Magic Kingdom currently closed to some guests due to capacity (phase 2) (Wed 29 Dec)

[Midnight Garden]

Sorry Adam...it's clear we did not do exhaustive research before arrival. We feel it's a pity one has to do that...was hoping to show up and have a good time. Certainly not the case, and Disney certainly won't have to worry about us again (or our friends, relatives, etc. for that matter). I thought this was a forum...but am quickly realizing that it's a fan site, and I won't be warning others of the potential pitfalls here. The only people here seem to be employees, or long time Disney customers. Our goal in the post was to warn others so it does not happen to them...sorry to offend all of the die hard Disney employees and long time patrons....but it's not all magical in our view.

Yes, it is a fan site but there's a reason for that. WDW isn't the bad place you're making it out to be. That's fine if you don't like WDW - it's not for everyone. However, you went during the busiest week of the year unprepared. Is it really a fair assessment you have of the place? I think it'd be fair, if you really want to experience WDW - which apparently you did because you booked a trip there - if you book another trip at a less busy time of the year with a bit of an idea of how to tour the place. Then decide if WDW is a good vacation destination for you and your family.

And if you want to warn others: tell them that Christmas Day - New Years Day is the busiest time of the year. If they don't want to deal with the masses, pick another time of the year to go (avoid 4 July week as well). Otherwise go in with a plan and understanding of the place. As I mentioned in my above post - I've been there that week and had a blast. But I knew what I was doing.

 

[aj_steig]

We booked a 7 day Christmas vacation at Walt Disney World and cannot recommend that anyone go there with small children or when the park is busy. We took our 5 & 6 year old children. By day two, they were begging to go home, and crying when we said we were going back to the park. The park was dangerously oversold. We got no indication from anyone that this was the busiest time of the year and Disney failed to tell us that it was, and also failed to mention that they had plans to oversell the park to the point of dangerous overcrowded occupancy. We were unable to ride but one ride per day. It was nearly impossible to navigate the park. There were lines for everything, and lines for lines. We paid $14 to park each day, $8 for a hot dog, and $3.50 for a soft drink (if you can wait in line long enough). Expect about $120/day for a family of four, minimum, in ancillary expenses (that does not include buying gifts). The park staff were stressed and often rude (many of them, not all), and we got trapped behind a parade and unable to leave the park on the first night for 2.5 hours. When we exited, there was mass confusion, inability to see signs or directional issues due to overcrowding. It was very dangerous in our opinion. On the 26th, a man was killed by being struck by a Disney bus....the second person who has died in 2010 from being struck by a Disney bus. Given our exit experiences, we can see how this could happen. In the bottle necks of the park, it is literally shoulder to shoulder, and you cannot have a child walking by themselves. Our son's foot was run over by one of the thousands of rented wheelchairs. I think that Disney has a duty to inform guests, who have never been there, about the possibility that they may not even be able to get into a park over Christmas, much less enjoy any part of it. We asked for a refund and they greedily refused. In fact, a guest services supervisor told me that the overcrowding was my opinion and that they had not even reached maximum occupancy (very scary...wait for photos and you decide). Unfortunately, our view, our kids' view, and the views of everyone that we encountered within earshot complaining of Walt Disney World is that it is dangerous, overcrowded, overpriced, and greedy. This was a first visit for all of us, and we don't plan to go back...ever, and unfortunately Disney has created a very negative image in the minds of our children, despite our efforts to downplay the problems. I will post videos and photos evidencing this debacle once I have them available. I have read many good reviews of Walt Disney World, and we are shocked at just how much things have changed from what we have read. It is our strong recommendation to avoid Walt Disney World for the reasons above. Even if the park were not so busy, their lack of customer service, their disregard for safety, and the greed surpassed all expectations of common sense. All in all, we did not have a "magical" experience.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience and I agree with the other poster that you will have a much better time with a little more research and preparing. I go to Disney on an annual basis now, but I was new to this at one time too and didn't know any better in terms of when to go. I highly recommend the Unofficial Guide, Passporter, mousesavers.com, allearsnet.com, and many of the other fan sites that will give you all the information you need. I love Disney, but I gotta tell you...you couldn't pay me to go during the week of Christmas, the crowds are just too much for me to handle!! :lol: I don't know how the cast members do it....they deserve a medal for having to work through that, LOL! Don't let this one bad experience ruin Disney for you though....if you come back during a less crowded time of year I promise you'll have a much better experience! :wave:

