Breaking Points

[DavidDL]

So, lately I've been thinking a lot about my own breaking points regarding things happening around the resort. Right now I'm already at a point where I go to the parks less than I would have during my college years. But in fairness, I had the good fortune to be employed by the company during that time and have parents who were well off enough to afford annual passes before that.

So, I'm lucky enough to have experienced the parks more than some could ever dream to. That certainly factors into my current lack of a "need" to get there so often these days.

But what I've really been thinking about is; "when do I stop going?". I think I have an answer for myself. I don't currently have children but I think my answer would be "when I don't think this would be a worthwhile or enjoyable place to bring my children". I think we can debate endlessly what types of things we'd like to see inside Disneyland (specific directions for attractions, shows, etc.) but I think at it's core what Disneyland is supposed to be is, as Walt had originally envisioned; a place where children and their parents could go and have fun together.

So I suppose my breaking point would be looking at the parks and saying, "this wouldn't be fun for me or my kids". Like I said, I don't currently have kids of my own but I still try every now and again to look at the parks and pretend that I do. Is this a place I think is worth sharing with them? Will they have fun? -and if they do, will the amount of fun they have be enough for me to forgive whatever level I'm currently being taken advantage of by the company once inside? In other words; will I notice if things are bad? How intrusive would it be to my visit with a potential family?

I already shudder when I think about sticker shock just to get in. Right now it's just my wife and I. Not so bad if we really break it down and go sparingly. But what if I had a child or two? Right off the bat, the price just for us to get in the gate already would put us firmly into the "once in a great while" category. The situation inside I don't think is bad enough yet to fully scare me away completely in that scenario but there's no telling what the future could bring.

 

[Dear Prudence]

I think this upcoming trip to Disneyland will probably be my last trip to the US parks; I have never had an interest in Florida. Disneyland is becoming, well, less like Disneyland. A lot of the parks are falling apart--at this point, the ice cream machines at McDonald's are going to work again before the Indiana Jones boulder will. It's become less and less charming, more cost prohibitive, more IP oriented. Cast members aren't being paid any more or treated any better. I just don't feel like there is a way for me, personally, to ethically keep supporting the parks.

 

[smooch]

I think this upcoming trip to Disneyland will probably be my last trip to the US parks; I have never had an interest in Florida. Disneyland is becoming, well, less like Disneyland. A lot of the parks are falling apart--at this point, the ice cream machines at McDonald's are going to work again before the Indiana Jones boulder will. It's become less and less charming, more cost prohibitive, more IP oriented. Cast members aren't being paid any more or treated any better. I just don't feel like there is a way for me, personally, to ethically keep supporting the parks.

With the FTC investigating McDonalds for having their McFlurry machines down constantly it's sad that this might actually be true!

McDonald’s McFlurry Machine Is Broken (Again). Now the FTC Is On It.

The frequently malfunctioning equipment leads to a lawsuit and gets the federal antitrust agency involved.

www.wsj.com

 

[Dear Prudence]

With the FTC investigating McDonalds for having their McFlurry machines down constantly it's sad that this might actually be true!

McDonald’s McFlurry Machine Is Broken (Again). Now the FTC Is On It.

The frequently malfunctioning equipment leads to a lawsuit and gets the federal antitrust agency involved.

www.wsj.com

Disney will have no choice but to fix the bazillion dollar yeti at this point. Or maybe have the people who fix the McFlurry machines do it.

 

[Stevek]

With the FTC investigating McDonalds for having their McFlurry machines down constantly it's sad that this might actually be true!

McDonald’s McFlurry Machine Is Broken (Again). Now the FTC Is On It.

The frequently malfunctioning equipment leads to a lawsuit and gets the federal antitrust agency involved.

www.wsj.com

Our Ice Cream Machine is Broken....Every. Single. Time. Best part is being stuck in drive through and having no way out until everyone ahead of you gets their food.

 

[tagoofy]

I wouldn't consider Genie a breaking point for me personally. If there ever was such a thing as a breaking point for me, it would have occurred a long time ago when the place just got way too crowded for me. I've been on Pirates and Mansion enough times in my life that I really don't feel the need to go on them, or really any specific attractions if the lines are too long. What I do want and need from Disneyland though, is that laid back park atmosphere that has been missing for a decade or more now.

My hope was that the talk of reducing the crowds, and keeping admissions in check was that they could re-engineer the park experience as a whole: reduce the crowding in the walkways, free up the benches and tables at the restaurants, even keep the lines at the bathrooms down.

We have to wait and see what happens with Genie I guess. If the lack of Fastpass keeps people confined into attractions queues, maybe the nice quiet Disneyland will return. My feeling though is that by keeping the entrance admissions relatively low (and introducing the Key Holders), they would rather reap the benefits of keeping the park packed with people, and preventing access to the attractions themselves. That would just mean it's going to be harder to find an open bench.

I have to agree, maybe not on exactly the same points, but all of the "stuff" like price increases, nickels and dime, and a lot of other "straws on the camel's back" are not the biggest thing for me. It just does not "feel" the same the last few times. I'm especially concerned about the HUGH drawdown on street level entertainment. Even when I did not take the time to stop and watch or listen, it all added to the feel of the park. The last few times it felt much more like just walking from ride to ride, similar to any other amusement part. Having wiped out their talent pool, I fear that even if they wanted to (will they want to?) add back it might take years to get back to the quantity and quality of then entertainers, performers, and artisans they had that interacted more with us. Everything from the glass blower to the street performers to the world showcase players, etc...

