First, and brief, trip report... 4 parks in one day!

I've read these boards for years now and rarely feel the need, or have the arrogance, to make comments. I don't want to add to the negativity that is already going on here, yet I agree with much of it. I've probably been to WDW at least 20 times, (which is much less than most here), in every decade that it has been open. I always had though of it as a special and magical trip. I now get there once every few years and DLR in between. I'm now experiencing it with my 11 and 8 yr old daughters. They've been multiple times. They, and I have felt like the place is losing its "magic" and allure for us for multiple reasons that I don't need to elaborate on. We just don't get that feeling of being transported to another world like we used to. On with the trip report........

I had wanted to spend an entire vacation in WDW this time, with one day alotted to Universal and a couple at a beach town. I looked up package deals and ticket prices and was in shock to see how much more expensive the place had gotten since our last trip a few years ago. I had the money for it, I just didn't see the value. I started really thinking about why we wanted to go there in the first place and realized that we didn't need to spend all our time there. AK and HS are half day parks at best, we aren't big on shows, fireworks and parades. Epcot's only allure anymore is WS. So I decided to spend my money on a nice beach hotel, and excursions like snorkelling with manatees and the like with one day alloted to MK and one at Universal. On the drive to WDW, I had a revelation. Why not buy a one day park hopper go to Epcot that evening? We took our time at the MK and experienced all the attractions there, had lunch and browsed a few of the non-descript shops. We were unimpressed with the "new " fantasyland. We had ridden Little Mermaid in Cali and were dissapointed by it and only rode this one to experience the queue, sadly. We weren't feeling the magic but did enjoy ourselves. We did everything that we wanted to do by 2pm, as opposed to DL where we wanted to spend two days in that park alone. I then figured we had time to take a bus to AK and do the only few things that are worthwhile there. When we were done with that, I was amazed that we still had time to go to DHS and do the few things that we cared about there too. After that we spent the evening in Epcot and strolled around WS, rode the few rides that we still halfway care about in FW and called it a day. I never would have imagined that I would only want to spend one day in WDW. Yet that's what it boiled down to.

A couple of days later we went to Universal and hopped between the two parks. We had a much better time there. Ride quality, entertainment value, customer service and price were, IMO, much superior to WDW. I wished we had another day to spend there but it was our last day of the trip. I never thought in a million years that I would feel that I'd rather go to Florida for Universal and maybe hit Disney for a day or two. In the past it has always been the opposite. I don't think I'm alone in this line of thought. We are already planning a trip for next year when the HP expansion opens, and we don't even like the Potter movies. Disney isn't only just resting on it's laurels. Its a watered-down, degraded version of what it once was. They don't seem to have a problem drawing crowds and making money and the few thousand that I won't be spending there won't hurt them. I just make decisions on where I want to go based on the fun and experience that I have and WDW has lost me unfortunately. It's only an extra couple of hours on a plane to Anaheim vs. Orlando. They still do it halfway right out there.

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

Did you ever think maybe you just maxed out on WDW? Like too much of a good thing... I personally have my trips to disney planned through 2016 at the moment. I will most likely will return to see Avatarland 2017. I figured I would probably be burned out on WDW by then and not return until I have children of my own. I love WDW but I know that I could never go twice a year or move to Orlando because I feel that the magic wouldn't be the same.
I'm desperate to see DL though, but I always revert to WDW when I see the price of a 4 day trip there is equal to 8 days in Orlando doing Uni/IOA too.

 

[BuddyThomas]

Yikes! Original poster starts by complaining about the negativity on here and then posts one of the most negative threads I have read in a long time. It kind of sounds like they started off knowing they would hate it, and the trip just deteriorated from there. Sigh.

 

[BrittanyRose428]

Do you think that you maybe just needed to kind of slow down more or something? My family always complains that there is nothing to do in Animal Kingdom, and when I go to WDW with them we do the couple of things that they consider worth doing and then we leave. This past trip, I went without my family and actually spent most of the day in Animal Kingdom. Even in World Showcase, I was amazed at how much time I spent there with my roommate compared to with my family. So I've come to the conclusion that my family isn't interested in taking in the details and enjoying the whole experience, but rather in doing the big attractions and getting out. My last trip was probably my best one due to the relaxed pace we took, and in all the times I've been to WDW there are still plenty of things that I haven't seen but want to.

 

[JohnD]

I did all four parks in two days over Veterans Day Weekend and enjoyed everything I did. Did I visit everything in all 4 parks? No. But I visited the things I intended to visit for that weekend.

11/10: Checked in and hopped to HS. Upgraded to FR Seasonal Pass and made FP+ selections immediately. I did things in this order: ST (FP+), Pizza Planet Arcade, B&B (promised a friend I would see it), MM (FP+), Car stunt show (only saw 1/2 last time), Muppets, Osborne Lights, Great Movie Ride, ToT (FP+), HD Lounge (only been open for a week). Left HS at 8:30 and park hopped to MK for EMH. There from 9p-1a.

11/11: AK. Safaris (FP+), Pangani Forest, Everest (FP+), Everest again (single rider), Jungle Trek, Everest 3rd time (single rider), Dinosaur (FP+), Primeval Whirl, Flame Tree BBQ, FotLK. Left AK approx 2:30.

Downtime at hotel until 4 then hopped to Epcot. Could have gone direct to MVMCP but decided on last of F&W festival instead. Soarin' FPs were gone and wasn't going to wait 70+ min for it so waited 15 in single rider for TT instead. Grabbed food/drink from Craft Beers, Hawaii, and Canada booths. Hopped to MK for MVMCP by 7:30. Stayed until closing at midnight.

4 parks in 2 days. Time at WDW is what you make of it and whether you intend to enjoy it, which I did.

 

[Ginzuishou]

sounds like disney overload
one great thing about Universal is that it changes often enough to have a new experience each time you go.

 

[fractal]

Familiarity breeds contempt.

 

[SSH]

This thread makes me think of the conversations I used to have with my inlaws. They are beach addicts...spend hours at the beach every weekend. Even when they vacationed, it was at different beaches. I used to go Disney 3-4x a year...now just once every few years. They'd always ask "how can you go to the same place, see the same things...aren't you bored?" But just like they can relax doing essentially the same thing every time...sunbathing on sand, splashing in the water -and love it every time, it's not really about the attractions for us.

There's a song by the Zak Brown Band called "Knee Deep" (sorry to those of you who hate country music!) but it describes WDW perfectly...even with all the current aggravations of MB, etc. The song talks about finding that one place where you lose yourself...and just totally relax away from reality - wherever that one place is.

Yes, more rides would be great; more stuff in the parks would be great. But we can also sit in MK rocking chairs with hot chocolate on a cold Dec night and just people watch for an hour. We can spend an afternoon wandering through the luxury resorts and admire the theming. I still marvel at the creativity in every holiday themed window on Main Street. Smile at the street performers at EP WS. I always enjoy seeing new stuff in the gift shops!

I can understand that when you have kids along, it might be different...they want the constant stimulation of new things, new rides, new stuff to do. Families need to stay entertained. But I just returned from a Universal trip - hit both parks and it WAS a TON of fun - no doubt - but in a "hurry up...let's get on as much as we can" mindset. They are really great theme parks and have come a long way from when I visited years ago. But there's just something about Disney that makes me smile and feel good inside - even when I'm not actually doing much of anything in the parks. I just slow down, relax and try not to take anything too seriously. (Unless someone's ramming me with their stroller, then walks away without even apologizing. Then I get very, very cranky.)