 

[waltsfavrob]

Sorry Adam...it's clear we did not do exhaustive research before arrival. We feel it's a pity one has to do that...was hoping to show up and have a good time. Certainly not the case, and Disney certainly won't have to worry about us again (or our friends, relatives, etc. for that matter). I thought this was a forum...but am quickly realizing that it's a fan site, and I won't be warning others of the potential pitfalls here. The only people here seem to be employees, or long time Disney customers. Our goal in the post was to warn others so it does not happen to them...sorry to offend all of the die hard Disney employees and long time patrons....but it's not all magical in our view.

Scott..hold on..hold on.Don't go away mad,give Disney a chance.You've just got to do a little research and planning before you go to the World.This is the only time of year WE can go because school is out for CHRISTmas.The second time we went from Dec.17th -23rd(2007) and it wasn't so bad until about the 22nd.The 1st time was Dec.26th -Jan.3rd(2005..boy that was hectic).But with the FastPasses and EMHs we managed to do alot.This year was Dec.19th -26th and it started getting real packed about the 22nd,but still did a lot.We were at Magic Kingdom CHRISTmas Day,EMH was morning(7am to 8am)...missed it but arrived about 8:45.Rode Space Mt. twice,had breakfast,Big Thunder twice,Jungle Cruise,Pirates and TTA once before noon. So go,try again,do research,go during a less busy time(kids are young enough to take out of school a couple of days) and the bug WILL hit ya.

 

[aj_steig]

Scott..hold on..hold on.Don't go away mad,give Disney a chance.You've just got to do a little research and planning before you go to the World.This is the only time of year WE can go because school is out for CHRISTmas.The second time we went from Dec.17th -23rd(2007) and it wasn't so bad until about the 22nd.The 1st time was Dec.26th -Jan.3rd(2005..boy that was hectic).But with the FastPasses and EMHs we managed to do alot.This year was Dec.19th -26th and it started getting real packed about the 22nd,but still did a lot.We were at Magic Kingdom CHRISTmas Day,EMH was morning(7am to 8am)...missed it but arrived about 8:45.Rode Space Mt. twice,had breakfast,Big Thunder twice,Jungle Cruise,Pirates and TTA once before noon. So go,try again,do research,go during a less busy time(kids are young enough to take out of school a couple of days) and the bug WILL hit ya.

Agreed! Once you have that great experience, you'll be hooked just like the rest of us! :wave:

 

[atsolomon]

That's precisely like going to a foreign country without having done your homework ahead of time. It reminds me of the American tourists in Paris who couldn't be bothered to learn how to say "excuse me, do you speak English" in French and then complained that the Parisians were rude to them.

Disney World is a very complicated and at times stressful vacation. If you wanted to do something cheap that didn't require planning, you should have gone elsewhere.

If it was worth saving up to do and noting that the guide book you bought is a tome, it was probably worth actually reading the guidebook.

This doesn't excuse cast members being rude to you, but to complain that it was crowded when you went to WDW at the busiest time of the year is inane.

--Adam

Sorry Adam...it's clear we did not do exhaustive research before arrival. We feel it's a pity one has to do that...was hoping to show up and have a good time. Certainly not the case, and Disney certainly won't have to worry about us again (or our friends, relatives, etc. for that matter). I thought this was a forum...but am quickly realizing that it's a fan site, and I won't be warning others of the potential pitfalls here. The only people here seem to be employees, or long time Disney customers. Our goal in the post was to warn others so it does not happen to them...sorry to offend all of the die hard Disney employees and long time patrons....but it's not all magical in our view.

 

[waltsfavrob]

Scott..just realized you paid for parking each day. Did you stay off-site?

