Is a WDW vacation worth it now?

[Dreaming of Disney World]

I'm a huge WDW fan. When we last took the kids in 2019 we booked a bounce back offer for 2020. But we never went due to covid. We pushed it back to 2021 and then again to 2022. Well now the time has come to decide if we will go. We are all vaccinated now, so I would be okay with us going. But the rest of my family is concerned that the trip won't be fun due to genie and having to wait in long lines. Previously I was an expert at using fastpass, and we never waited in long lines. I just kept getting fast passes all day long. It was great. But I keep hearing that people are only going on a handful of rides due to genie availability, and lines are long. Is this still the case? We would be going the week of August 6th. My kids do not want to spend their whole days waiting in long lines. They say they don't want to go if that's the case. They would prefer having an outdoors vacation in the White Mountains in NH which is what we did last year. My husband agrees with them but also knows I really want to go to Disney and feels bad that we had go keep putting off the trip. The NH vacation would cost half the price, but Disney World is my favorite place, and I really want to go. My husband says he keeps hearing it's horrible now.

So would Disney World be fun or horrible? Is the money and experience worth it?

 

[yensid1967]

For those who have done a lot of analysis of the various 'skip the lines' systems (FP, Maxpass, FP+, G+, etc) I'm curious about what would have happened if they had kept the FP+ system as it was, but charged for it? It seems like it solves a few of the issues/problems with both of them.

"
FREE FP's system would be better, like it was! Riding a theme park ride is a privilege AFTER you pay your admission price! There should be no extra costs to ride the rides you have already paid for!
BUT...if I want to ride a certain ride (7DMT, SPACE MTN, HAUNTED MANSION, JUNGLE CRUISE, PotC, BTMRR, SPLASH MTN) I would pay extra as a FP+ service to ride during my park day! That's my simple answer to GENIE+...everyone should be happy then!? But probably not!

This seems to solve the GENIE+ problem! Disney website stated that GENIE+ was to eliminate crowded ques and maximize social distancing! Those days are over and now we are stuck with a paid system...until enough guests complain and hopefully bring back FP, even as a paid system...it could solve the problems of GENIE+

 

[Jedi Osborn]

I guess to get back to the OP, it's an individual choice, based on cost, time, and your desire to work with potential crowds. It's worth it if you think it is. That doesn't help at all, but it's kinda the way it is. Only you can answer it.

I think it's harder for me now since I remember lower crowds, higher (but not insane) prices, and more....idk perks? fun? magic?

Another point that I believe drives it all home, WDW is adding MORE hotel rooms with the Poly Tower, right? I don't have the numbers, but I'd be curious to know how many rooms they've added in the last few years with Rivera, Bay Lake Tower and now the Poly Tower. Yet the park sizes have increased at all.

 

[LittleMerman]

If your family is expecting to not wait for any ride, they're not going to enjoy it. Even with Genie+ you only get to ride each ride once and not every ride is available. You also don't get to use unlimited G+ reservations because of availability. It definitely helps though. I used it last month and felt like it was worth it in each park just to save time waiting. But you won't be able to ride every ride in the park with it. We still had to wait some.

 

[DarthVader]

I think it's harder for me now since I remember lower crowds, higher (but not insane) prices, and more....idk perks? fun? magic?

For my family and I, its the fact that any new WDW vacation will be measured against prior vacations, and the last couple of vacations really out did the prior one, that is each one successfully was better.

The problem I'm facing now is how do we enjoy a WDW vacation when we had such fond memories. While we dealt with the crowds, I'm hearing some significant horror stories. I've had some friends return from WDW this past February, and they had a good time, but it was more of a good time because they got away, and not because it was a magical disney experience. Quite the contrary, they were surprised the food cost more, you got less. The lines were long and the place felt too crowded. From what I'm hearing from him, is that the kids enjoyed the resort off property more then the parks.

 

[yensid1967]

For my family and I, its the fact that any new WDW vacation will be measured against prior vacations, and the last couple of vacations really out did the prior one, that is each one successfully was better.

The problem I'm facing now is how do we enjoy a WDW vacation when we had such fond memories. While we dealt with the crowds, I'm hearing some significant horror stories. I've had some friends return from WDW this past February, and they had a good time, but it was more of a good time because they got away, and not because it was a magical disney experience. Quite the contrary, they were surprised the food cost more, you got less. The lines were long and the place felt too crowded. From what I'm hearing from him, is that the kids enjoyed the resort off property more then the parks.

