Disney World Planning is far too complicated (CNBC article)

[James Alucobond]

I have people ask me frequently about planning a trip to Disney, and I'm like - good luck to you, expect to spend the better part of the day on your cell phone, and hope you click faster than everyone else.

I agree that it's overly complex, but I'm always confused by this claim. I didn't feel like I spent any more time on my phone than I did with FastPass+, and I could in fact mostly ignore it aside from the couple of times when I set an alarm a minute or two before a virtual queue drop. It seems to me that everything is regimented in such a way that there's no real point to sitting there with your face in your phone when nothing meaningfully changes except at set intervals.

 

[Touchdown]

Disney is not "just a theme park" though is it? You can't possibly compare it to someplace like Six Flags. Disney has always been so much more than just the typical theme park. How many other theme parks can you spend 7+ days at a still not do everything that they offer?

Before I begin:

-I can do everything Disney has to offer (included with the price of admission) in 7 days if I wanted to.
-And why jump to Six Flags? They suck, they are the furthest away from the Disney model as you can get

Ok, it’s harder and more complex with more steps involved to plan a WDW vacation than any other park in this country. Want to restrict it to mega resorts? Still true, DLR and Universal Orlando way easier. Yes, DLR is easier, it has no virtual queues, you can get dinner reservations a few days out, they almost never sell out of single day park reservations, park hopping happens earlier, etc.

It takes more planning than any other vacation I’ve ever been on. It’s also over time gotten more and more complex, WDW is beginning to test my patience, I find less and less people making plans for trips. You can say the parks are crowded but are they really? Resort rooms aren’t booking fast enough they need to offer discounts. I suspect that raw attendance still has not returned to 2019 levels. Turning away/alienating customers is not a long term strategy to stay in business. Eventually you cannot push efficiency/profitability further there is a finite end to it. For the first time, I think we are getting close to that judging by recent events, especially if a recession happens. However I cannot and will not predict an exact date.

 

[JD80]

Remember when we used to go to the parks and just let the day unfold? Explore and discover each section of the parks without being on a complicated time schedule and reservation system for just about anything you would want to do? When you could actually look around the park and enjoy the atmosphere and the architecture and design without missing half of it buried in your phone screen panicking about whether you will be able to find a place to eat dinner in 10 hours? I do...and it was not that long ago... 5-6 years ago...
With the rising costs of a Disney vacation, and the sheer lack of spontaneity and being in the moment we are finding it no longer worth it... We are DVC member that have always had annual passes and took at least three trips to WDW during the year... We lost our Annual passes during the Covid shutdown when we could not get them renewed...And this year we will skip WDW altogether... Too much hassle, too much construction nonsense...to be paying those prices.
They really need to figure out a way to make it fun again.

I've been going regularly since 2015 as a father and to answer your question: no

 

[Jrb1979]

It is not complicated, people just don't want to put in the effort. Everyone should be researching their vacations no matter where you go. I always think of Anthony Bourdain in these situations when he said "be a traveler, not a tourists". I see those who refuse to do even the tiniest bit of research to be tourists. And the ones that don't want to put in that effort are the same ones that complain about what a horrible time they had and how they "wish they knew", yada yada. As if the knowledge should somehow be magically imparted into their brains without them putting in the work. I don't find the system that Disney has to be complicated at all. It might fall under the "can get a bit annoying" level, but you are also not forced to use things like Genie+.

I completely disagree. I always research where ever I travel and Disney is the most complex to book and enjoy. If you want to compare it to their competition down the road in Universal it's night and day the difference in planning. You shouldn't need a spreadsheet to visit any vacation spot. I'm sorry but vacations aren't meant to have schedule. That's what my everyday life is like.

 

[doctornick]

The problem isn’t “planning” - that’s normal and should be expected for any vacation to get the most out of it - the issue is that stuff you have to do while on vacation to maximize your time. And the system is inflexible if you don’t get what you want because there’s limited availability with high demand. That’s what makes things stressful and complicated. Because you can prepare but you can’t effectively plan.

Doing stuff like reserving a park or restaurant ahead of time isn’t a big deal really - you just do it, make a note and forget it until you are there.

 

[jaklgreen]

Before I begin:

-I can do everything Disney has to offer (included with the price of admission) in 7 days if I wanted to.
-And why jump to Six Flags? They suck, they are the furthest away from the Disney model as you can get

Ok, it’s harder and more complex with more steps involved to plan a WDW vacation than any other park in this country. Want to restrict it to mega resorts? Still true, DLR and Universal Orlando way easier. Yes, DLR is easier, it has no virtual queues, you can get dinner reservations a few days out, they almost never sell out of single day park reservations, park hopping happens earlier, etc.