 

[panther726]

Thank you Unkadug...we did buy "Walt Disney World with Kids", but did not thoroughly read it...it was a tome (we admittedly skimmed it). We were more excited by the notion of being able to go. I worked right up until the day we left, and we did not know we couldn't just buy a ticket and show up to have a good time. We have some theme parks near us...nothing like WDW though. Yes, we were very unprepared. But we were not aware of the preparation needed really. Sort of feel let down by Disney that this happened...and still can't get over how terribly overcrowded the parks were....seems to all come down to that issue in my mind. No matter how prepared one is, I simply don't know how you could enjoy yourself when it's that packed. The employees looked stressed out. I think they should just charge more, or stop selling tickets at some point. Either way, thanks for the advice.

I'm sorry you didn't have a great time. But we were there the 17th-26th, and thought that the crowds weren't nearly as bad as we thought they were going to be. Of course, we were prepared and go every year. But to be "let down by Disney" because you made a decision to show up at the spur of the moment and buy tickets and expect to have a good time is ridiculous.

 

[cr3346]

we booked a 7 day christmas vacation at walt disney world and cannot recommend that anyone go there with small children or when the park is busy. We took our 5 & 6 year old children. By day two, they were begging to go home, and crying when we said we were going back to the park. The park was dangerously oversold. We got no indication from anyone that this was the busiest time of the year and disney failed to tell us that it was, and also failed to mention that they had plans to oversell the park to the point of dangerous overcrowded occupancy. We were unable to ride but one ride per day. It was nearly impossible to navigate the park. There were lines for everything, and lines for lines. We paid $14 to park each day, $8 for a hot dog, and $3.50 for a soft drink (if you can wait in line long enough). Expect about $120/day for a family of four, minimum, in ancillary expenses (that does not include buying gifts). The park staff were stressed and often rude (many of them, not all), and we got trapped behind a parade and unable to leave the park on the first night for 2.5 hours. When we exited, there was mass confusion, inability to see signs or directional issues due to overcrowding. It was very dangerous in our opinion. On the 26th, a man was killed by being struck by a disney bus....the second person who has died in 2010 from being struck by a disney bus. Given our exit experiences, we can see how this could happen. In the bottle necks of the park, it is literally shoulder to shoulder, and you cannot have a child walking by themselves. Our son's foot was run over by one of the thousands of rented wheelchairs. I think that disney has a duty to inform guests, who have never been there, about the possibility that they may not even be able to get into a park over christmas, much less enjoy any part of it. We asked for a refund and they greedily refused. In fact, a guest services supervisor told me that the overcrowding was my opinion and that they had not even reached maximum occupancy (very scary...wait for photos and you decide). Unfortunately, our view, our kids' view, and the views of everyone that we encountered within earshot complaining of walt disney world is that it is dangerous, overcrowded, overpriced, and greedy. This was a first visit for all of us, and we don't plan to go back...ever, and unfortunately disney has created a very negative image in the minds of our children, despite our efforts to downplay the problems. I will post videos and photos evidencing this debacle once i have them available. I have read many good reviews of walt disney world, and we are shocked at just how much things have changed from what we have read. It is our strong recommendation to avoid walt disney world for the reasons above. Even if the park were not so busy, their lack of customer service, their disregard for safety, and the greed surpassed all expectations of common sense. All in all, we did not have a "magical" experience.

actually, we must be idiots, thanks for pointing that out. I'll have myself checked to see if i'm turning into a troll. We have never been to disney, figured it would be accessible with manageable lines, and safe. Our first visit, remember. And, you must be a disney employee, or you would not be so offended by our review. We saved for this vacation for a long time and were let down...and the treatment, professionalism, and maturity was much like the language that you have demonstrated here. Sorry our opinion is different from yours. I read it again, like you suggested, and feel the same...and feel it is an accurate review of the experience and the park. And sorry we have aired our frustration with your park. And by the way, that x stands for christ. And our movie theaters and theme parks don't charge anywhere near $8 for a hot dog...not sure where you are going. Merry christmas and happy new year.