Exactly! Disney has lost some or all of their magic! They are focused on making money! While that's not a bad thing, when do you stop and say "our guests are faithful and will pay what we say, but maybe we need to be offering a lot more in the little things like parades, shows, streetainment?"
For me, I do not thing that the current executives will go that route, until they realize that Disney is getting a big bad reputation in regards to the park prices, food quality/quantity/way you purchase food, and the quality of the experience. GENIE+ is a bad spot for a lot of guests! Yes, their are 50% of guests buying GENIE+, but there is the other 50% NOT BUYING IT! Getting rid of FP+ was the worst idea they every had! It controlled the crowds so that they were dispersed across the park, you were certain to get what FP you wanted during the day and it was free. Now, you have to be constantly on your cellphone and stuck to it like gum on a shoe! Meanwhile, you are not seeing the beauty of the parks!
I still say offer FREE FP for every ride, with the exception of the popular rides and charge a fee PER RIDE (popular) This way, the guests gets what they pay for and has a better chance to ride all their must do rides!

 

[Jedi Osborn]

I've found that a WDW vacation is a lot like Christmas. You get super excited for it, count down the days and then it happens. And when it does, it's never quite the same as the last one, it never quite FEELS as good. There are problems you don't remember from last time.
But then you get home (or Christmas season is over) and the negative stuff kinda fades away and you're left with the good memories.

That is until recently. The negative stuff seems to linger longer with the WDW trips. I feel bad throwing all the blame their way. Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm getting too old, maybe times are changing and I'm not changing with them. idk. I just know my drive to go back, and the reality of being back aren't quite in sync anymore.

The trouble is, the parks are still packed. The money is coming in fast and furious. So if they lose people, like us, it literally doesn't matter AT ALL. We can whine about the old days and g+, and anything like that and we're just wasting our keystrokes. But it does help to know there are people who feel the same way.

Thanks for letting me vent.

 

[yensid1967]

I've found that a WDW vacation is a lot like Christmas. You get super excited for it, count down the days and then it happens. And when it does, it's never quite the same as the last one, it never quite FEELS as good. There are problems you don't remember from last time.
But then you get home (or Christmas season is over) and the negative stuff kinda fades away and you're left with the good memories.

That is until recently. The negative stuff seems to linger longer with the WDW trips. I feel bad throwing all the blame their way. Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm getting too old, maybe times are changing and I'm not changing with them. idk. I just know my drive to go back, and the reality of being back aren't quite in sync anymore.

The trouble is, the parks are still packed. The money is coming in fast and furious. So if they lose people, like us, it literally doesn't matter AT ALL. We can whine about the old days and g+, and anything like that and we're just wasting our keystrokes. But it does help to know there are people who feel the same way.

Thanks for letting me vent.

WELL SAID! If guests are truly upset with how things are, the ONLY WAY it will get through to Disney is when it starts to see their cash cow start drying up! That's when they will "LOOK" at things!

 

[jimbojones]

many of you seem to be older adults. It's ok to have outgrown a theme park and for your tastes to have changed. I am having trouble discerning how much of the unhappiness is because of the crowds and whatnot and how much is just folks who are burnt out of Disney, or have outgrown it. That is hard in a forum like this, where for as long as I have visited it, it has been full of complaints and statements about how much better it was in the old days. I have made some of those complaints myself...
A better measure might be whether or not less rabid fans are leaving wdw unhappy or disappointed in higher numbers than in years past.

I have young kids and I know they will be very happy about an upcoming wdw trip. I also suspect I will find it less fun than I did as a kid myself, or even as a younger adult. Some of that is my age and some if it is from an expectation of crowds and money grubbing. But I am still looking forward to it and when the kids are no longer interested we'll move on to other things and that's ok. The world is big with lots of people to meet and places to visit.

But yeah I too am terrified of feeling like I wasted money based on what I have been reading...

 

[Jedi Osborn]

many of you seem to be older adults. It's ok to have outgrown a theme park and for your tastes to have changed. I am having trouble discerning how much of the unhappiness is because of the crowds and whatnot and how much is just folks who are burnt out of Disney, or have outgrown it. That is hard in a forum like this, where for as long as I have visited it, it has been full of complaints and statements about how much better it was in the old days. I have made some of those complaints myself...
A better measure might be whether or not less rabid fans are leaving wdw unhappy or disappointed in higher numbers than in years past.

I have young kids and I know they will be very happy about an upcoming wdw trip. I also suspect I will find it less fun than I did as a kid myself, or even as a younger adult. Some of that is my age and some if it is from an expectation of crowds and money grubbing. But I am still looking forward to it and when the kids are no longer interested we'll move on to other things and that's ok. The world is big with lots of people to meet and places to visit.

But yeah I too am terrified of feeling like I wasted money based on what I have been reading...

