Magic Kingdom to test earlier closing on Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party event nights

[HauntedPirate]

I honestly feel like people hold Disney to some impossible expectations.

Wait, we can't hold Disney to the standards THEY CREATED THEMSELVES??? Yes, gosh, what are we thinking!?!?!?! From now on, as long as Disney is at least as good at a Motel 6, then by golly that ought to be good enough for everyone.

No one can argue that construction at any resort, anywhere, is inevitable. But guests have a right to get angry when they are forced to book a resort 8-12 months ahead of time if they want anything above an All-Star, but Disney decides to begin construction on their resort and gives 3 months of notice. Disney doesn't care, they already have your money. "Toss'em a gift card that they can only use on-property, that'll shut up most of 'em." It'd just be nice if Disney started treating people like valued guests again, LIKE THEY ONCE DID, instead of lemmings and walking ATM's. The arrogance of the company's management is appalling.

 

[HauntedPirate]

I agree, I just got back from a 5 night cruise and spent one day at MK when we got off the boat. I would have hated to have spent the max price and only left at 6pm.

Well, that's easy to fix, it's as simple as just going to a different park, don'tcha know?

 

[21stamps]

Wait, we can't hold Disney to the standards THEY CREATED THEMSELVES??? Yes, gosh, what are we thinking!?!?!?! From now on, as long as Disney is at least as good at a Motel 6, then by golly that ought to be good enough for everyone.

No one can argue that construction at any resort, anywhere, is inevitable. But guests have a right to get angry when they are forced to book a resort 8-12 months ahead of time if they want anything above an All-Star, but Disney decides to begin construction on their resort and gives 3 months of notice. Disney doesn't care, they already have your money. "Toss'em a gift card that they can only use on-property, that'll shut up most of 'em." It'd just be nice if Disney started treating people like valued guests again, LIKE THEY ONCE DID, instead of lemmings and walking ATM's. The arrogance of the company's management is appalling.

There are a lot of hotels that are the same price, or more, than the great majority of rooms at WDW. So I'm not sure how "Motel 6" has anything to do with my post.

I also don't see how people are "forced to book 8-12 months in advance", maybe I missed that rule. But even if someone chooses to book 8-12 months in advance, it's really not that different than a lot of other places.

Yes, I think people ask for impossible standards out of Disney. I never realized it until I joined Disney forums.. it's very odd, but for some reason people appear to think that WDW really is some Magical Bubble...and anything real world related should never happen.

 

[EOD K9]

Well, that's easy to fix, it's as simple as just going to a different park, don'tcha know?

I do know, but two three year olds want MK. It's a moot point as we were there two days ago and not during MVMCP

 

[HauntedPirate]

There are a lot of hotels that are the same price, or more, than the great majority of rooms at WDW. So I'm not sure how "Motel 6" has anything to do with my post.

I also don't see how people are "forced to book 8-12 months in advance", maybe I missed that rule. But even if someone chooses to book 8-12 months in advance, it's really not that different than a lot of other places.

Yes, I think people ask for impossible standards out of Disney. I never realized it until I joined Disney forums.. it's very odd, but for some reason people appear to think that WDW really is some Magical Bubble...and anything real world related should never happen.

Because if you had been going to WDW as long as some of us have, you'd know that Disney is, or at least was, capable of SO MUCH MORE than they do these days. "Impossible standards"?? THEY SET THOSE STANDARDS!!! Rooms were spotless. Resorts were bright and colorful and clean, as in not a piece of garbage anywhere. There were few, if any, maintenance issues in the parks. If there was a problem you encountered, they went out of their way to make sure you were completely satisfied. Today, that means giving you a couple of FastPasses if you complain about anything and saying "Have a MAGICAL!!! day!" while sending you on your way. Simply put, Disney used to care about guests. And it showed in how guests were treated with respect and shown they were valued, not as walking ATM's being led around by the promise of MAGIC!!! to the next upcharge.

I expect better out of Disney. Period.