P.s. Just looked at some of your other posts...and you "are" a long time disney employee by your own admission. That makes us more shocked then by your behavior, language, references to mentally handicapped people, condescending tone, etc. Just another reason why we likely had the experience we had. It seems that disney employee values have degraded to that of the content of your post reply. Take it from a guy who has been in the "people" business for a long time. You should not view your job as an "us against them", as it seems you do (from a review of other posts). Customers are the reason you have your job....and we do have views, opinions, etc....and we don't know things you do (because you work there) like what in the world a phase 3 is.

roflirl

 

[wm49rs]

I wish you had of joined this site BEFORE you went. There is a wealth of information here, and really are a lot of good people here who would have been happy to give you some wise words of advice.

I know that seems hard to believe with the welcome you just received...but it's true all the same.

Stick around for a while and you'll be planning another trip before you know it and it will be a totally different experience.

I agree with Unk here. Not only can the most novice of visitors find out practically anything they would need for a trip, but there's plenty of good people here who are willing to share what they know to help you plan as well.

And in time, you'll learn which trolls to ignore. It's not really not that hard....

 

[Magenta Panther]

Sorry Adam...it's clear we did not do exhaustive research before arrival. We feel it's a pity one has to do that...was hoping to show up and have a good time. Certainly not the case, and Disney certainly won't have to worry about us again (or our friends, relatives, etc. for that matter). I thought this was a forum...but am quickly realizing that it's a fan site, and I won't be warning others of the potential pitfalls here. The only people here seem to be employees, or long time Disney customers. Our goal in the post was to warn others so it does not happen to them...sorry to offend all of the die hard Disney employees and long time patrons....but it's not all magical in our view.

Hi, Scott and Jaime!

You know, WDW can be hard on kids even when it's NOT crowded. In fact I've thought sometimes that the place is, um, too GOOD for kids, because in some ways they're unable to appreciate it fully. The thing is, it's so easy to get tired. There's a LOT of walking, and a LOT of standing sometimes. And there's incredible excitement and incredible eye candy everywhere - it can be pretty overwhelming for any kid at any time of year. However, the TIME of year you visit really makes a difference. I try to schedule my visits in either April or September/October - the crowds are really decent at those times, and so is the weather, usually (although you can get some rain in October in Florida). And if you go in October, there are great Halloween events going on, even trick or treating for kids in the parks! So, if you plan to visit WDW again, you might try booking during the times of year I mentioned. And plan, plan, plan! Try not to do too much at once - I know it's a terrible temptation, but there's no point in getting worn out, it just spoils the fun. And it can KILL your feet, trust me. Anyway, hope you give the World another try someday, and have a better time then. WDW is really a wonderful place, which is why it gets so crowded from time to time. It's a victim of its own success.

 

[RobGraves]

Actually, we must be idiots, thanks for pointing that out. I'll have myself checked to see if I'm turning into a troll. We have never been to Disney, figured it would be accessible with manageable lines, and safe. Our first visit, remember. And, you must be a Disney employee, or you would not be so offended by our review. We saved for this vacation for a long time and were let down...and the treatment, professionalism, and maturity was much like the language that you have demonstrated here. Sorry our opinion is different from yours. I read it again, like you suggested, and feel the same...and feel it is an accurate review of the experience and the park. And sorry we have aired our frustration with your park. And by the way, that X stands for Christ. And our movie theaters and theme parks don't charge anywhere near $8 for a hot dog...not sure where you are going. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

P.S. Just looked at some of your other posts...and you "are" a long time Disney employee by your own admission. That makes us more shocked then by your behavior, language, references to mentally handicapped people, condescending tone, etc. Just another reason why we likely had the experience we had. It seems that Disney employee values have degraded to that of the content of your post reply. Take it from a guy who has been in the "people" business for a long time. You should not view your job as an "us against them", as it seems you do (from a review of other posts). Customers are the reason you have your job....and we do have views, opinions, etc....and we don't know things you do (because you work there) like what in the world a Phase 3 is.

