Cancel or not?

graphite1326

Well-Known Member
Hello all,after watching this sight for the last 2 months I am wondering should we go? I grew up watching WDW being built and have spent many hours there.But we haven't been in 8 years.I had our trip on my "Bucket List" to stay in the Contemporary Hotel and do WDW.But it sounds so regimented and not "Walt" like.Is it really that bad?I have booked 5 nights at the Contemporary (10/8-10/13).Has WDW changed or have the people going changed.WDW has always been my best memories.
Since you are going about the same time I am; yes please cancel. Less crowded for me.

Seriously; I am just as guilty as a lot of people here. I guess we all have our favorites and when Disney changes things we get upset. But I keep going and always have a great time. Honestly, if things didn't change we would just get bored with WDW AND we wouldn't have anything to comment about on here.

GO, do as much planning that still makes it fun and have a great time.
 
Hello all,after watching this sight for the last 2 months I am wondering should we go? I grew up watching WDW being built and have spent many hours there.But we haven't been in 8 years.I had our trip on my "Bucket List" to stay in the Contemporary Hotel and do WDW.But it sounds so regimented and not "Walt" like.Is it really that bad?I have booked 5 nights at the Contemporary (10/8-10/13).Has WDW changed or have the people going changed.WDW has always been my best memories.
I went on a rant a few weeks ago after we spent a three week vacation. Although we were incredibly disappointed in some aspects such as SOARIN, Disney still has more positive than negative. The best advice I could give is to plan plan and plan. It is something that we did not have to do in the past going mid jan to mid feb but now with the crowds is necessary. Ps the reason some people rant is because they love the place so much and want to see Walts vision of , Quality will always win out!
 

disney4life2008

Well-Known Member
Lol you would actually cancel something based of other people's opinions. Maybe you shouldn't go. If i followed what other people said i wouldn't be able to enjoy anything. While Disney is no where like it was 10 years ago, the product is still there. Just expect a lot more people all the time.
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
We will be driving to WDW so we will have a car.Are you saying drive to the other parks?There is free,available parking?Wow that might be the way to go.Thank you.
That is correct. It is free parking in the parks for someone staying onsite. You don't need it for MK if you are at the Contemporary because of the monorail and because it is a very short walk to MK. You can also take the monorail to Epcot, but that means switching trains at the Transportation Center. If riding the monorail there isn't something that really excites you then you have less hassle with your car. DHS is a boat from Epcot, but, a good time to use a use from your hotel. AK is a no brainer... take your car. I stayed at POP once and used the bus for MK once. Never did it again for more then one reason. The biggest was that I had always entered MK via TTC and ride the ferry over for something different. There was a giant hole in my experience without that anticipatory trip to MK. BTW, if you do take the monorail from the Contemporary to MK you have a 20 minute ride around Seven Seas Lagoon as opposed to a five minute walk.

I didn't use the bus transportation again after that first sardine experience at the end of the day. But that is just me. I would have had a car even if I rented one (which I did) because I love, love, love the things that there are to see just off the property. (On the positive side, during that ride back from MK I managed to win 15 Disney stickers from the driver for answering Disney trivia questions that he asked in route.:)
 

disney4life2008

Well-Known Member
If you are looking for magical moments, forget it as well. The most you will get now is a happy birthday or a smile. I think i was just negative lol but it's so true.

One more thing, don't expect clean bathrooms. I was at Hollywood Studios yesterday and the bathroom was in horrible condition. It wasn't even that crowded last night yet the stall had no paper. If there has been one mistep at Disney it has been in janitorial services at the parks and resorts.
 
The most negativity is coming from those who want things to be just as it was back when. Thats not realistic in any world. Having been away for 8 years, youre in for a different Disney with some thrilling improvements. Sure there are more numbers of guests, more competition for dining, more advanced planning needed .... but with those things, there are many more opportunities to enjoy your trip as never before as long as you go into it informed and prepared. Dont think for a minute a trip to WDW will be less magical than you are hoping for.
Respectfully disagree, things should change after a period of time, but its about the quality of what the replacement is, that's what most of the negativity is about that I read.
 

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
Respectfully disagree, things should change after a period of time, but its about the quality of what the replacement is, that's what most of the negativity is about that I read.

I agree that theres a lot of negativity towards quality related to replacements. But reading the negative posts they mostly slam crowded conditions.. ( before you could walk on rides ), having to make advanced dining.... (before you could walk up and get a table anytime of the day), FP and FP+.... ( once they arrived it bottled up standby lines and increased wait times), everything needs to be planned.... ( before it was spontaneous, no plans needed for a trip). And then you get the other complaints about lack of maintennance, trash, chipped paint, blown lightbulbs... theres an endless list of things to complain about.
 