It takes more planning than any other vacation I’ve ever been on. It’s also over time gotten more and more complex, WDW is beginning to test my patience, I find less and less people making plans for trips. You can say the parks are crowded but are they really? Resort rooms aren’t booking fast enough they need to offer discounts. I suspect that raw attendance still has not returned to 2019 levels. Turning away/alienating customers is not a long term strategy to stay in business. Eventually you cannot push efficiency/profitability further there is a finite end to it. For the first time, I think we are getting close to that judging by recent events, especially if a recession happens. However I cannot and will not predict an exact date.

I didn't "jump" to Six Flags, that is the theme park that came to mind because that is the one that we went to as kids. And planning for a WDW vacation is no different than any other vacation. You just choose not to plan more for others. A few years ago I went to Hawaii for the first time, but I planned and researched that trip for well over a year before I even booked it and then continued my research. I hope to go to the UK in the next few years, and yep, I have already started doing my research. You all are using your personal feelings on how much planning that you WANT to do instead of understanding how much planning you SHOULD do when you go anywhere. Yes, you can get away with little to no planning, but don't expect the same experience and that goes for anywhere on the planet that you choose to go to.

 

[Wilbret]

Sometimes the best thing to do with certain personality types is to just agree to disagree.

 

[jaklgreen]

I completely disagree. I always research where ever I travel and Disney is the most complex to book and enjoy. If you want to compare it to their competition down the road in Universal it's night and day the difference in planning. You shouldn't need a spreadsheet to visit any vacation spot. I'm sorry but vacations aren't meant to have schedule. That's what my everyday life is like.

US is the "closest" but still not anything like the scope of WDW. That is the big issue here isn't it? WDW has no comparables so no place is going to have the same level of planning at WDW does. They are getting there with the newest park, but we all know that it is not the same. Trying to compare WDW to anywhere else if futile since they are in a world of their own.

 

[alphac2005]

I completely disagree. I always research where ever I travel and Disney is the most complex to book and enjoy. If you want to compare it to their competition down the road in Universal it's night and day the difference in planning. You shouldn't need a spreadsheet to visit any vacation spot. I'm sorry but vacations aren't meant to have schedule. That's what my everyday life is like.

Right, a vacation is such--- a vacation. The Walt Disney World experience is exhausting. Want to disconnect from electronics and reality? That's not happening as you've got to use your phone for many components today. We've had friends visit from out of town to here in Orlando over the past several months and the last two both said that if it wasn't for us helping them get through the whole process and everything, they would have never gone otherwise, and both parties went for just a single day. Another couple with their kids came and stayed with us and bypassed Disney for the first time ever deciding to go to Universal instead. Their reasoning? They didn't want to have a whole scheduled vacation. Zero interest in virtual queues, using the phone for everything, etc.

That's the reality and I simply don't understand the folks who seemingly always act as apologists for this giant, multinational corporation and/or those who don't understand that many people don't want to jump through proverbial hoops to simply get away from the daily grind. Iger claimed nearly 50 million visitors to the property annually and just logic would dictate that a whole lot of those people simply aren't interested in the over-planned Disney of today, but they are stuck with it until the company decides otherwise. All of this hyper-planning has nothing to do with the guest experience and it's all about the bottom line to improve profitability. That's reality no matter the Kool-Aid that some continuously drink from.

 

[Ayla]

I didn't "jump" to Six Flags, that is the theme park that came to mind because that is the one that we went to as kids. And planning for a WDW vacation is no different than any other vacation. You just choose not to plan more for others. A few years ago I went to Hawaii for the first time, but I planned and researched that trip for well over a year before I even booked it and then continued my research. I hope to go to the UK in the next few years, and yep, I have already started doing my research. You all are using your personal feelings on how much planning that you WANT to do instead of understanding how much planning you SHOULD do when you go anywhere. Yes, you can get away with little to no planning, but don't expect the same experience and that goes for anywhere on the planet that you choose to go to.

I've been to Hawaii and Alaska and Mexico and Canada - and traveled around the US. Not one of those destination took the amount of work or planning a Disney trip requires. So stop with the disingenuous "iT rEqUiReS PlAnNinG" nonsense.

 

[RobbinsDad]

It's really reservations that's changed the game in the last 20 years. I think most people prior to the age of FP+ and park reservations had a skeleton strategy of how to tackle the parks before their arrival, even if it was something as simple as "when we enter MK we'll start with Adventureland and work our way around". Parades, show times, restaurant hours - all of these required planning to see and eat the things your family wanted. I've always been a thorough planner, spreadsheets and the like, months in advance of a Disney trip, to me it's part of the fun. So the planning activity hasn't changed, only the technology.