 

[ford91exploder]

I see both sides about having a choice, but when I have my cruise booked well over a year out, and my toddler daughters want to hit MK, I don't have too much of a choice.

Exactly your case is exactly what ive been talking about the person who has ONE day at WDW with no control over scheduling and it coincides with a party night. What makes it worse is those days in many cases are in the GOLD pricing band.

 

[21stamps]

Because if you had been going to WDW as long as some of us have, you'd know that Disney is, or at least was, capable of SO MUCH MORE than they do these days. "Impossible standards"?? THEY SET THOSE STANDARDS!!! Rooms were spotless. Resorts were bright and colorful and clean, as in not a piece of garbage anywhere. There were few, if any, maintenance issues in the parks. If there was a problem you encountered, they went out of their way to make sure you were completely satisfied. Today, that means giving you a couple of FastPasses if you complain about anything and saying "Have a MAGICAL!!! day!" while sending you on your way. Simply put, Disney used to care about guests. And it showed in how guests were treated with respect and shown they were valued, not as walking ATM's being led around by the promise of MAGIC!!! to the next upcharge.

I expect better out of Disney. Period.

Yes, my comments must mean that I haven't visited Disney World more than a handful of times. How else could I have a different opinion?
Or maybe.. I've never looked at WDW the way some do. It's a vacation destination, not a magical bubble.. there's people.. and machines ..and animals..and yep- business decisions. Things can go wrong, things can go right. Hours can change, and Disney gives plenty of notice when they do change.
Overall, I still have a wonderful time. If people do not have an overall wonderful time, then maybe it's time to reevaluate vacation decisions.

 

[larryz]

If people do not have an overall wonderful time, then maybe it's time to reevaluate vacation decisions.

I think a lot of people are, and come here to express their disappointment with having to make that decision.

 

[21stamps]

I think a lot of people are, and come here to express their disappointment with having to make that decision.

I can understand that. Fwiw, I had an extremely bad experience at Garden Grill last year.. 1st time that's happened. I can't say that I won't dine there again, but it does make me extremely hesitant to book a CP package at that restaurant for this year.
The thing is though, I realize that not everyone had a bad experience there.. and if someone had a good experience, I don't make a giant assumption and throw out remarks like "well then you haven't been enough". People have different experiences, there are still people who go to Disney year after year and enjoy it.
So the "magic" is not lost for everyone...and things like a one hour earlier closure on MVMCP aren't going to cause a lot of us to change our dates.

 

[rkleinlein]

True to form, two distinct camps emerge in this discussion:

1) Those who defend decisions like this because if guest don't like it they don't have to go to the Magic Kingdom; if they don't want to pay for the up charges nobody's forcing them; it's pure economics and there have always been better experiences for people who can afford it and those experiences in no way impact guests who can't or don't want to pay; if people are too stupid to plan accordingly that's their fault; everyone should quit all their cry-baby complaining. In short, to quote an earlier post, "[We] don't give a rat's behind" about anyone else.

2) Those who question decisions like this because it highlights the trend that Disney is catering to the rich (or people willing to pay more) and repeat customers (who are in the know) while the experience for everyone else (most guests) gets whittled away bit by bit, hour by hour, party by party, bus ride by bus ride. Instead of making things better for everybody, which is what they should be doing (and the way they used to do things), Disney is making things better for a select clientele while everyone else suffers.

I wonder which camp Walt Disney would fall into.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Yes, my comments must mean that I haven't visited Disney World more than a handful of times. How else could I have a different opinion?
Or maybe.. I've never looked at WDW the way some do. It's a vacation destination, not a magical bubble.. there's people.. and machines ..and animals..and yep- business decisions. Things can go wrong, things can go right. Hours can change, and Disney gives plenty of notice when they do change.
Overall, I still have a wonderful time. If people do not have an overall wonderful time, then maybe it's time to reevaluate vacation decisions.

