Just returned observations

[jlsHouston]

I see trash, mainly napkins on the ground alot in WS and MK too. I always pick trash up off the ground, and yes gloveless, I got a great immune system and I wash my hands alot....I almost feel it is the one thing I can do to keep Walt's legacy alive is fight litter in the parks. I have always told my kids, you might not be able to change things in a big way but you can always have some sort of a positive impact in a small way and if we all do that it will add up in a pay it forward sort of way.

 

[jimbo mack]

Thanks for sharing.. I'm going in May. The only thing that worries me is the queues and how long they are!

 

[jlsHouston]

Thanks for sharing.. I'm going in May. The only thing that worries me is the queues and how long they are!

They really aren't that bad. They back up at the mountains and look intimidating but they moved fast for us over spring break and it was very packed at MK. Even the Soarin queue too would look like a 15 minute wait when it was actually 2 minutes. The mickey to mickey thing causes it.

Just be careful if you were thinking about using the single rider option because it worked for us at EE, and TT but never at RNRC. I heard later they actually closed the single rider for TT too because the same thing happened there with that line getting longer than the stand by. Tiering is a problem.

 

[Captainvideo]

Hmm.. I guess I haven't noticed any issues with cleanliness?? Maybe it's a reflection on our society just as much as Disney? It seems to me that a lot of people these days are simply lazy and let things fall to the ground and don't bother to pick them up. So it may be a combo of the two.

I agree. They're either lazy or feel entitled. The only cleanliness issues I saw were things left behind poolside by guests; towels, cups, trash. What is the problem with taking care of your own mess when you're finished? The parks have a trash barrel every thirty steps so why do people feel entitled not to take care of their own trash?

 

[wdisney9000]

I see the statement "we had a great time, but..." coming up more and more, which is sad. Hopefully Disney can get rid of those "buts" soon.

Very true. I dont see the "buts" going away anytime soon though. They will only increase. Its funny that soooo many people last year kept saying that all the bugs would be worked out soon and MM+ would be a huge hit. For every ten people that have a complaint there is ONE person who "claims" they had no issues and love it. They also make constant excuses for it and cite the myriad of things YOU should have done to prevent error. They ignore the fact that so many things have been cut out to save money and budgets slashed to the bone so the savings increase the bottom line to make MM+ look profitable. Iger and friends are robbing Peter to pay Paul and laughing all the way to the bank while they are defended by the people who fall for anything Disney tells them to fall for.

I remember when you could just plan a Disney vacation and be excited about it. Now they have people fearing that if you dont plan it 60 days out that you may not get to ride your favorite attraction or little Johnny wont get to meet Mickey. Im also tired of people who claim they no longer have to "run" across the park to get a FP. I never saw ANYBODY sprinting toward Soarin or TT when legacy was around.

 

[rob0519]

There is a current thread on park / ride cleanliness that is getting a lot of responses right now, so I won't say much other than, I've noticed CMs just walk past piles of napkins or cups. I once picked a cup up, put it in a trash bin and asked the young man why he didn't pick it up and he politely told me it wasn't his job. That's what custodial services is supposed to do.

I won't comment on Fastpass+ until my family has experienced it. Hopefully, it will be running smoother by then. Food prices and quality have been concerns of mine for several years and show no signs of getting anything but worse going forward.

I also have an issue with the idea of making an ADR 180 days in advance. Due to my job schedule I can't even make a decision to go on vacation 180 days in advance let alone the exact day and restaurant for a meal, but that's just me. It seems to work for most others.

 

[wdisney9000]

It seems to work for most others.

It only works for others because they have no other option but to book 180 days out if they want that Le Cellier or BoG res. I cant blame Disney either for jacking up prices. If people are suckers enough to pay $65 for a steak then they deserve to be ripped off. A diner for 4 people at Le Cellier with drinks can easily cost the same as an extra night at a resort. I'll eat QS and take the extra night at resort any day.

 

[morningstar]

Im also tired of people who claim they no longer have to "run" across the park to get a FP. I never saw ANYBODY sprinting toward Soarin or TT when legacy was around.

Are those people lying? I sprinted for FPs, not because I was afraid they would run out, but because I wanted to meet up with my party for the next ride they were walking a short distance to, while picking up a Fastpass we'd all be able to use an hour after that farther along. I would certainly have rather walked with them at a leisurely pace and hit a button on my phone.

If they kept the same policy of allowing you to get a Fastpass only when the window for your existing Fastpass begins, and only changed it by adding mobile access, that probably would be better for me. But I guess they also thought people without smartphones would complain, and so they added the capability for advance reservations from a home computer.

 

[morningstar]

I also have an issue with the idea of making an ADR 180 days in advance. Due to my job schedule I can't even make a decision to go on vacation 180 days in advance let alone the exact day and restaurant for a meal, but that's just me. It seems to work for most others.

Is this policy new? I mean I remember when you had to spring to Spaceship Earth and video chat with someone to make ADRs on the day, but that was a long time ago. Making restaurant reservations in advance is pretty standard practice. I can see how 180 days out doesn't work for you. It doesn't work for me either. But what would be better? 90 days? That wouldn't work for everyone either. I give them credit for setting any limit at all, rather than unlimited advance reservations, where people could grab up the tables years ahead.