For me the biggest problem now isn't having to plan in advance (I want to any way), but having to plan in advance on Disney's timeline. FP+ and the popularity of dining reservations beyond CRT was when things changed - getting up at 4 AM to secure that coveted character meal or a fastpass to the new attraction became a necessity, not a choice. Now it's on steroids with park reservations and virtual queues. Got to have a lot of plan B's in place if things don't go just right. I still think it's worth it, but the process can get pretty stressful for the planning perfectionists.

If planning isn't your thing, Busch Gardens is pretty cool.

 

[Basil of Baker Street]

The problem isn’t “planning” - that’s normal and should be expected for any vacation to get the most out of it - the issue is that stuff you have to do while on vacation to maximize your time. And the system is inflexible if you don’t get what you want because there’s limited availability with high demand. That’s what makes things stressful and complicated. Because you can prepare but you can’t effectively plan.

Doing stuff like reserving a park or restaurant ahead of time isn’t a big deal really - you just do it, make a note and forget it until you are there.

Exactly. With FP+ and dinner reservations booked, I just check into the hotel then hit the park. Was a much better experience. All my planning (which was NOT difficult) was done well in advance.

 

[flynnibus]

Ignore the research and planning...

Try working around CHANGE in all that planning you did. Someone not feeling well and wants to do that another day? Weather got you beat?

All this interlocking park reservations, dining reservations, ride reservations, it's all lock-in that seems quaint if you get what you want during setup and stick to the plan.

Instead the plan essentials dominate you - instead of working for you. That's the real crime.

 

[MagicRat]

I've been to Hawaii and Alaska and Mexico and Canada - and traveled around the US. Not one of those destination took the amount of work or planning a Disney trip requires. So stop with the disingenuous "iT rEqUiReS PlAnNinG" nonsense.
I don’t have a clue where you are flying from but comparing waking up at 7am for a fast pass to a ten plus hour flight with other airport hassles to go to an Island that is basically a nicer Daytona Beach or traveling to a do not travel zone (Mexico) disingenuous, I don’t understand. Europe for a travel comparison, I get but Hawaii is so overrated. It is bar hopping from resort to resort on steroids. The music is nice though!

 

[UpAllNight]

I think every issue stems from a lack of investment in capacity.

I find it absolutely laughable that nobody in management has looked past the financial benefits of the system to explore that they’re making their guests, who’ve often paid tens of thousands of dollars, to wake up early to load up an app and manically refresh to get into a virtual queue to experience a new ride…and still potentially end up unsuccessful. What a fantastic start to a vacation day. Really sets you up nicely.

 

[Touchdown]

Ignore the research and planning...

Try working around CHANGE in all that planning you did. Someone not feeling well and wants to do that another day? Weather got you beat?

All this interlocking park reservations, dining reservations, ride reservations, it's all lock-in that seems quaint if you get what you want during setup and stick to the plan.

Instead the plan essentials dominate you - instead of working for you. That's the real crime.

Exactly, it’s another reason I refuse to purchase G+. I’m tired of being locked into one park till 2 too, sometimes the gremlins are really active and the crowds make things unbearable at the park I’m at, there is no reason I shouldn’t be allowed to go to a less crowded park. None.

 

[UpAllNight]

What is the logic in a virtual queue?

Is it so much of an issue to let a queue build to 2 or 3 hours and give people a choice if they want to join it? if they’re not interested, they won’t enter the queue. What’s the damage here? People enter a queue willingly, not at gunpoint.

If I paid so much money for a trip and I missed out on virtual queue, I’d be livid that I didn’t get the opportunity to get on it, if I really wanted to.

Having to think about a virtual queue just adds a layer of anxiety to the evening before, and the morning of. What’s the benefit?

 

[Touchdown]

What is the logic in a virtual queue?

Is it so much of an issue to let a queue build to 2 or 3 hours and give people a choice if they want to join it? if they’re not interested, they won’t enter the queue. What’s the damage here? People enter a queue willingly, not at gunpoint.

If I paid so much money for a trip and I missed out on virtual queue, I’d be livid that I didn’t get the opportunity to get on it, if I really wanted to.

Having to think about a virtual queue just adds a layer of anxiety to the evening before, and the morning of. What’s the benefit?

Why it makes you more likely to buy an ILL of course

 

[UpAllNight]

Why it makes you more likely to buy an ILL of course

If I turn up and see a 3 hour queue I’m personally as likely to buy it vs if I have another chance at virtual queue at 1pm!

 

[flynnibus]

What is the logic in a virtual queue?

Is it so much of an issue to let a queue build to 2 or 3 hours and give people a choice if they want to join it? if they’re not interested, they won’t enter the queue. What’s the damage here? People enter a queue willingly, not at gunpoint.

Operationally it's advantageous for Disney.

- Less staff required
- Less guests impacted if a ride goes 101
- Lets Disney more easily control when a ride empties out for end of day

The argument of "I'll choose if I want to wait" is a singular view that hides from the consequences of allowing guests to just do whatever they want to extremes.