My comment had nothing to do with the number of visits. When did you first visit WDW? My first visit was 1977. I visited regularly for the next 14 years, and have visited regularly again since 1997. So there is history. There is knowledge of how the parks and resorts used to be run. There is a somewhat unique perspective that comes with all that which those who did not visit the parks prior to 2000 do not have, do not get, and do not understand. And yes, there is an emotional attachment, which you do not have based on your comments in dozens of threads over several months.

I could say more but my comments would likely get deleted anyway.

 

[21stamps]

My comment had nothing to do with the number of visits. When did you first visit WDW? My first visit was 1977. I visited regularly for the next 14 years, and have visited regularly again since 1997. So there is history. There is knowledge of how the parks and resorts used to be run. There is a somewhat unique perspective that comes with all that which those who did not visit the parks prior to 2000 do not have, do not get, and do not understand. And yes, there is an emotional attachment, which you do not have based on your comments in dozens of threads over several months.

I could say more but my comments would likely get deleted anyway.

1978 was my first visit.. but it was my 1st birthday, so I don't remember much. My parents continued to take myself, and later my siblings, annually for the next 18+ years. We stayed at Poly year after year, with a couple of Contemporary visits in there.
After I turned 18 and moved away from home, I continued to visit with my friends, then husband and friends, relatively often, for the next 14 years.. especially when I lived less than 4 hours away and spent a lot of time in Orlando.
I took a break from Disney 2010-2014, wasn't ready to do the parent trip just yet..returned in '15, '16, and two upcoming trips this year.

In all of those years Disney World was never our exclusive annual vacation destination, not as a child, not as an adult, and not as a mother.

So there's my Disney connection, if a comparison or base of experience is important to you. Yes, I have an emotional attachment, WDW is an amazing place, I love it, I loved sharing it with my child- bringing my Disney experience full circle.
But no, from what I've read here I don't have the same expectations as what many others have. I won't be going to WDW in 2018..and it doesn't upset me., there are other places that we travel to, other destinations that I want to share with my child.,and unfortunately I don't have unlimited vacation time.

 

[The_Jobu]

You know, it's not necessarily a bad thing to have crazy high expectations of a company. Most business would LOVE to have that. You've cultivated an image where people expect the very best from your company because that's the reputation you've established. It's a good thing.

 

[21stamps]

You know, it's not necessarily a bad thing to have crazy high expectations of a company. Most business would LOVE to have that. You've cultivated an image where people expect the very best from your company because that's the reputation you've established. It's a good thing.

No, it's not a bad thing to have high expectations.. you should have high expectations if you are spending money on a destination. Those expectations still need to be realistic.

 

[The_Jobu]

No, it's not a bad thing to have high expectations.. you should have high expectations if you are spending money on a destination. Those expectations still need to be realistic.

I agree, but other than Katiebug, I really haven't seen many unrealistic expectations.

 

[21stamps]

Does anyone know of party guests can still get in before 7pm?

 

[discos]

Does anyone know of party guests can still get in before 7pm?

Yup, pretty sure party guests can start entering at 4pm!

 

[21stamps]

Yup, pretty sure party guests can start entering at 4pm!

Thank you!!

 

[ford91exploder]

I think a lot of people are, and come here to express their disappointment with having to make that decision.

That describes me, used to be a hard core 'pixie duster' but TDO managed to cure that addiction. Had Disney stuff everywhere in the house now its all in the attic except for the animation cels. Disney clothing went to goodwill.

 

[Pixieish]

I think the buffer is actually a good thing. Seems like a reasonable idea for there to be a transition between the regular park hours and the party hours. Otherwise, it can get really crazy with a flux of people trying to leave the park at the same time the party starts. I am surprised they are only doing this for the Christmas parties.

I do, however, understand the point that regular guests lose time in the MK, especially if there are a lot of parties that week.

Tell me one week this year once the Halloween and Christmas parties started, that there WEREN'T a lot of parties scheduled. We were just down last year and the number of parties was ridiculous then.