 

[FettFan]

Yeah. The food prices are crazy even with planning...it seems that the prices listed on the Disney site and in the travel guides are based on the whole menu instead of just the entrees. So theoretically, if there is a $5 salad on the menu, Disney is going to market the restaurant as ($-$$), even if all the main dinner options are well over $30 a person.

My family did Fultons Crab House at DTD in July 2013 and we hit sticker shock once we were seated and given menus. $15 for a bowl of clam chowder and generic crackers? Hell no. Three dollars more could get you a full shrimp dinner in the French Quarter.

The crab legs (whole reason we chose Fultons to begin with) were so pricey that nobody ordered them.

Had the full menu with prices been shown on the website instead of Disney's dinky ($-$$) symbol, we could have better planned our evening.

 

[bgraham34]

That statement right there is part of the problem with WDW restaurants. Guests going to a place like Le Cellier and expecting burgers.

Which is perfectly fine for a lunch menu but not a dinner menu.

 

[amy1985]

We went march 5-9 and when we came back I wanted to write this exact post! We too are WDW veterans and this trip was just a little bit "different".

I knew about the fast passes being limited to one park- we are not planners at all and made the fast passes right before we left the hotel each morning and sometimes we made them from our phones right in the park. They were never really an issue, but it would have been nice to get different attractions in different parks.

For me it was small things that add the "but" to "I had a good time". We had reservations for 9pm at be our guest, we're seated at 9:45 pm and I had salmon with saffron and leek mashed potatoes. I have no idea who would think of putting saffron and leeks in mashed potatoes, but they did and they were awful. Just keep it simple. I agree that the menu is too much for Disney.

The thing that did it for me, and talk about small, is the RFID tags on the bottom of soda cups- the paper soda cups. My husband ordered a soda and I just wanted water, so she gave us two cups. He got soda, I got water. Now, ethical or not, I just wanted a tiny sip of sprite so I went to get some and my cup wouldn't work because it was coded only for water. Then my husband have me his cup (they give you three refills) but it told me I had to wait 23 seconds for a refill- I'm guessing they figured out the average time it takes to finish a soda and put timeframes on refills? It just freaked me out, like I've always known they watch you, but this is a little too big brother.

 

[wdisney9000]

If they kept the same policy of allowing you to get a Fastpass only when the window for your existing Fastpass begins, and only changed it by adding mobile access, that probably would be better for me. .

I agree with this. It would have been a smart move.

As far as running to catch up with your party I never understood the necessity to HAVE TO do everything together. You obviously split up earlier so whats the big rush to meet back up? If Soarin is a "must do" as a group, then dont split up if you have Fp's and there is no need to run across the park. Its not Disneys fault you decided to split up and now blame the need to run back on them, not on your lack of proper planning. Not necessarily you, but anyone who felt they had to race around the parks due to legacy FP. It took basic planning to achieve maximum FP's for the day. Much less planning than MM+ and you didnt have to plan it 60 days out.

 

[Tobe]

It only works for others because they have no other option but to book 180 days out if they want that Le Cellier or BoG res. I cant blame Disney either for jacking up prices. If people are suckers enough to pay $65 for a steak then they deserve to be ripped off. A diner for 4 people at Le Cellier with drinks can easily cost the same as an extra night at a resort. I'll eat QS and take the extra night at resort any day.

I won't make that same mistake twice. Was all excited to go to Le Cellier and ended up paying a mint for the worst steak I had ever had. The other items were okay and the beer cheese soup was excellent but I can get a better steak at cheap places like Outback or Texas Roadhouse. I realize one shouldn't judge on one bad experience but at those prices, I am not going to chance having such a disappointing experience again.

On the other hand, one of the best steaks I have ever had in my life was at the Concourse Steakhouse in the Contemporary Resort not too long before it closed. Wish it was still there to try again.

 

[jlsHouston]

There is a current thread on park / ride cleanliness that is getting a lot of responses right now, so I won't say much other than, I've noticed CMs just walk past piles of napkins or cups. I once picked a cup up, put it in a trash bin and asked the young man why he didn't pick it up and he politely told me it wasn't his job. That's what custodial services is supposed to do.

I won't comment on Fastpass+ until my family has experienced it. Hopefully, it will be running smoother by then. Food prices and quality have been concerns of mine for several years and show no signs of getting anything but worse going forward.

I also have an issue with the idea of making an ADR 180 days in advance. Due to my job schedule I can't even make a decision to go on vacation 180 days in advance let alone the exact day and restaurant for a meal, but that's just me. It seems to work for most others.

Listen I fly by the seat of my pants, and I book these trips to WDW about 75 days out or less. Now I am not sure if it will always be the case with this new MM+ stuff, but so far the March trip booked 55 days out was IMO a wonderful vacation and in spite of FP+ being a pain on some days and a help on others. I have gotten where if I really want BOG ressies I just book them when the 180 day window opens then if I don't go in April but instead in May, I delete the April one so my credit card doesn't get charged. That is really the only TS I care enough to book in advance and honestly we did lunch there last week when we were at WDW and I ended up cancelling my BOG for dinner so we could stay at EPCOT til close the last night on property.