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
Respectfully disagree, things should change after a period of time, but its about the quality of what the replacement is, that's what most of the negativity is about that I read.
The question is what determines quality. Is it design of the outside/inside? Is it the technical advancement of the new things? Is it whether or not one likes the topics? What constitutes quality, because if you judge everything by technology I am hard pressed to remember the quality of attractions 10, 20, 30 years ago as being as spectacular as it is today. The looks of the external units are still better then they were "back in the day". If it is that the detail in the cues are not as plentiful, again in spite of the fact that Disney has done everything they can to limit exposure to that detail by pushing FP as hard as they do so they could rush people through as fast as possible, thus missing that detail, I don't see it missing. They have added detail to many queues only to be disapproved by the people that cannot accept anything new. I was there in 1983 and I was there a little over once per year since then and no one can pinpoint what is no longer quality? It is in many ways just silly talk.

What was breath taking years ago about a Disney park was that it was something basically new. It wasn't done that way before. It was new and impressive. Now we expect everything to be a level basically almost unattainable because we have grown bored with what we see there and expect the impossible.
 

FettFan

Well-Known Member
Respectfully disagree, things should change after a period of time, but its about the quality of what the replacement is, that's what most of the negativity is about that I read.

BINGO

Think about it this way.....Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is an iconic ride and a must-do for anyone at DHS.
But let's say that Disney decides to end its contract with Viacom/CBS to use the Twilight Zone intellectual property and strip all of the TZ from the attraction.
Would the Tower of Terror still hold up as a premium haunted thrill attraction with minimal changes? YES.
In fact, the ToT exists in Japan as the "Hightower Hotel"....same great attraction, but with an original storyline. Instead of the Twilight Zone zapping a load of hotel guests into another dimension, this story features a cursed idol zapping the robber-baron-esque hotel owner.
180
DisneySea_Tower.jpg


So, when Disney cancelled its Viacom contract for California Adventure, this was surely the route they would go, right?

NOPE! Put the Guardians of the Galaxy in that thing. Because Disney just bought Marvel and needed to hurry up and capitalize it, despite the fact that it makes NO CONCEIVABLE SENSE in a park called "CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE".

"But Fett", I can hear you saying, "Why are you upset with GotG and not Carsland? Didn't Disney do the same thing when they bought Pixar?"
To which I say....Carsland actually makes sense! It fits the overall California-centric theme of the park by incorporating "California Crazy" architecture with the geography of the southwestern USA.
 

eliza61nyc

Well-Known Member
BINGO

Think about it this way.....Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is an iconic ride and a must-do for anyone at DHS.
But let's say that Disney decides to end its contract with Viacom/CBS to use the Twilight Zone intellectual property and strip all of the TZ from the attraction.
Would the Tower of Terror still hold up as a premium haunted thrill attraction with minimal changes? YES.
In fact, the ToT exists in Japan as the "Hightower Hotel"....same great attraction, but with an original storyline. Instead of the Twilight Zone zapping a load of hotel guests into another dimension, this story features a cursed idol zapping the robber-baron-esque hotel owner.
180
DisneySea_Tower.jpg


Why are you upset with GotG and not Carsland? Didn't Disney do the same thing when they bought Pixar?"
To which I say....Carsland actually makes sense! It fits the overall California-centric theme of the park by incorporating "California Crazy" architecture with the geography of the southwestern USA.


But why does every thing have to "match". what are we still doing the purse must match the shoes thing. Personally I think they should stick a Wakanda somewhere while Black panther is hot. I guess I'm not riding the "purist" train that every thing has to conform. A good ride is a good ride IMO.
Not like I go into Norway and ride Frozen and all of a sudden I stop believing it was "norway". I'm not that literal.
 

Jeff456

Well-Known Member
It's still absolutely worth going... A lot has changed from even when I started going in the late 90s but I still don't think there is anything that can top it for what it is. There's plenty of new attractions that you'll be able to experience.
 

danlb_2000

Premium Member
But why does every thing have to "match". what are we still doing the purse must match the shoes thing. Personally I think they should stick a Wakanda somewhere while Black panther is hot. I guess I'm not riding the "purist" train that every thing has to conform. A good ride is a good ride IMO.
Not like I go into Norway and ride Frozen and all of a sudden I stop believing it was "norway". I'm not that literal.

