is a younger fans perspective... at least for me.

 

[Britt]

so... I'm 27 (almost 28, end of month) and I went to Disney as a child in 1993, twice in 1997, and once in 1998. At the time I certainly enjoyed Disney but it wasn't anything I remember, mainly because my parents brought us down as "the thing parents do". I remember certain experiences, but as a whole they are slightly dim memories. I took a 12 year break from Disney... and one day my wife (then girlfriend) and I were laying in bed thinking of a fun vacation. We just randomly thought Disney... why not!

and here I am now... May 2010, March 2011, July 2012, March 2013, June 2013... I am now a full on Disney nerd.

but I never experienced the world like some of the older members here, I don't look at the gates now with a retrospective perception. Are things perfect, no... far from it, but there is a lot of negativity that I feel comes from nit picking. I think its terrible when an attraction goes down, and lets say due to time constraints you don't get to ride Splash or Space... but when a park runs this many days in a row for this amount of time it's a major feat they only go down as much as they do.

This is a younger fans perspective... at least for me.

Had no idea we are the same age! And seriously, that's how our first trip came about! Laying in bed around 1 am, wondering about a possible vacation and it hit us!!! And 4 months later, we're there!!!

 

[ddbowdoin]

Had no idea we are the same age! And seriously, that's how our first trip came about! Laying in bed around 1 am, wondering about a possible vacation and it hit us!!! And 4 months later, we're there!!!

I'll still remember how it came to be... it was about 3 in the afternoon, a little siesta, and I had never stayed on property, she always stayed on property. We eased our way in, stayed offsite, and while we had a great time we basically decided driving daily to the gates took away from the magic. We then started staying on property and now we can't leave!

 

[Mrs.Minnie]

I happen to agree with you completely, Hatter. I met someone recently who was in the parks the same time I was this past October. I brought up how funny I thought it was that there were people everywhere, but all of the wait times for every ride we did were never longer than fifteen to twenty minutes. I assumed he had a similar experience. Instead, he frowned and said he must have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, because he waited at least an hour for everything. And that's not to say all of my experiences have been peaches and creme. Of course I've had rides break down. Once, I was on TSWNAF at the end for thirty-five minutes. By the time the ride started again, I had "The Big Blue World" memorized!
But it isn't just about the rides.

I don't know who it was, but I loved the quote someone said earlier, where they said they hadn't been since 2007, but would still give anything to see a broken yeti, or run down splash mountain. I agree completely. Even if every ride was broken, beat up, or not as good as it was when it was in it's prime, I would still hop a plane and be in the World tomorrow. The experience I have had every single time I have gone is what makes it a trip to remember. And what makes me miss it when I'm at home. And what makes my DH and I whine like toddlers at every commercial we see and say "I wanna go baaaaaack!"

 

[wdwfan22]

Hatter you are not alone, my family and I have been going since the place began and it's just as magical now as it was then. Nothing is perfect in life, but it's still a magical place and my family and I will continue to visit just as many other families will from around the globe.

 

[LittleBrownJug]

Well Stevek,from Southern California ( love San Diego by the way ) have been going since 2004, every two years,and I haven't seen any major problems.

Just a different point of view to maybe thingk about...
What about those of us who are annual passholding locals who visit a few times a week ( some are more even) who have been slowly watching things fall apart? If you don't see it often then it dims in your mind usually. But if you see it all the time then the pieces falling apart are VERY noticeable.....