That’s not an excuse, it’s an indictment of the sad state of WDW’s attraction roster.
At one point in time, there was a reasonable argument that the 3 non-MK parks made up for their lack of rides with their other experiences: hands-on technology exhibits and cultural experiences in Epcot, live stage shows and demonstrations in MGM, and the animal exhibits in DAK. However, given their lack of investment over the years and slow but steady removal, it leaves the parks without enough to do to make them a pleasant experience.
- Nearly all of Epcot’s experiential pre-shows, post-shows, and hands-on exhibit areas have been slowly eliminated over the last 25 years. While the number of rides is roughly the same (albeit with a far shorter total ride time), there’s not nearly as much for guests to do before, after, and between those rides. Additionally, it seems like the cultural representatives have less time for genuine interactions and are instead merely accessories to the constant clutter of outdoor kiosks selling alcohol at every turn
- Studios is still running major stage shows that debuted during the HW Bush administration. The newest production is an “temporary” sing along that was hastily added (and feels like it!) nearly a decade ago. Additionally, nearly all of the behind-the-scenes demonstrations and atmosphere entertainment have been eliminated. While live entertainment was once the park’s defining feature, it’s now a collection of creaky old shows that people use to kill time when the waits are too long elsewhere, rather than anything that guests actively seek out
- While the animal exhibits at DAK are great, I don’t believe any have been added to the park (though individual species occasionally get rotated in/out) since the 1999 Asia expansion, when the park was unapologetically a half-day experience. Sure, it’s gotten some new rides this this millennium, but the only reason it currently takes a full day to experience everything is because of the long waits for attractions due to the park being overcrowded
And while these parks fare better than MK, that park only looks good in comparison to them; 50 years on, it’s still underbuilt for the level of crowds it routinely gets, and lags behind its west coast sister by about 8 rides (AKA, an entire park’s worth of rides by WDW standards - DAK). It also needs more to do, which can easily be seen by comparing wait times at similar attractions on the two coasts.
Like it or not, most people go to theme parks to ride rides. And for how long they’ve been open, how many guests they let into the parks each day, how few non-ride attractions they have, and how old nearly every attraction (of all types) is, all of WDW’s parks are simply lacking things to do. It’s not just one or two items needed per park, it’s a major deficit across the board.
