My next trip will be my last for a while…

[DarthVader]

Sorry, but it's just mind-boggling to me folks are apparently so displeased with the product yet hang around these parts.

I'm disappointed with what Disney is doing, its impacting my choices on going (read not going), but that doesn't mean I don't like discussing Disney things. Its a free country and I'm free to voice my opinion in both for and against Disney.

 

[Christina M]

I agree with the OP, it seems many comments relating to his post are agreeing, but those who don't, really? stop. the OP is entitled to his opinions and how he feels. no need to trash him or anyone else who doesn't see things your way. he understands and is not pleased with it, so he is taking a break from WDW, so what, he is entitled to feel that way and do so without everyone trashing his thoughts. yes I am a DVC Member and as such visit from NY 2 times a year. the last trip was not as good as pre-covid, but was enjoyable. the magic has diminished somewhat. the fun of watching street performers is not there. the restaurant in HS (PrimeTime Cafe) didn't have the usual interactions of the waitstaff with customers, which was a lot of fun. there is a lacking of the Disney magic and joy that was in the past. I am sure covid knocked out many cast members from returning, and it shows. the other issue is the increase in prices in the gift shops. plus the new look of Mouse Gears, is more like going to a giant store in a mall. yes, my opinions. I save money on buying stuff, use it for the food and drink. this year we have 2 trips planned, (hoping the mask policy is gone forever) and I am counting on, Magic!

 

[Sawdust]

I’m a Disney fan. I’ve been to WDW more than 30 times. I’m a shareholder. I’m the guy friends turn to when they plan trips.

But I’m pretty much done with Disney for a while.

I’m old enough to remember when IP wasn’t smeared across EPCOT. When on-property hotels were both specially themed places and affordable for a family of four. When Extra Magic Hours were, you know, actual hours. When Disney didn’t charge you to park at their hotels. When they picked you up and dropped you off at the airport, and the price of that service was baked into the cost of your stay. When you didn’t have to pay for FastPass. When you got MagicBands. When tickets for special events didn’t run you hundreds of dollars. When you’d never see a burned out light bulb on the facades of the Main Street USA shops, and when the insides of those shops were filled with unique items (like the magic shop). When all of the boutiques inside the EPCOT pavilions had unique and cool items from the countries they represented.

I remember a time when you could immerse yourself in the bubble and forget about the world that went on outside that bubble. It seemed that Disney corporate leadership worked hard to create and maintain that bubble, too.

But those days are long gone, and probably won’t return.

I get that the parks have to adapt to modern guest sensibilities. I get Disney is a moneymaking business.

But what I don’t get is how or why Disney has sucked the magic out of what used to be a special place.

Gone is the importance of the guest experience. Here is the new Disney, a woke corporation that will add their intellectual property to anything and everything, who will burst the bubble of fantasy with the preachiness, posturing, and lecturing of every other modern corporation, and who will charge you hundreds and thousands of dollars for the privilege.

Like sports leagues did to their games, Disney is ruining their products by letting their new corporate ideology permeate the way they operate their parks. Just as I watched a pro football game to escape from the crushing weight of the news, I would go to Disney to enter that bubble of fantasy. But as far as I can tell, that bubble burst and has been replaced by a greedy, unimaginative corporate landscape.

I’m scheduled to next visit Disney World in December. It’s going to be my last trip for a while. I’m showing my dissatisfaction with their woke-profiteering-first, improved-guest-experience-last attitude by taking my dollars elsewhere. If friends weren’t traveling a great distance to meet us there, I’d have already cancelled the trip.

Disney World used to be a magical place. It’s not anymore. It’s a mashup of politically correct profiteering coated with a veneer of intellectual property. And I can’t - and won’t - support it anymore.