I am now at the point with these trips that I stifle my fear I won't be back soon enough or ever again and I try to enjoy the moments more and not be a slave to ADR's. I am not going to let FP+ dictate my park experience either anymore than I let legacy.

That is sad about that CM who thought picking up trash was not his job....I guess he doesn't know the story about Walt. And too bad, if WDW is not trying to keep the legacy alive. I like to think there are enough of us still visiting the parks and enough CM's working at the Disney resorts and parks that we collectively can and will not ever let the "one man's dream" die into oblivion.

 

[wedway71]

I see trash, mainly napkins on the ground alot in WS and MK too. I always pick trash up off the ground, and yes gloveless, I got a great immune system and I wash my hands alot....I almost feel it is the one thing I can do to keep Walt's legacy alive is fight litter in the parks. I have always told my kids, you might not be able to change things in a big way but you can always have some sort of a positive impact in a small way and if we all do that it will add up in a pay it forward sort of way.

I am the same way! I even go a step further.. which makes my Wife go ballistic. I am a Retail Marketing Executive that has been in retail for 30 years. Not only am I picking up napkins, straws, etc, I am folding shirts and "Facing" displays when in stores at WDW.

 

[jlsHouston]

I am the same way! I even go a step further.. which makes my Wife go ballistic. I am a Retail Marketing Executive that has been in retail for 30 years. Not only am I picking up napkins, straws, etc, I am folding shirts and "Facing" displays when in stores at WDW.

I salute YOU! It's the little things that matter!!

 

[jlsHouston]

We went march 5-9 and when we came back I wanted to write this exact post! We too are WDW veterans and this trip was just a little bit "different".

I knew about the fast passes being limited to one park- we are not planners at all and made the fast passes right before we left the hotel each morning and sometimes we made them from our phones right in the park. They were never really an issue, but it would have been nice to get different attractions in different parks.

For me it was small things that add the "but" to "I had a good time". We had reservations for 9pm at be our guest, we're seated at 9:45 pm and I had salmon with saffron and leek mashed potatoes. I have no idea who would think of putting saffron and leeks in mashed potatoes, but they did and they were awful. Just keep it simple. I agree that the menu is too much for Disney.

The thing that did it for me, and talk about small, is the RFID tags on the bottom of soda cups- the paper soda cups. My husband ordered a soda and I just wanted water, so she gave us two cups. He got soda, I got water. Now, ethical or not, I just wanted a tiny sip of sprite so I went to get some and my cup wouldn't work because it was coded only for water. Then my husband have me his cup (they give you three refills) but it told me I had to wait 23 seconds for a refill- I'm guessing they figured out the average time it takes to finish a soda and put timeframes on refills? It just freaked me out, like I've always known they watch you, but this is a little too big brother.

OMG the RFID cups!! OMG don't get me started. I literally started screaming in Roaring Forks day one when I put my cup on the coke platform and it didn't come out. I didn't use foul language because I was at WDW but I hollered even my DGS7 jumped! I hate hate hate this, I had to pull myself off the RFID soda thread. I am the wicked witch of the north south east and west about this change and I don't think any amount of reason is going to appease me.
What is worse while I was hollering about it not working, DGS7 sticks his under the orange soda and of course no issues.

 

[gooftroop5]

I agree with this. It would have been a smart move.

As far as running to catch up with your party I never understood the necessity to HAVE TO do everything together. You obviously split up earlier so whats the big rush to meet back up? If Soarin is a "must do" as a group, then dont split up if you have Fp's and there is no need to run across the park. Its not Disneys fault you decided to split up and now blame the need to run back on them, not on your lack of proper planning. Not necessarily you, but anyone who felt they had to race around the parks due to legacy FP. It took basic planning to achieve maximum FP's for the day. Much less planning than MM+ and you didnt have to plan it 60 days out.

Just curious if you've ever traveled to WDW with children. It is MUCH easier to have one parent split from the group and "run" to get fastpasses. Getting to a park at RD, being swallowed by the crowd "running" for TSMM is not what I want to put my children through. Therefore, I would "run" to get legacy FPs and meet up with my family over at Star Tours or any other attraction they wanted to ride. This is how it would go for every park. I actually like the idea of not having to drag everyone to RD every morning. Yes, it takes some more planning, but it works for us. I understand it doesn't work for everyone.

 

[FettFan]

I am the same way! I even go a step further.. which makes my Wife go ballistic. I am a Retail Marketing Executive that has been in retail for 30 years. Not only am I picking up napkins, straws, etc, I am folding shirts and "Facing" displays when in stores at WDW.

Bingo. Used to manage a party store, now work at a big box sporting goods retailer (rhymes with "Mass Throw Chops") and I do the exact same thing. Having merchandise out of place or not fronted properly bugs the ever loving crap out of me.