I think I might be done with WDW.

[bhg469]

I don’t know that it was enough of a draw. I was about 11 when it opened and remembered reading in the paper that those attractions weren’t generating enough interest. I remember other kids coming back from summer vacation saying they didn’t enjoy the educational stuff.

My first visit was 1998 and I was nearly 30. I was unimpressed with most of Innoventions, etc. but that’s me.

Re: theming: themes can evolve. Nobody can call Epcot just an amusement park, especially not because of Norway. If I can suspend disbelief enough for talking animals, I can handle Frozen.



If you’re going to go with Epcot after 4, I highly recommend the FL Weekday Select AP. It’s about $10 more each and a much better value.

Thanks for the suggestion

 

[bhg469]

Look on the bright side, AK is always a wonderful respite from the insanity in other parks. And since everyone is over at Everest and Pandora, more time to enjoy the animals!

When I am down for work and time allows for one day. All i do at AK is walk the trails. I don't eat, ride or shop.

 

[spock8113]

I've just been going thru old videos of Disney going back to '84 (see dates waaaaay below).
These prove it was better back when crowdwise, ridewise, ticketpricewise.
The new management, while trying to move into the 2020's seems to actually moving in a more business-oriented venture
aimed at raising dividends rather than keeping it the Happiest Place on Earth just that.

I'd jumped at the chance to go a couple of years back too, but I'm feeling the same way and sense a disturbance in the force.
I'm thinkin' Universal more, now.

 

[pax_65]

Now - must admit: WDW has a serious issue.....
Again, All personal opinion - I'm not necessarily right, no one else is necessarily wrong.

Just the opinion of my dear wife and I.... EVERYONE goes to the MK at WDW - because it is literally the only "real" park.

And this is why Disney can get away with closing MK early and charging extra for private nights, because the demand for MK is so high people will gladly pay it.

I agree with the OP but I'm happy there are so many people who love the "new" Disney. It means my DVC membership still has value...

 

[winstongator]

Big fan of old school Disney World here. I agree with a lot of what you are saying. (Especially about Hollywood Studios, aka: 'Celebration of Star Wars Park.' ). My first trip was in 1989, most recent trip a few weeks ago. I have been slow to embrace all the changes. There was something so much simpler about the old days. Go to the park, walk around wait in line for attractions with everyone else (no fast passes back then.) Stop and eat wherever and whenever. If you decided the wait was too long you would simply move along to your next choice. No rushing here and there to make your fast pass window, or dinner reservations. No real pre-planning necessary. Honestly I miss it. At the same time I realize Disney can't stay in the dark ages as technology moves forward. I know the technology may seem to make things easier, but to me just makes things less fun and spontaneous.

That said on this most recent trip I went with my parents and this was there first EVER visit to DW. And they are almost eighty. For them--the first timers, it was a magical experience. They were so impressed by the size, the details, the night time shows, they're still talking about it! . I set up a couple of fast passes per day, and went with quick service dining so we wouldn't be beholden to reservation times. I think this helped to keep the trip fun and relaxed for them. Anyway, based on their reaction I think there IS still magic to be found there, especially by the never-been-there-before squad.

For us old timers who remember the 'way it was' I think it's harder to find the same level of magic. Especially if we see what seems to be the eroding of the original vision. Or maybe I am just remembering with rose colored glasses...

My memories of the 80's era lines vs. fast pass is different. We only have one day at the park, and this is about the only time we can do space or big thunder mountains. You're getting bored in the 90 min line at 1pm in the summer and you haven't eaten lunch yet. We did not tour the MK ideally when I was a kid, but I'd rather have one or two reservations and 3 fast passes than to try to navigate. My memory from when I was younger also probably had overall annual attendance that was 40-50% lower.

My older memories aren't completely positive. I did have one awesome experience on a field trip where we went in the underground level. I spent many years away from the parks. Going back with my kids, not worrying about costs, with fast passes, not worrying about seeing everything, it was an entirely different experience.

I am not a natural planner, however, I do really enjoy having a baseline for the day - at least we'll do these 3 or so things. My kids also enjoy the character meals.

 

[pax_65]

I am not a natural planner, however, I do really enjoy having a baseline for the day - at least we'll do these 3 or so things.