It's sad to hear how WDW has been heading in the wrong direction. My wife and I were Disney fans during the Eisner and Iger era, we honeymooned there and probably visited another 9 or 10 times but our children came along and with 2 special needs kids our financial resources and efforts were need elsewhere. Now that the kids have reached an age where going to WDW if feasible we booked a trip for May. Honestly had I done more research I probably would have held off or skipped it all together. For my kids, they've never been to WDW so they have no point of reference, I'm sure they will have a great time but for my wife and I it's been over 16 years and I'm sure we're going to walk away longer for the better days.

As for the Genie app, I work in IT and from a pure technology perspective the app is fantastic, it really is an amazing development achievement but with that said the last thing I want to do on vacation is be glued to my phone trying to score a late night ticket to a LL instead of enjoy the memories we're trying to build. The whole idea of a vacation is to disconnect. The planning process used to half the fun of a WDW trip but I found booking reservations and getting up in the early AM to jump on my phone more stressful than pleasurable. The only way I see things changing is by bringing in new management. I've listened to the CEO and President of Disney and they have no souls. As for me this will be my last Disney trip, I just can't afford it and I don't want to put money in the pockets of people/company I no longer like.

 

[sinead]

It's sad to hear how WDW has been heading in the wrong direction. My wife and I were Disney fans during the Eisner and Iger era, we honeymooned there and probably visited another 9 or 10 times but our children came along and with 2 special needs kids our financial resources and efforts were need elsewhere. Now that the kids have reached an age where going to WDW if feasible we booked a trip for May. Honestly had I done more research I probably would have held off or skipped it all together. For my kids, they've never been to WDW so they have no point of reference, I'm sure they will have a great time but for my wife and I it's been over 16 years and I'm sure we're going to walk away longer for the better days.

As for the Genie app, I work in IT and from a pure technology perspective the app is fantastic, it really is an amazing development achievement but with that said the last thing I want to do on vacation is be glued to my phone trying to score a late night ticket to a LL instead of enjoy the memories we're trying to build. The whole idea of a vacation is to disconnect. The planning process used to half the fun of a WDW trip but I found booking reservations and getting up in the early AM to jump on my phone more stressful than pleasurable. The only way I see things changing is by bringing in new management. I've listened to the CEO and President of Disney and they have no souls. As for me this will be my last Disney trip, I just can't afford it and I don't want to put money in the pockets of people/company I no longer like.

There ARE many ways WDW assists visitors with special needs ( disABILITIES! ) now.
Not sure I'm allowed to link here but there's an excellent ongoing thread on another popular DIS Forum site that is very helpful....especially with all the changes to everything...that keep on changing...with lots of real-life real-time suggestions.

Hope very much you & your family have a VERY magical visit.

 

[TheGuyThatMakesSwords]

Well, we ARE cancelling WDW. DVC owners, with multiple reasons...
1) It's not fun anymore.
2) It's a PAC, not a PARK.
3) Gifting DVC to children that seem to want it... we are hitting 70. If things change? We'll pay RACK, and maybe go back.
4) Airlines - we just can't effectively GET from our MI home to FL anymore.

 

[larryz]

I get that they are extremely short staffed. but when we go we want to experience full on Disney, not half baked crap. in closing, I am grateful that this coming trip in May and Sept will be mask free.

So, you're going back for more half-baked crap?

this year we have 2 trips planned

Twice???

Wow, someone is really moderating the posts here and deleting quite a few of them.

Stay on topic, avoid politics, and don't attack people and 99% of the posts stay right where they were posted. Also, don't openly question moderation -- it's all in the terms and conditions...

 

[Goofyernmost]

Wow, someone is really moderating the posts here and deleting quite a few of them.

Stay on topic, avoid politics, and don't attack people and 99% of the posts stay right where they were posted. Also, don't openly question moderation -- it's all in the terms and conditions...

I don't see that as criticizing or questioning the legitimacy. It is more then likely a statement of fact. They are monitoring, as they should be and do on occasion delete inappropriate posts. I think stating fact is within the guidelines.

 

[Zgore80]

I’m a Disney fan. I’ve been to WDW more than 30 times. I’m a shareholder. I’m the guy friends turn to when they plan trips.

But I’m pretty much done with Disney for a while.