 

[SplashGhost]

I feel like COVID helped put into perspective what is important for a lot of people including myself. While I still like Disneyland, it doesn't hold the same significance to me that it once did. There were bad changes pre-COVID, but they didn't hamper my enthusiasm for the parks that much. Now that COVID is over, the bad changes keep happening, and it is hard to really care as much about Disneyland anymore.

 

[mickEblu]

I feel like COVID helped put into perspective what is important for a lot of people including myself. While I still like Disneyland, it doesn't hold the same significance to me that it once did. There were bad changes pre-COVID, but they didn't hamper my enthusiasm for the parks that much. Now that COVID is over, the bad changes keep happening, and it is hard to really care as much about Disneyland anymore.

I was feeling the same way about a month ago and pretty much all summer. One bad change / negative news after another. Then I spontaneously went to the park last month and realized most of that stuff doesn’t really impact your visit. All of that stuff combined will never impact your day more than the weather, crowd levels or how long mobile ordering is taking. I’m willing to wait and see on the mobile ordering situation though. Maybe they’ll staff up now that federal unemployment is over and the holidays are coming. As of now I hate that they are basically forcing guests into using it by only having one register, if any, at most locations.

 

[truecoat]

Disney will have no choice but to fix the bazillion dollar yeti at this point. Or maybe have the people who fix the McFlurry machines do it.

EE goes down for an extended 4 month refurbishment in January but no Yeti fix.

 

[Dear Prudence]

I was always that person who wore their classic Mousketeer ears to the parks, and had every last shirt and outfit planned, down to the socks matching. Now I don't know if I want to be seen wearing the ears, even at the parks. I cannot get myself excited about my upcoming trip. I literally am dreading this upcoming trip. Everything that once made Disney magical and special (and I do not use those lightly) is now over saturated or not maintained. I can't stop thinking about how I have a trip in a few weeks, and I am not even remotely excited. I don't even want to go.

 

[SplashGhost]

I was feeling the same way about a month ago and pretty much all summer. One bad change / negative news after another. Then I spontaneously went to the park last month and realized most of that stuff doesn’t really impact your visit. All of that stuff combined will never impact your day more than the weather, crowd levels or how long mobile ordering is taking. I’m willing to wait and see on the mobile ordering situation though. Maybe they’ll staff up now that federal unemployment is over and the holidays are coming. As of now I hate that they are basically forcing guests into using it by only having one register, if any, at most locations.

I agree the parks are still fun, but the world as well as Disneyland just feels so different now.

 

[John park hopper]

I was always that person who wore their classic Mousketeer ears to the parks, and had every last shirt and outfit planned, down to the socks matching. Now I don't know if I want to be seen wearing the ears, even at the parks. I cannot get myself excited about my upcoming trip. I literally am dreading this upcoming trip. Everything that once made Disney magical and special (and I do not use those lightly) is now over saturated or not maintained. I can't stop thinking about how I have a trip in a few weeks, and I am not even remotely excited. I don't even want to go.

So why spend the money --better yet why are you giving money to Disney for something it sounds like you don't want to do

 

[Dear Prudence]

So why spend the money --better yet why are you giving money to Disney for something it sounds like you don't want to do

I have already paid for it and can't get my money back.

 

[John park hopper]

I have already paid for it and can't get my money back.

That really sucks

 

[Communicora]

I really don't like the non refundable nature of tickets. I had family that had medical emergencies this year and couldn't make our WDW trip, now we have extra tickets that expire, but no intention of going.

They are already linked to my account, since you have to do so to get park reservations, so now are no longer "transferrable".

That is a bummer. You would think they might make an exception in these "unprecedented times."

This is one reason why I think booking a package is a good idea for WDW. Then they are cancelable and refundable. This obviously won't work if you don't want to stay on property.

 

[drizgirl]

I really don't like the non refundable nature of tickets. I had family that had medical emergencies this year and couldn't make our WDW trip, now we have extra tickets that expire, but no intention of going.

They are already linked to my account, since you have to do so to get park reservations, so now are no longer "transferrable".

It's one of the reasons I prefer to book packages. Fully refundable until something like 30 days out.

 

[Dear Prudence]

I really don't like the non refundable nature of tickets. I had family that had medical emergencies this year and couldn't make our WDW trip, now we have extra tickets that expire, but no intention of going.

They are already linked to my account, since you have to do so to get park reservations, so now are no longer "transferrable".

and, truth be told, I NEVER thought that I would be someone who DIDN'T want to go to Disneyland. Disney is just too unethical for me to keep supporting. Everything at the parks is cheap, ugly, and broken. What they did to the AEA cast members of Frozen and the Magic Map is honestly unspeakable. I think a lot of the dread comes from knowing this is probably my last-ever trip to any of the US parks, indefinitely. We've actually had a couple of issues with our tickets (they won't give us a refund, but want us to upgrade)--their customer service is also now absolutely garbage! So, basically, I am going because I spent the money already, can't get it back, and try to enjoy it for what it is.