The paper Fastpass system worked a lot better for us, and I'm not sure I fully understand why. We used to get to the parks early, do standby lines while they were short, hustle around and grab FPs, and pretty much do all the major attractions in MK by mid-afternoon. We can't come close to that now. Part of it is crowd levels, part is FP+, part is the standby lines don't move any longer (because so many more FPs are used), part of it is the condition of the other parks and the popularity of MK.

The bottom line is I'm paying a lot more and I can't do nearly as much, and I spend a lot more time standing in line or standing around waiting for my next FP time, wondering what to do with myself. It's definitely a much different experience from a few years ago.

 

[clarabellej]

It's not so much "the way it was" based on the parks themselves....that's just nostalgia.

What I'm talking about is the shift in TWDC's thinking.....instead of focusing on quality and thematic congruity in the attractions and shows, they're focusing solely on the corporate end of the equation; "How can we make the biggest return on investment?"
That in itself wouldn't be such a bad thing, but without an eye towards quality and congruity, we wind up with...

- The Norway Pavilion becoming more about "Frozen" than Norway. Whereas I gave Gran Fiesta Tour a pass because the Three Caballeros were actually exploring the country of Mexico, and I'm likely to give the Ratatouille ride a pass because it actually takes place in a Paris restaurant (as well as the Mary Poppins attraction rumored to be in the works for the UK Pavilion, because the movies actually take place in London), Frozen Ever After has absolutely no connection to Norway. It's a basic retelling of the movie, just like Peter Pan's Flight, Snow White's Scary Adventures, and Pinocchio's Daring Journey. It needs to be in the Magic Kingdom.

- The closure of Magic of Disney Animation in favor of Star Wars Launch Bay. I just learned through Facebook that former Disney animator Peter Reymundo is now doing drawing classes for kids at Orlando's Crayola Experience.
http://attractionsmagazine.com/crayola-experience-disney-drawing/
There exists a demand for it, Disney used to do it, but then got rid of it because hand drawn animation isn't where the money is anymore.

- The closure of the Great Movie Ride in favor of Mickey's Runaway Railway. That one is a real head-scratcher for me, as the new Mickey shorts aren't in keeping with the Chinese Theater exterior of the building. Ideally, they should have kicked out Launch Bay and built the ride in the animation area. Because.....animation. In that way, at least they would be paying tribute to what was there before. In fact, parts of the "Magic of Disney Animation" could have been kept as the pre- and post-show areas.

- Guardians of the Galaxy in Epcot. Not only are we getting a GotG roller coaster in the former Universe of Energy, which is a slap in the face to Epcot's mission statement.....but they've announced a GotG dance party at the American Adventure's American Gardens Theater.
https://blogmickey.com/2018/02/guardians-galaxy-dance-party-coming-epcot-may/

- The loss of Off Kilter at Epcot....in favor of a lackluster "Canadian Lumberjacks" show that was so terrible it only lasted a year before being shuttered ("axed" if you will).
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/trav...canadian-lumberjacks-epcot-20151124-post.html

Agree with a lot of what you’ve said here.

 

[John park hopper]

The paper Fastpass system worked a lot better for us, and I'm not sure I fully understand why. We used to get to the parks early, do standby lines while they were short, hustle around and grab FPs, and pretty much do all the major attractions in MK by mid-afternoon. We can't come close to that now. Part of it is crowd levels, part is FP+, part is the standby lines don't move any longer (because so many more FPs are used), part of it is the condition of the other parks and the popularity of MK.

The bottom line is I'm paying a lot more and I can't do nearly as much, and I spend a lot more time standing in line or standing around waiting for my next FP time, wondering what to do with myself. It's definitely a much different experience from a few years ago.

Figure the cost of the tickets and how many hours you visit the park get a cost/hr if you are standing in line for 2 hrs
(wastd time) you are not seeing the rest of the park now that 5 min attraction cost a whole lot more. You are correct pay more to do less but that is the new norm people are willing to accept

 

[21stamps]

Figure the cost of the tickets and how many hours you visit the park get a cost/hr if you are standing in line for 2 hrs
(wastd time) you are not seeing the rest of the park now that 5 min attraction cost a whole lot more. You are correct pay more to do less but that is the new norm people are willing to accept

Spend a Saturday at Cedat Point during the summer.