1. The last time I worked for disney on any sort of regular basis flip cell phones were new and cool. I work making fat slobs run off their glutton guts. Not for Disney. Dealing with whining masses drove me out of hospitality.

2. Im a Jew... so we will just leave the X in Xmas as meaning X.... im also a non believer so we can make it mean (non existent)

4. Disney charges 4.57 for a hot dog at Casey's. I was there the other day.

5. It's not Disney's fault you went on vacation and didnt research. I wouldnt travel anywhere without doing research first. Your lack of foresight isnt anyone fault but your own... personal responsibility.

6. Welcome to WDW magic.

 

[Captain Chaos]

Wait... So Scott and Jamie went to WDW during the busiest times of the year, had a terrible time, and, upon arriving home, decided to join WDWMagic and complain... All the while admitting to NOT researching before they went...

So, let me get this straight... They didn't have time to prepare PROPERLY for their trip... But they suddenly have time to join a WDW fan site and post a tome complaining about their experience???? So they JUST found this site??? They couldn't have found this site or one of the hundreds of site out there PRIOR to their trip?? They just so happen to find WDWMagic upon their return home?? They couldnt take 10 minutes of their ever so busy lifestyle to read WDW For Kids book... But they have the time to join WDWMagic AFTER their trip and post rantings.. HMMMMMMMM...

I smell troll.. end of story...

 

[RobGraves]

Wait... So Scott and Jamie went to WDW during the busiest times of the year, had a terrible time, and, upon arriving home, decided to join WDWMagic and complain... All the while admitting to NOT researching before they went...

So, let me get this straight... They didn't have time to prepare PROPERLY for their trip... But they suddenly have time to join a WDW fan site and post a tome complaining about their experience???? So they JUST found this site??? They couldn't have found this site or one of the hundreds of site out there PRIOR to their trip?? They just so happen to find WDWMagic upon their return home?? They couldnt take 10 minutes of their ever so busy lifestyle to read WDW For Kids book... But they have the time to join WDWMagic AFTER their trip and post rantings.. HMMMMMMMM...

I smell troll.. end of story...

thats what i said in my first reply... reeks of troll.

 

[dixiegirl]

Sorry Adam...it's clear we did not do exhaustive research before arrival. We feel it's a pity one has to do that...was hoping to show up and have a good time. Certainly not the case, and Disney certainly won't have to worry about us again (or our friends, relatives, etc. for that matter). I thought this was a forum...but am quickly realizing that it's a fan site, and I won't be warning others of the potential pitfalls here. The only people here seem to be employees, or long time Disney customers. Our goal in the post was to warn others so it does not happen to them...sorry to offend all of the die hard Disney employees and long time patrons....but it's not all magical in our view.

I'll add in here and say I'm sorry that your family's first trip to Disney was bad...But you know, give it another try...Yes Christmas there is an insane time of year, But you would not know until either you seen for yourselves or read online or heard from a friend....I get it! Yes this site here(which I love ) people get very protected over their beloved place( yes me included.)

But in all honesty people not everyone thinks" Hmmmm Maybe I should research, whether by book or online....
We started going to dinsey back in Sept 96. Never looked at anything and honestly our travel agent at the time did'nt say anything about that time of year and back then looking online , well, I don't even think we had a computer.
But anyway we found out that it was one of the best times to go. Slow, great weather great resort(POR)...But like I said we had no clue.....

Yes I will jump in with the prices as well...I hate to say it but yeah your at Disney , which your gonna pay whether its $3 for water or $25 for a childs tshirt....Yes at home you would never pay that but Disney kinda has you by the, Well you know....
But really , wait a little try again, hopefully it'll be a better experience!Oh and
try not let some of the trolls here bother you.....Their just a tad overprotective of their baby

 

[dixiegirl]

Oh and have a Magical Day!!!

 

[dixiegirl]

Dear lord, as I just explained this whole story (she asked what I was writing about)to my 11year old she basiclly agreed with every else here..Her exact words were Reseach People, Research! This coming from a child who has been brainwashed into Disney since she was one, going ever year.Shes a walking Disney Dictionary.....A very protective one!

