Has Planning Disney Vacation Made You Rethink Going?

[yensid67]

Planning a Disney vacation to Disney World USE TO BE ENJOYABLE AND FUN. but the executives have made changes that has sucked the magic out of planning! It is more of a CHORE than a Magical Journey of discovery. With all the pre-planning from dining reservations to special events to park reservations to GENIE+ and not to mention always having to check your phones during your vacation...IT'S ALL RIDICULOUS! and not necessary!
I wouldn't mind making Park Reservations, but the only thing that bugs me about that, is that DIsney will not release their CAPACITY LIMITS!! They say park reservations make the guest experience as good as it can be by limiting capacity, but won't tell you what "capacity" limit is! (Since I am a Former Cast Member, I know what AT CAPACITY crowds look like, and the crowds I am seeing ARE INDEED AT CAPACITY CROWDS PRE-PANDEMIC!) I think Disney wants guests to "THINK" they are keeping capacity low for guests' enjoyment while lying the guests. If they were keeping capacity lower than FULL CAPACITY, the Parks would be more tolerable and less crowded.

So, has all the changes that Disney is making to the parks make you rethink ever going to a disney park again?

 

[yensid1967]

We always have our days preplanned. But we really liked the option of switching parks for some unforeseen reason (like weather or ride availability) or being able to visit a water park in the morning instead of our planned park without having to scan into that park before using our hopper for a dinner reservation. We found that you can't depend on being able to cancel the first and reserve the second unless the second happens to be Epcot (almost always available). I honestly didn't realize that the park reservation system would make things so inflexible until we were actually at WDW and used the new system. I thought it would be Genie+/ILLs that I liked least. Not so.

Vacations are not to be PREPLANNED! It for spontaneity, to do what you want when you want and not have your face in a smartphone!!!!

 

[LuvtheGoof]

Vacations are not to be PREPLANNED! It for spontaneity, to do what you want when you want and not have your face in a smartphone!!!!

So you're saying that you would just jump on an airplane, head to NYC on vacation without pre-planning anything??? Major tourist destinations ALL need at least some prior planning if you are going to do what you want.

I don't know where the crap of having to have your face in a phone all day came from, but we've been 3 times since the start of Genie-, have never bought it, and have hit every attraction we wanted to over the week long stay. If you preplan a bit, you can do all that you want.

 

[Chi84]

Vacations are not to be PREPLANNED! It for spontaneity, to do what you want when you want and not have your face in a smartphone!!!!

Plenty of places for that kind of vacation. WDW just isn’t one of them. That’s okay.

 

[yensid1967]

So you're saying that you would just jump on an airplane, head to NYC on vacation without pre-planning anything??? Major tourist destinations ALL need at least some prior planning if you are going to do what you want.

I don't know where the crap of having to have your face in a phone all day came from, but we've been 3 times since the start of Genie-, have never bought it, and have hit every attraction we wanted to over the week long stay. If you preplan a bit, you can do all that you want.

I'm saying that planning a Disney vacation USE TO BE fun. Now not so much, because you have to plan each and everyday out in order to have a good time. You have to plan your park days, etc.
Yes you have to plan how you are getting there and how many days, etc but that was part of the FUN part!

 

[LuvtheGoof]

I'm saying that planning a Disney vacation USE TO BE fun. Now not so much, because you have to plan each and everyday out in order to have a good time. You have to plan your park days, etc.
Yes you have to plan how you are getting there and how many days, etc but that was part of the FUN part!

We'll have to agree to disagree on this. We used to plan our FP+ and dining after we made our resort reservation. Now we do a park reservation and dining. We still think it's fun to plan, but now, the majority of the planning consists of where are we staying, and where are we eating and when. As I said, we've been 3 times since Genie- started, and it isn't required at all. We also stay on site, and being DVC, we stay deluxe, so we get the early morning time and evening time. We get there prior to rope drop, hit a few favorites before everyone else is let in, and leave when it gets crowded. Back to the resort for pool and nap time (if needed), then back to a park in the evening. You'd be suprised to learn that the last 2 hours before the parks close actually become quite easy to navigate. The last hour sees almost everything as a complete walk on. So yes, a little planning goes a long way and can still be fun.

 

[John park hopper]

1998 on a spur of the moment we packed up the van and drove with the boys to WDW, no planning at all. We stayed off site at an Embassy Suites on International Dr and had a great time. Each year since it has required more and more planning now with all the planning that must be done now no desire to go.

 

[tpoly88]

Planning a Disney vacation to Disney World USE TO BE ENJOYABLE AND FUN. but the executives have made changes that has sucked the magic out of planning! It is more of a CHORE than a Magical Journey of discovery. With all the pre-planning from dining reservations to special events to park reservations to GENIE+ and not to mention always having to check your phones during your vacation...IT'S ALL RIDICULOUS! and not necessary!
I wouldn't mind making Park Reservations, but the only thing that bugs me about that, is that DIsney will not release their CAPACITY LIMITS!! They say park reservations make the guest experience as good as it can be by limiting capacity, but won't tell you what "capacity" limit is! (Since I am a Former Cast Member, I know what AT CAPACITY crowds look like, and the crowds I am seeing ARE INDEED AT CAPACITY CROWDS PRE-PANDEMIC!) I think Disney wants guests to "THINK" they are keeping capacity low for guests' enjoyment while lying the guests. If they were keeping capacity lower than FULL CAPACITY, the Parks would be more tolerable and less crowded.

So, has all the changes that Disney is making to the parks make you rethink ever going to a disney park again?

it has changed for me wanting to go with others. if its just my wife and i im fine but with the reservations, trying to link the tickets so you all can go on the same ride at the same time to me takes all the fun out. There is no spontaneity anymore. Get rid of the reservation system as the parks are at capacity and do like the old days and close the park after a number of people are in until they leave!

 

[John park hopper]

Magic Kingdom max capacity is 100,000 people stuffed in into 107 acres. Disney closes the park at 70,000 and the remaining 30,000 is for on site guests. No wonder I feel like a sardine

 

[yensid67]

it has changed for me wanting to go with others. if its just my wife and i im fine but with the reservations, trying to link the tickets so you all can go on the same ride at the same time to me takes all the fun out. There is no spontaneity anymore. Get rid of the reservation system as the parks are at capacity and do like the old days and close the park after a number of people are in until they leave!

Bring back FP's! That system was never broke but the threw it out anyways to the dismay of the guests

 

[yensid67]

Magic Kingdom max capacity is 100,000 people stuffed in into 107 acres. Disney closes the park at 70,000 and the remaining 30,000 is for on site guests. No wonder I feel like a sardine

But Disney DOESN'T report what the Park's capacity is,,,we are just to take their LYING WORDS that they are not at capacity, but TECHNICALLY acording to this post, they are!

 

[tpoly88]

Magic Kingdom max capacity is 100,000 people stuffed in into 107 acres. Disney closes the park at 70,000 and the remaining 30,000 is for on site guests. No wonder I feel like a sardine

Wow! i was way off on what i thought it could handle!! thought MK capacity was 60,000 including the hotel guests. wonder what the others are rated to hold?