That's a very good point and one I've analyzed myself. Am I just whining about the good old days? Am I bitter about Mr. Toad and Journey into your, figment's someone's, imagination? I'd like to think not. I mean yeah, I miss some of the older things like E-ride nights . But I also understand the world changes. It's just so hard to take when something you love and enjoy so much changes for the worse.

And not just the perceived worse like if you compare fireworks shows. I miss Illuminations so much that I won't even learn the name of the new one. But fundamentally worse. Others have voiced the problems with G+ better than I have. Lines are getting excessively long and prices are SO high. Not just Disney high, like...crazy high.

So while do certainly do raise a very good point, I know it doesn't apply in my case.

And I do apologize for adding to the whining. Where else can a WDW fan go to vent frustrations? All the "normal" people out there don't get it. I guess that's what forums can be for. Like minded people to come together. The trouble seems to be, we're all like-minded on the idea that things aren't all that good right now.

 

[yensid1967]

many of you seem to be older adults. It's ok to have outgrown a theme park and for your tastes to have changed. I am having trouble discerning how much of the unhappiness is because of the crowds and whatnot and how much is just folks who are burnt out of Disney, or have outgrown it. That is hard in a forum like this, where for as long as I have visited it, it has been full of complaints and statements about how much better it was in the old days. I have made some of those complaints myself...
A better measure might be whether or not less rabid fans are leaving wdw unhappy or disappointed in higher numbers than in years past.

I have young kids and I know they will be very happy about an upcoming wdw trip. I also suspect I will find it less fun than I did as a kid myself, or even as a younger adult. Some of that is my age and some if it is from an expectation of crowds and money grubbing. But I am still looking forward to it and when the kids are no longer interested we'll move on to other things and that's ok. The world is big with lots of people to meet and places to visit.

But yeah I too am terrified of feeling like I wasted money based on what I have been reading...

I don't go to Disney as often...my last trip was 2013 and next trip is 2026...but just by 'reading' the negative comments about the crowds and GENIE+, is the basis for my 'concerns'. GENIE was started to keep social distancing at 6ft...now that COVID restrictions are being relaxed, the original FP needs to be brought back, but modified! I know Disney will not bring back totally free FP's when they are making money on GENIE+...but FP's could be free for all attractions with the exception of the major popular rides that could be at a LOW COST per ride! If I am paying $15 to ride must do rides, that should be included in the park admission, why shouldn't I get a $15 discount on my admission!? If the popular rides were like $3 each, with a better chance of riding the ride during the day, I would not have a problem. BUT GENIE+ selections open at 7am, from what I have heard and read, all the selections are gone for the day by 7:05-7:15am! THEN you have to pay for LIGHTNING LANES at $15+ EACH! In my scenario, the Lightning Lanes would be FREE FP's and the main attractions would be $3 each,

I don't think I have outgrown the parks or Disney, I see the things that DIsney is doing that don't just jive with me...they are nickel and diming Guests, they are changing everything over to DVC, Disney seems to be switching alot of the hotels to DVC rooms, and soon it will be a DVC resort ONLY! Staying off site is best anyways because Disney is/has out-priced themselves with hotel rooms! When a VALUE resort begins at $150 per night...to me that is not a value! Off site hotel with a hot breakfast buffet each morning is around $80 per night! So why not stay off site and save money to buy more souvenirs...either way...Disney still gets your money!!!

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

many of you seem to be older adults. It's ok to have outgrown a theme park and for your tastes to have changed. I am having trouble discerning how much of the unhappiness is because of the crowds and whatnot and how much is just folks who are burnt out of Disney, or have outgrown it. That is hard in a forum like this, where for as long as I have visited it, it has been full of complaints and statements about how much better it was in the old days. I have made some of those complaints myself...
A better measure might be whether or not less rabid fans are leaving wdw unhappy or disappointed in higher numbers than in years past.

I have young kids and I know they will be very happy about an upcoming wdw trip. I also suspect I will find it less fun than I did as a kid myself, or even as a younger adult. Some of that is my age and some if it is from an expectation of crowds and money grubbing. But I am still looking forward to it and when the kids are no longer interested we'll move on to other things and that's ok. The world is big with lots of people to meet and places to visit.

But yeah I too am terrified of feeling like I wasted money based on what I have been reading...

We are older adults LOL! But we have never tired of WDW with many visits, and being the one that other people depended on for all things disney! However, we have lost the magic that was what made WDW well WDW. Age has nothing to do with it. If disney hadn't made all the negative changes, we would be going every year until we could not go anymore. But we have many great memories to hold us. I do miss it, but I don't miss THIS disney at the present time.