I know, I know, “it’s not Disney!”. No, it’s not. But it’s still not cheap by a long shot, and it will make you appreciate Disney World, and the FP system even more.

 

[StitchInCT]

Last weekend, the Philadelphia Eagles won the Superbowl....and quarterback Nick Foles was asked the customary question, "What are you going to do now?" to which he responded "I'm going to Disney World!"

I was at a family party watching, and my mother pipes in "I think it's about time for us to have another Disney trip!"
I responded with "Not this year. Half of the Studios is closed down for construction and Epcot's barely any better."
Mom: "Oh..."

Just a few years ago, I would have jumped on board with this....start looking at hotel deals, including wanting to see how much I could save at the Swan or Dolphin using the discount they offer to teachers. But not anymore.

Maybe it's me "growing up", maybe it's that so much at WDW is changing in a way (that I feel) is in such a huge departure from the core values created by Walt Disney and maintained by the previous generations of Imagineers, such as the destruction of the Studios into what is essentially "Star Wars World" (even as a Star Wars fan, I'm totally burned out by the oversaturation) and the decimation of Epcot Center from a showcase of science, technology, and community into "Magic Kingdom 2" by replacing Norway with Frozen, replacing Test Track with Diet Tron, and replacing Universe of Energy with Guardians of the Galaxy.

I just don't LOVE Walt Disney World anymore. I get more of a thrill watching YouTube videos of Backyard Imagineering projects than I do thinking about the parks themselves.

Because, for me....the men and women who put their effort into those projects do so with a passion that has been sorely absent from Walt Disney World for at least the past decade.

PS. Here's a video of a guy who built a miniature version of DCA's "World of Color" in his backyard.

He's far truer to the spirit of Disney than anything TDO's been doing recently.

I haven't heard anything about Test Tracks being replaced, I'm shocked!! What is "Diet Tron"??

 

[DarthVader]

Here's my $.02. I'm sure what I say will have already been said (probably more eloquently as well).
I've been going to Disney since the 1990s. There were a number of stretches where I did not go for many years but nonethess I've been there quite a bit.

I could probably write a doctorial thesis of what I find is wrong with disney and. I am also going there less and less as the cost is just too much to justify, but with that said. My kids look forward to these trips and get so excited.

We may end up doing other trips in the next few years and skip Disney (I'm thinking that's extremely likely), but for 2018 my kids are so amped up, even if the crowds will be crushing.

 

[John park hopper]

Spend a Saturday at Cedat Point during the summer.

I know, I know, “it’s not Disney!”. No, it’s not. But it’s still not cheap by a long shot, and it will make you appreciate Disney World, and the FP system even more.

Simple, if something is worse than WDW does not take WDW off the hook for not doing a whole lot better. Before you get the wrong idea I like WDW

 

[pax_65]

Spend a Saturday at Cedat Point during the summer.

It used to be that when I would compare the Disney of old to current day, someone would shift the discussion to Disney vs. Universal, to make Disney look good by comparison.

Now it's Disney vs Cedar Point? Good grief.

 

[tl77]

I don't know if I'm "done with Disney just" yet, but I don't have much interest in anything besides The Magic Kingdom and Typhoon Lagoon for the reasons the OP has mentioned. The 3 other parks, besides not being worth the price/trouble for what they currently offer, won't really offer all that much that interests me personally once they are finished. The only thing I was really looking forward to for this years D23 was the new theater coming to Main Street, which now sounds like it's been canceled, but with the theater I was hoping there would be some type of expansion on Main Street, one of the original elements of the parks, and hopefully some return to the "small town" charm of the original Main Street instead of the "giant gift shop" it now is

All these other up coming "additions" are really "alterations" meaning that... while some people many not like that Snow White's Scary Adventure was replaced with a Princess Meet and Greet, but at least they didn't re-theme that section of Fantasyland to Star Wars or Guardians of the Galaxy, or to something that doesn't "feel" like it belongs in the Storybook world of Fantsayland, but that's what they're doing in the other parks, and rumored to be doing more of. The Studios has always had an Indiana Jones area, and Animal Kingdom has always had a Dinosaur area, both of which could use some "improving" but "replacing" Dino-land with and Indiana Jones-land sounds insane to me.