 

[The Mom]

I can understand the frustration, but as so many others have pointed out, if you're going someplace new, and it's costing a lot of money, it's smart to do some research.

But there is no excuse for rudeness in pointing this out.

 

[The Mom]

We booked a 7 day Christmas vacation at Walt Disney World and cannot recommend that anyone go there with small children or when the park is busy. We took our 5 & 6 year old children. By day two, they were begging to go home, and crying when we said we were going back to the park. The park was dangerously oversold. We got no indication from anyone that this was the busiest time of the year and Disney failed to tell us that it was, and also failed to mention that they had plans to oversell the park to the point of dangerous overcrowded occupancy. We were unable to ride but one ride per day. It was nearly impossible to navigate the park. There were lines for everything, and lines for lines. We paid $14 to park each day, $8 for a hot dog, and $3.50 for a soft drink (if you can wait in line long enough). Expect about $120/day for a family of four, minimum, in ancillary expenses (that does not include buying gifts). The park staff were stressed and often rude (many of them, not all), and we got trapped behind a parade and unable to leave the park on the first night for 2.5 hours. When we exited, there was mass confusion, inability to see signs or directional issues due to overcrowding. It was very dangerous in our opinion. On the 26th, a man was killed by being struck by a Disney bus....the second person who has died in 2010 from being struck by a Disney bus. Given our exit experiences, we can see how this could happen. In the bottle necks of the park, it is literally shoulder to shoulder, and you cannot have a child walking by themselves. Our son's foot was run over by one of the thousands of rented wheelchairs. I think that Disney has a duty to inform guests, who have never been there, about the possibility that they may not even be able to get into a park over Christmas, much less enjoy any part of it. We asked for a refund and they greedily refused. In fact, a guest services supervisor told me that the overcrowding was my opinion and that they had not even reached maximum occupancy (very scary...wait for photos and you decide). Unfortunately, our view, our kids' view, and the views of everyone that we encountered within earshot complaining of Walt Disney World is that it is dangerous, overcrowded, overpriced, and greedy. This was a first visit for all of us, and we don't plan to go back...ever, and unfortunately Disney has created a very negative image in the minds of our children, despite our efforts to downplay the problems. I will post videos and photos evidencing this debacle once I have them available. I have read many good reviews of Walt Disney World, and we are shocked at just how much things have changed from what we have read. It is our strong recommendation to avoid Walt Disney World for the reasons above. Even if the park were not so busy, their lack of customer service, their disregard for safety, and the greed surpassed all expectations of common sense. All in all, we did not have a "magical" experience.

I have bolded the remarks that triggered the defensive responses. Most of the people here are NOT current or former CMS, but just people who like to vacation at WDW, and enjoy discussing it. Most of us have been multiple times without encountering the problems you've mentioned.

We are not discounting your negative experience, but you are not telling us anything we don't already know - WDW at Christmas time is incredibly crowded, and most of us would rather have a couple of root canals rather than go at this time of year. And those of us who must go, know that it can be even more unpleasant if we don't plan for it.

 

[devoy1701]

I feel inferior...someone who has been to WDW once knows the place better than we do and has discovered that it is a horrible place!

we've all been brainwashed by the mouse!

 

[Brian Noble]

May I suggest that you buy the Unofficial Guide To Walt Disney World before your next visit.

I second this. Or, perhaps, a subscription to TourGuideMiKE.

I've not done Hell Week Insanity yet, but have been during peak summer and President's Week. Having a plan makes all the difference in the World.

What's more, and amazingly, a lot of people who go during Hell Week without a plan still manage to have a good time. My brother once went to Disneyland with his two very young sons. On December 28th. They arrived at 10AM with no plan. They saw three "attractions" (including a Pooh M&G), the parade, had lunch, and left. In short, they did everything wrong it is possible to do, but still had enough of a good time that they went back the next year---but, this time, with a subscription to RideMax that I bought them for the holidays.