Changes in the last 2 years that burn your britches

Parker in NYC

Parker in NYC

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Is Disney different from the days of yore? Absolutely. We could all list hundreds of changes since our earliest visits. Thankfully, dear Martin gives us brilliant looks into the wonders of the past.

But focusing on just the last two years, I’ve seen changes that have repeatedly thrown my heart against the wall. Just the last 2 years. Yes there are changes all the time. WDW isn’t a museum. But I wanted to put all of my concerns in one place (asked and answered). I’m including presumably COVID-related things that I assume were on their last legs anyway:
  1. Illuminations: Reflections of Earth
  2. The Fountain of Nations
  3. The Harmonious barges destroying both the serenity of World Showcase and my views across the lagoon
  4. Impressions de France dwindling almost down to nothing
  5. Beauty and the Beast: LeFou’s Catastrophe
  6. Loss of the Great Movie Ride
  7. Gain of Minnie and Mickey’s Screen Spectacular
  8. The coming loss of Magical Express
  9. The coming loss of Splash Mountain for a ride that makes absolutely no sense in Frontierland (give me a better option and I MIGHT change my mind but pls don’t turn this into another thread about it)
  10. The removal of Extra Magic Hours
  11. The Riviera Marriott
  12. PRICES exponential for any recent era
  13. A lot of Galaxy’s Edge though I don’t miss the echoes of the decaying Backlot Tour
  14. Loss of Great Moments in History
  15. Rise of the Resistance’s operational nightmare
  16. THE PINK CASTLE
  17. DVC taking up more and more oxygen in the Disney machine
  18. The proliferation of Epcot festivals - more present than ever for longer and longer periods
  19. The Gran Destino Hyatt
  20. The Halloween Party beginning in August
  21. Club Cool
  22. The PeopleMover and its tenuous future
  23. The hopefully discarded joke of the Reflections Resident Inn (including this because god knows it could return)
  24. The loss of the lights on Cinderella Castle
  25. After hours holiday parties during after hours holiday parties
  26. The Electric Umbrella
  27. The ridiculous new “lands” arrangement at EPCOT
  28. Special limited-edition treats and the influencers who hock them
  29. The disrespect toward the Gran Fiesta Tour animatronics (they’re relics, yes, but deserve better)
  30. Muppets in Epcot (love them dearly but not in World Showcase)
  31. eBay reseller “entrepreneurs” who have gone more hardcore in the last 2 years than I have ever seen prior
  32. More and more YouTube streamers making the resort their soundstage
  33. The plight of Morocco
  34. If Finding Nemo: The Musical is truly gone forever
  35. MouseGear
  36. The FountainView
  37. The blight of the Skyliner mucking up the... sky
  38. Disney Springs and its continued banality
  39. GOTG Box
  40. Tron Box
But ask me how I really feel?
 
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JIMINYCR

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
Wow thats some list. My britches are burning hot too. I agree that many of the items there have been horrible, have changed WDW for the worse, were not necessary and did nothing to improve Disney. There are a very few items in there that I can accept begrudgingly.
You didnt say... but I hope theres still enough left in Disney that you can find to justify enjoying to warrant a visit. Of your list my top britches burners are 1, 6, 9, 10, 17, 31, 34, 35.
 
Parker in NYC

Parker in NYC

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
JIMINYCR said:
Wow thats some list. My britches are burning hot too. I agree that many of the items there have been horrible, have changed WDW for the worse, were not necessary and did nothing to improve Disney. There are a very few items in there that I can accept begrudgingly.
You didnt say... but I hope theres still enough left in Disney that you can find to justify enjoying to warrant a visit. Of your list my top britches burners are 1, 6, 9, 10, 17, 31, 34, 35.
Click to expand...
I’ll say this, the loss of Magical Express and EMH is making me question whether I should be paying for a moderate or deluxe room anymore. Hell, even the values are overpriced. It’s probably cheaper to stay off-site now and Uber in every day. I never thought I’d say it but Disney may have finally lost me at the resorts.
 
UNCgolf

UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
The hotels bother me the least, because while awful, I'm never going to stay there and I don't really ever have to see them so I can more or less ignore them.

That could easily change in the future as they build more, though.
 
networkpro

networkpro

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
People’s intuition is that learning more about a new acquaintance will lead to greater liking. In fact, on average, we like other people less the more we know about them.

“Hell is other people.” — Jean-Paul Sartre <- Magic Kingdom

“I only drink to make other people seem interesting” — George Jean Nathan <-Epcot
 
Parker in NYC

Parker in NYC

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
networkpro said:
People’s intuition is that learning more about a new acquaintance will lead to greater liking. In fact, on average, we like other people less the more we know about them.

“Hell is other people.” — Jean-Paul Sartre <- Magic Kingdom

“I only drink to make other people seem interesting” — George Jean Nathan <-Epcot
Click to expand...

I read George Jean Nathan every week. And Addison DeWitt every day.
 
JohnD

JohnD

Well-Known Member
ParkerLoLs said:
Is Disney different from the days of yore? Absolutely. We could all list hundreds of changes since our earliest visits. Thankfully, dear Martin gives us brilliant looks into the wonders of the past.

