Disney forcing us to $pend even more at their re$ort$

[Copper789]

Well Disney has lost a whole family. After 30 trips since 1976, many times going to celebrate, this whole family of 11(grandparents, grandkids, their parents) are through. All we see is a money grab. My husband use to think it was reasonably priced but not anymore.

 

[Former Visitor]

Disney has become a Giant Mess. How can anyone enjoy themself? Disney was built on the backs of the average man. To enjoy a day at a amusement park with their familys. Being squeezed for every dollar is not Magical. Disney has made a day at the park a NIGHTMARE. There are many other places to go to have a Great Time.

 

[John park hopper]

Well Disney has lost a whole family. After 30 trips since 1976, many times going to celebrate, this whole family of 11(grandparents, grandkids, their parents) are through. All we see is a money grab. My husband use to think it was reasonably priced but not anymore.

i could not agree with you more my first visit 1972 raised 3 boys who made many family trips to WDW last and final trip 2019 with granddaughters son and wife. Yep, lost a whole family here too

 

[Dreaming of Disney World]

They did that to me years ago in Wells Beach, Maine. It was a weekend and I usually spent at least a week there and it was about a 4 hour drive from VT. But, we tried, on a whim to go their for just one night. Arrive on Saturday, late morning and leave on Sunday. I was surprised that they were doing that because it was off season but it was two nights and frankly because I didn't make a reservation it was a particularly nice weekend, it was busier then usual. I'm sure there were some available for one night, but I didn't have the energy to keep looking. The kids wanted to go to the beach. So I reluctantly took it even though we had to get back to Vermont by Sunday evening because of work and school attendance needs. I wasn't really upset but it did make me a little miffed, nothing serious. Having been going to Wells Beach for many years that Saturday was a really lucky treat. The warm Gulf Stream was running very close to the shore so you could go in the water without fear of hypothermia. My kids usually stayed in the normally cold water until their lips would start to turn blue and we would make them come out. So we spent the afternoon at Old Orchard Beach and went to Lord's Harborside Restaurant (closed now) fill up with wonderful seafood, Sunday breakfast at Congdon's Doughnuts morning to the beach, (the water was back to its normal polar bear temp. and left after lunch at the Goldenrod Restaurant in York Beach on Sunday.

Anyway while we were sitting on the beach I came up with a diabolical plan to give the room key to a homeless person to stay there after we left to go home. Sadly, my generosity was thwarted by my wife telling me I couldn't do that. Instead we never checked out. We just left the keys in the room and left for Vermont. I just didn't want them to rent the room again after I had already paid for it.

I know this has nothing to do with WDW, because even paying for two nights in that hotel and adding up the cost of lodging, meals transportation and entertainment, plus real, honest to goodness, relaxation with no massive every minute planning, that is just one example of things that can be done and not spend even a quarter of what one day at WDW costs. WDW was great and was my escape from everyday life, but even though it was always undoable for a large part of the country, the middle socioeconomic section was always able to find a way to get there. Now the choice is send your kids to college or go to WDW. You can't do both.

I live in York, ME and enjoyed reading your post. I also love Vermont in the Winter.

In terms of this poll, I voted paid fast passes. They used to be free, and my family used them all day long to avoid all long lines. It was great. Now my family of 4 will be spending around $1000 on our next trip (6 park days) to skip the lines.

 

[mkt]

I wanted to say, my wife and I tested out Genie+ at MK on Saturday, and we didn't hate it.

We had greater availability of attractions and times than we did under OG Fastpass, and were able to get 7 attractions done in under 5 hours - an improvement on Fastpass+.

Does paying $15/person annoy me? Yes.

But compared to being able to do what I want to do in the park and getting out before the exit crowds, I'll pay it (occasionally).

 

[Wilbret]

We are DVC members, so we are obviously the wrong demo, but the prices to stay onsite are absurd. When we aren't using points, I can tell you we have only ever paid to stay onsite ONCE, and that was at CBR when they were being renovated.

I always peek when booking, because I am curious, but when you can stay for several nights at a really nice hotel for the cost of ONE night at a resort, it just doesn't make sense. $20 to park is pretty affordable when looking at room rates that can be as ludicrous as $125 vs $500 or more.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I live in York, ME and enjoyed reading your post. I also love Vermont in the Winter.

In terms of this poll, I voted paid fast passes. They used to be free, and my family used them all day long to avoid all long lines. It was great. Now my family of 4 will be spending around $1000 on our next trip (6 park days) to skip the lines.

As a teen with my family and later as a husband and wife then with our kids. That whole area of York, Ogunquit and Wells were must do trips, at least once in the spring and once in the fall and occasionally a quick weekend in the summer. That area was always such a contrast to Vermont, mostly because we didn't have an ocean, but it just always seemed so quant. Must do's, Condon's donuts, Lord's Seafood, The Egg and Eye, the Goldenrod, The Nubble Lighthouse. and side rides over to Kennebunkport to see if George and Babs might be waving people in for a cup of tea. My Father in law took me golfing for the first time at the golf course on that winding road between Ogunquit and York. Can't remember the name of it. I think it is a private club now. That was 44 years ago and I am not any better then I was that first day. Whenever I had to make some life altering decision I would drive to one of those three places from Vermont and walk the beach until I made the decision about what to do. It never let me down. The last time was the decision to move down here. Many mornings I would wake up before the family and head for the beach and watch the sunrise. One of my favorite places. I live a little to far away from it now. It's about 900 miles from here. I am only about 100 miles from the same ocean, but it just doesn't seem like the same. For one thing the water is a whole lot warmer.

 

[bubbles1812]

I wanted to say, my wife and I tested out Genie+ at MK on Saturday, and we didn't hate it.

We had greater availability of attractions and times than we did under OG Fastpass, and were able to get 7 attractions done in under 5 hours - an improvement on Fastpass+.

Does paying $15/person annoy me? Yes.

But compared to being able to do what I want to do in the park and getting out before the exit crowds, I'll pay it (occasionally).

Your experience is an interesting one. I think how much you like Genie+ depends on how good you were at FP+.

On a good day, I could get 10-15 FP and for all variety of rides, not just the ‘easy’ ones…. I was an excellent refresher. I think we did 30+ rides in a day at MK as a record, and that does include multiple rides on the most competitive ones. Not something I can replicate with this system.

However, I can recognize that I was outside the norm and that this system creates likely better equality between guests.

Though, even there, to really use Genie+ to your advantage, you have to have some knowledge of how fast ride queues tend to fill, how often people drop their G+ reservation, which lines have single rider ect.

For example, today I was watching the Tower of Terror times as we did other things to determine when I wanted to pick up an LL thinking ehhhh, yeah it’s showing next available time is 630 pm and we are leaving before then, but someone is totally gonna give up an earlier time, that is a placeholder ride, and waa laa… on at 150. Same with Smuggler’s Run. Was showing 8 pm as the earliest and then oh, we picked up a ride time at 410.

We were there from 830-440 and had minimal waits using G+ and standard prudently. But the average Disney newcomer isn’t going to have that knowledge…

It was interesting to say the least. I didn’t love it, but I’ll adjust.