I remember that time, John PH. We waited in line With Everyone Else,, and the lines constantly moved. If a line was too long for us to wait, we just went on to another line. It was more equal for everyone back then. You paid the entrance fee and all else was free. Imagine that. I think those of us who remember those simpler times are the ones most upset about how WDW has changed.
I’m one who remembers those times except we skipped a lot of rides because of the lines. When they started fast pass it was a much better experience for us.
Ask a Disney Focused TA about this. Guest Retention within the company has become a very big focus. They’re loosing a lot of their most loyal and high spending guests…and they know it.
Of course they are; abject greed is not a good look for any company.
I think this was way back before fast pass was even invented. There was nothing to skip lines with back then. There was no other option but to wait in line, and they were always moving, sometimes slower than others, but constant.
They sure are.
We started going to WDW in 1984 as adults; that was way back before fast pass was invented. I know what you're saying, but my experience was different. The lines were miserable and we had people in our party who couldn't stand in them. All these years later, we're those people.
Appreciate your answer. Disney has made atrocious choices going back several years to when they started to charge for resort parking (since rescinded). I called to tell them why I thought that decision would cost them younger customers and all they kept saying was that they were happy the charge wouldn't affect us because we were DVC owners. Then they decided to do away with Magical Express, which was also a benefit used by families with young children.
I don’t think it’s greed as much incompetence. All companies want to maximize profit, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Disney just doesn’t want to or is unable to pull this off without shooting themselves in the foot in the process.
blogmickey.com
I generally agree, although I’m not sure I would go as far as “contempt.”
Been going since 1972 as a 23 year old for me the lines were not miserable-pre cell phones people actually talked while waiting in line ---met a lot of friendly interesting people in those linesWe started going to WDW in 1984 as adults; that was way back before fast pass was invented. I know what you're saying, but my experience was different. The lines were miserable and we had people in our party who couldn't stand in them. All these years later, we're those people.
This, and they have made it very clear they do not want passholders or locals. The stupid reservation system has turned off passholders and the games they play with idiotic good to go days. If they want to block holidays and what not like that fine, but the rest is complete idiocy put together by too many geeks in the kitchen and inept management who doesn't know how to run the parks anymore. But this is how they want it, so I don't want to hear them whine when the local bread and butter quits putting out, which already has to some extent, I know were about done. Its a pain to go anymore.
They’re chasing after a favorable guest mix that doesn’t exist in mass to offset the loss of the lower margin guest. Contrary to what the just graduated MBA who couldn’t find the Magic kingdom on a map would put in a financial analysis for his bosses.
We’re in a similar situation, we used to go to DL monthly (as local APs) and WDW once or twice a year on average… with all the changes the last few years we now vastly prefer cruising or other vacations.Appreciate your answer. Disney has made atrocious choices going back several years to when they started to charge for resort parking (since rescinded). I called to tell them why I thought that decision would cost them younger customers and all they kept saying was that they were happy the charge wouldn't affect us because we were DVC owners. Then they decided to do away with Magical Express, which was also a benefit used by families with young children.
Until COVID, my husband and I visited at least twice a year and took the entire family once every two years. We were happy with FP+ but could already see it cracking under the stress of insufficient capacity. We tried Genie+ and didn't like it; I don't expect the current paid system is going to be much better.
Others have discussed Disney's failed business model in far better detail than I can, but I just don't see the parks coming back from it any time soon, if ever. By the time they do, Disney will likely have gutted their customer base.
DH and I have moved from WDW to cruises for all except our once-every-second-year family vacation. But the family has now expanded to 6 adults and 4 children, 2 of whom are over the age of 3. So the costs of everything this year are going to be pretty high. We will continue with these vacations as long as everyone enjoys them. But I can say unequivocally that if Gran and Grandad weren't paying, no one would be going. And I don't see my kids saving up for an expensive vacation; they'll just move on. So will we - one way or the other.
My husband and I probably won’t return to WDW if it’s just the two of us. We went on our first cruise earlier this year (the Fantasy) and immediately booked another cruise.
I did my first DCL cruise in 2022 (my gfs 2nd) and we had so much fun we bought the 10% off voucher before getting off the ship, we’ve bought that offer every cruise since, this will be our 4th DCL cruise in just over 3 years, we also have a Princess Alaska cruise coming up so I’m excited to see how the other lines compare.
We’re going to have our work cut out for us trying to catch up with you!