Because one of the things that set's Disney apart from run-of-the-mill amusement parks is the attention to thematic details. If you just started throwing random attractions together, the attractions themselves would still be good, but it would hurt the overall experience. At Disney the whole experience is better then the sum of it's parts.
 

Demeter Tess

Well-Known Member
Hello all,after watching this sight for the last 2 months I am wondering should we go? I grew up watching WDW being built and have spent many hours there.But we haven't been in 8 years.I had our trip on my "Bucket List" to stay in the Contemporary Hotel and do WDW.But it sounds so regimented and not "Walt" like.Is it really that bad?I have booked 5 nights at the Contemporary (10/8-10/13).Has WDW changed or have the people going changed.WDW has always been my best memories.
Please do not seriously allow these forums to deter you from taking a trip to Walt Disney World! The negativity here seems overwhelming at times, but you have to remember that folks on the internet are more apt to complain about something than rave about it. My husband and I are lucky enough to visit WDW every 2-3 months and we enjoy watching the continued evolution of the parks. There is always something new to see or do (or eat!), and the changes are what make it worth going back again and again. You are going to have a MAGICAL time!

- Lauren
 

KAY823

New Member
I would go. You will be happy about some things and disappointed by others that are gone or worn. Even though it is Disney, the outside world creeps in with the diminished customer service and lack of attention to detail and cleanliness that you may be expecting. Values have changed in society and managers and staff are products of our society. We just returned from a week at Coronado Springs and the customer service was terrible from the front desk. When I ask a question, I like a verbal response, not someone shaking the head, for example. Anyway, it is what you make it and just don’t let things annoy you. It is vacation and I feel fortunate to be able to take one.
 

LUVofDIS

Well-Known Member
I have been going on and off to WDW since 94. Much has changed, some for the worse, but I think much of it for the better. I am not in total agreement with the current management decisions but WDW it still an amazing place. Wonderment can still be found around every corner.

Your vacation will be what you make it. The time you are going maybe a little crowded, the weather should be warm to slightly hot. That coming from someone who lives in Michigan. The Halloween Parties should be in full swing. I think it will be magical.

As for transportation, you have the monorail to the MK and EPCOT, the buses to the rest. The buses from resorts like the Contemporary should be fairly nice. We normally stay at the Swan or Dolphin and the buses are exceptional. Buses at POP, The Art of Animation or All-Stars are a little less reliable in my opinion.

Hollywood is a little thin right now but it still has some of the best attractions for me. AK is wonderful with a solid line up for a whole day. Though I am curious to see what happens with Flights of Wonder (one of my favorites). EPCOT is whatever you want it to be, I love it personally. The MK is the MK, it still has many of its iconic attractions and some cool newer ones.

I probably got off base, If you loved WDW years ago I think you will still love it. It is a very dynamic place. You may find new adventures that you love more than the old ones, you will probably be sad when you see new mediocre attractions in place of old amazing ones, I am looking at you The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

All-in-all YOU SHOULD GO!!! Sorry got a little emotional.

Cheers
 

FettFan

Well-Known Member
Because one of the things that set's Disney apart from run-of-the-mill amusement parks is the attention to thematic details. If you just started throwing random attractions together, the attractions themselves would still be good, but it would hurt the overall experience. At Disney the whole experience is better then the sum of it's parts.

Bingo.

Six Flags, Busch Gardens, Cedar Point, Kennywood, Dollywood, and Silver Dollar City are all fine day trips if you've got the $50 for admission and a free Saturday. They're all wonderful amusement parks.

But Disney is supposed to be superior to the common amusement park, and for years the "Disney Difference" was such a high mark of achievement that their biggest competitor (Universal) actually studied everything that they had done in order to create parks that had the exact same attention to detail and theming.

Rest assured, if it weren't for Walt Disney loudly complaining about a Frontierland cast member in uniform walking across Tomorrowland to get to his work station ("Why is there a cowboy in the future?"), we'd never have the immersive Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
 

WondersOfLife

Blink, blink. Breathe, breathe. Day in, day out.
33 isn't "old".
I'm sorry you were directly offended by my post. If it isn't old, then you should know whether or not I was addressing you. At least you know you're one of the grumpy people. Otherwise you wouldn't have bothered to think twice about my post! Good for you!
 

Dutch Inn '76

Well-Known Member
Of course it's worth going. ...and absolutely stay in the Contemporary (if you're in the tower). The monorail outside of your door is incredible. The front of Epcot is diminished from 10-20 years ago, but it is being addressed. Hollywood Studios is in flux right now. The World Showcase, Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom are all better than they've ever been right now.
 

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