I have no problem with them adding new things to parks, but no effort or thought seems be given to how these "new things" alter the identity of these "classic parks", and the new things aren't being added for any kind of artistic or thematic reasons, they're are only being added to capitalize on the current popularity of these current movie franchises. If in 20 years, these "new things" stop being popular, it'll just be an assortment of mismatched "old junk", which will simply be replaced with some other new thing, and if they aren't building things that stand the test of time, the parks will no longer be classics

 

[DryCreek]

Just a few years ago, I would have jumped on board with this....start looking at hotel deals, including wanting to see how much I could save at the Swan or Dolphin using the discount they offer to teachers. But not anymore.

I just don't LOVE Walt Disney World anymore. I get more of a thrill watching YouTube videos of Backyard Imagineering projects than I do thinking about the parks themselves.

Because, for me....the men and women who put their effort into those projects do so with a passion that has been sorely absent from Walt Disney World for at least the past decade.
.

Have you considered Disneyland? I found it to be more like what I remembered when I first started going to the parks in 1980 as a young Navy recruit stationed in Orlando. And, they've still got Mr. toad's Wild Ride!

 

[21stamps]

It used to be that when I would compare the Disney of old to current day, someone would shift the discussion to Disney vs. Universal, to make Disney look good by comparison.

Now it's Disney vs Cedar Point? Good grief.

Comparing wait times, yes, absolutely. Which is why I appreciate that Disney uses a free FP system.

 

[Starlight67]

Which is why I appreciate that Disney uses a free FP system.

Agreed on this, at least the three fast passes per day are included at no additional charge!

Apparently as of mid-January of this year Disney piloted a program of offering an additional 3 fast passes per day for Club level guests--at a charge. The additional 3 passes cost $50.00 per day per guest. And will also allow guests purchasing these passes to book at 90 days out as opposed to the normal 60 for the FP's that are free.

If this is true I am wondering if it's is just a precursor to charging for ALL fast passes?

 

[Jimmy Thick]

Well hopefully the people in this thread who have fallen out of favour with WDW for whatever reason they envision choose to be people of their word and truly indeed stay gone. Saying your unhappy with the parks yet booking another vacation right after you click “post reply” looks rather foolish.

I though will enjoy the lesser load within the parks from the unhappy campers. I really probably won’t notice because of how busy the parks are but I’ll pour out a Dole Whip on Main St to honor everyone who is unhappy.

Jimmy Thick- See you at the Crossroads Crossroads Crossroads...

 

[eliza61nyc]

Well hopefully the people in this thread who have fallen out of favour with WDW for whatever reason they envision choose to be people of their word and truly indeed stay gone. Saying your unhappy with the parks yet booking another vacation right after you click “post reply” looks rather foolish.

I though will enjoy the lesser load within the parks from the unhappy campers. I really probably won’t notice because of how busy the parks are but I’ll pour out a Dole Whip on Main St to honor everyone who is unhappy.

Jimmy Thick- See you at the Crossroads Crossroads Crossroads...

LOL, very true.

What I tell myself and my family is that it's not an "either"/"or" situation. Like many long time park visitors I notice the things I consider lesser but I also tell myself that going anyplace a lot can lead one to point out the differences.

I grew up in NYC, when I was a kid when you went to the theater you got these things called "two-fers". it was a discount ticket for 50% off your next show. this ensured the life of the theater because it was always bringing you back. Now to go to a broadway show can cost thousands of dollars. The cheapest seat for Hamilton is easily 500 bucks.

I also remind myself that I don't have to do Disney the same way. When we first started going we would stay for 10 days, get water park passes and eat every meal on site. Now, 5 days is good for us and we always have a car so we have many dining options.

I don't think Disney was ever supposed to be the "only" family vacation option. Doing other things is great for the soul. I'm dying to get to the national parks.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

I think MDE/FP+ has made for a pretty miserable day in the Disney Parks.

1. It allows Disney to "Right-Size" staffing to make sure every ride has an hour stand-by line.

2. I often find that I have 60-90 waits between attractions, I have already eaten, no desire to shop, all the attractions have 60+ min waits, so I wander around aimlessly on extremely crowded walkways for an hour. Ride a 4 min ride, then wander aimlessly through the crowd for another hour. Rinse repeat.