But focusing on just the last two years, I’ve seen changes that have repeatedly thrown my heart against the wall. Just the last 2 years. Yes there are changes all the time. WDW isn’t a museum. But I wanted to put all of my concerns in one place (asked and answered). I’m including presumably COVID-related things that I assume were on their last legs anyway:
  1. Illuminations: Reflections of Earth
  2. The Fountain of Nations
  3. The Harmonious barges destroying both the serenity of World Showcase and my views across the lagoon Some have called this a taco.
  4. Impressions de France dwindling almost down to nothing It's one show now, isn't it?
  5. Beauty and the Beast: LeFou’s Catastrophe ???
  6. Loss of the Great Movie Ride. It was getting long in the tooth.
  7. Gain of Minnie and Mickey’s Screen Spectacular. Better screen ride than Nemo in Epcot.
  8. The coming loss of Magical Express
  9. The coming loss of Splash Mountain for a ride that makes absolutely no sense in Frontierland (give me a better option and I MIGHT change my mind but pls don’t turn this into another thread about it) This has been discussed ad nauseum both why it's removed and why the specific replacement.
  10. The removal of Extra Magic Hours
  11. The Riviera Marriott
  12. PRICES exponential for any recent era
  13. A lot of Galaxy’s Edge though I don’t miss the echoes of the decaying Backlot Tour
  14. Loss of Great Moments in History
  15. Rise of the Resistance’s operational nightmare
  16. THE PINK CASTLE
  17. DVC taking up more and more oxygen in the Disney machine
  18. The proliferation of Epcot festivals - more present than ever for longer and longer periods. I called IT the Flower, Garden, Food, and Wine Festival of the Arts and Holidays.
  19. The Gran Destino Hyatt
  20. The Halloween Party beginning in August No party right now because of COVID. Hopefully later start when it returns.
  21. Club Cool
  22. The PeopleMover and its tenuous future
  23. The hopefully discarded joke of the Reflections Resident Inn (including this because god knows it could return)
  24. The loss of the lights on Cinderella Castle COVID. Hopefully will return.
  25. After hours holiday parties during after hours holiday parties
  26. The Electric Umbrella
  27. The ridiculous new “lands” arrangement at EPCOT
  28. Special limited-edition treats and the influencers who hock them
  29. The disrespect toward the Gran Fiesta Tour animatronics (they’re relics, yes, but deserve better)
  30. Muppets in Epcot (love them dearly but not in World Showcase) This goes back to age-old argument of any character. So BBQ is named after Sam Eagle. There are other characters around Epcot too.
  31. eBay reseller “entrepreneurs” who have gone more hardcore in the last 2 years than I have ever seen prior
  32. More and more YouTube streamers making the resort their soundstage
  33. The plight of Morocco
  34. If Finding Nemo: The Musical is truly gone forever COVID. Hopefully will return.
  35. MouseGear. What about it? Every park has a gift shop. If you're referring to the temporary location, I don't like it either. It's very antiseptic but something I would expect during construction. Now the Toy Story afterthought of a gift shop in the exit queue of TSMM mania. That is disgusting.
  36. The FountainView
  37. The blight of the Skyliner mucking up the... sky. Doesn't bother me as much as seeing Swolphin, the GOTG box, or the taco (already mentioned) disrupting Epcot view.
  38. Disney Springs and its continued banality
But ask me how I really feel?
Click to expand...

The GOTG box and the HarmoniUS taco. Other comments above in red.
 
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NickMaio

NickMaio

Well-Known Member
ParkerLoLs said:
I’ll say this, the loss of Magical Express and EMH is making me question whether I should be paying for a moderate or deluxe room anymore. Hell, even the values are overpriced. It’s probably cheaper to stay off-site now and Uber in every day. I never thought I’d say it but Disney may have finally lost me at the resorts.
Click to expand...
We have stayed off site for a few years now.....have not looked back since.
We probably wont. Magical express being canceled was the mail in the coffin.
It was a truly special way to start your WDW trip.

I think this is a very stupid move on WDW's part.
Time will tell.
 
Buck Wheelie

Buck Wheelie

Well-Known Member
I don't think it was on the OP's list but I'm going to say the Resort Parking Fee. That fee shows their greed to me and its ticked a lot of people off. They could have added that fee to the room price and most people probably wouldn't have notice. Now with ME going away they are probably counting on more parking fees coming in.
 
networkpro

networkpro

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
Fantasmik said:
But....what about the Space Mountain cabanas?! Give us those cabanas back!! ;)
For real though, yes, much of your list. We had actually already discussed staying off property at Universal whenever we may go back. Today very much sealed that (theoretical) deal.
Click to expand...

Good deal! Endless Summer vs Endless Lines....
 
"El Gran Magnifico"

"El Gran Magnifico"

Mr Flibble is Very Cross.
Premium Member
  • Adventurers Club
  • Horizons
  • Toad
  • GMR

Those are on the top of the list ride/attraction wise. However, chief on my burning britches list:

  • Overall maintenance of rides is lacking.

  • The nickel and dime approach with the addition of the parking fees (why could they not just absorbed that into the room rate?), the yearly food and beverage increases, and price increases.

  • The food quality has completely gone downhill. (I'm speaking more of the Disney owned locations).

  • The "cost cutting" is apparent and is very noticeable to repeat guests (this was pre-pandemic)

I think the thing that irks me the most can be summed up in this statement:

Disney no longer exceeds my expectations. It meets them. And in that being said, I've found my expectations have been significantly lowered for my recent past and future visits (again, this was true pre-pandemic). I view Disney now as: "It is what it is". No more "magic" - its just an entertaining theme park.
 
Chef Mickey

Chef Mickey

Well-Known Member
UNCgolf said:
The hotels bother me the least, because while awful, I'm never going to stay there and I don't really ever have to see them so I can more or less ignore them.

That could easily change in the future as they build more, though.
Click to expand...
Riviera is awful? Gran Destino?

I’m not saying any of them are the Ritz...they aren’t, but awful? The EPCOT resorts are too convenient to be awful, although they all need refurbs.
 

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