I’m old enough to remember when IP wasn’t smeared across EPCOT. When on-property hotels were both specially themed places and affordable for a family of four. When Extra Magic Hours were, you know, actual hours. When Disney didn’t charge you to park at their hotels. When they picked you up and dropped you off at the airport, and the price of that service was baked into the cost of your stay. When you didn’t have to pay for FastPass. When you got MagicBands. When tickets for special events didn’t run you hundreds of dollars. When you’d never see a burned out light bulb on the facades of the Main Street USA shops, and when the insides of those shops were filled with unique items (like the magic shop). When all of the boutiques inside the EPCOT pavilions had unique and cool items from the countries they represented.

I remember a time when you could immerse yourself in the bubble and forget about the world that went on outside that bubble. It seemed that Disney corporate leadership worked hard to create and maintain that bubble, too.

But those days are long gone, and probably won’t return.

I get that the parks have to adapt to modern guest sensibilities. I get Disney is a moneymaking business.

But what I don’t get is how or why Disney has sucked the magic out of what used to be a special place.

Gone is the importance of the guest experience. Here is the new Disney, a woke corporation that will add their intellectual property to anything and everything, who will burst the bubble of fantasy with the preachiness, posturing, and lecturing of every other modern corporation, and who will charge you hundreds and thousands of dollars for the privilege.

Like sports leagues did to their games, Disney is ruining their products by letting their new corporate ideology permeate the way they operate their parks. Just as I watched a pro football game to escape from the crushing weight of the news, I would go to Disney to enter that bubble of fantasy. But as far as I can tell, that bubble burst and has been replaced by a greedy, unimaginative corporate landscape.

I’m scheduled to next visit Disney World in December. It’s going to be my last trip for a while. I’m showing my dissatisfaction with their woke-profiteering-first, improved-guest-experience-last attitude by taking my dollars elsewhere. If friends weren’t traveling a great distance to meet us there, I’d have already cancelled the trip.

Disney World used to be a magical place. It’s not anymore. It’s a mashup of politically correct profiteering coated with a veneer of intellectual property. And I can’t - and won’t - support it anymore.

Totally agree and looking to do the same after our June visit.

 

[Zgore80]

I’m a Disney fan. I’ve been to WDW more than 30 times. I’m a shareholder. I’m the guy friends turn to when they plan trips.

But I’m pretty much done with Disney for a while.

I’m old enough to remember when IP wasn’t smeared across EPCOT. When on-property hotels were both specially themed places and affordable for a family of four. When Extra Magic Hours were, you know, actual hours. When Disney didn’t charge you to park at their hotels. When they picked you up and dropped you off at the airport, and the price of that service was baked into the cost of your stay. When you didn’t have to pay for FastPass. When you got MagicBands. When tickets for special events didn’t run you hundreds of dollars. When you’d never see a burned out light bulb on the facades of the Main Street USA shops, and when the insides of those shops were filled with unique items (like the magic shop). When all of the boutiques inside the EPCOT pavilions had unique and cool items from the countries they represented.

I remember a time when you could immerse yourself in the bubble and forget about the world that went on outside that bubble. It seemed that Disney corporate leadership worked hard to create and maintain that bubble, too.

But those days are long gone, and probably won’t return.

I get that the parks have to adapt to modern guest sensibilities. I get Disney is a moneymaking business.

But what I don’t get is how or why Disney has sucked the magic out of what used to be a special place.

Gone is the importance of the guest experience. Here is the new Disney, a woke corporation that will add their intellectual property to anything and everything, who will burst the bubble of fantasy with the preachiness, posturing, and lecturing of every other modern corporation, and who will charge you hundreds and thousands of dollars for the privilege.

Like sports leagues did to their games, Disney is ruining their products by letting their new corporate ideology permeate the way they operate their parks. Just as I watched a pro football game to escape from the crushing weight of the news, I would go to Disney to enter that bubble of fantasy. But as far as I can tell, that bubble burst and has been replaced by a greedy, unimaginative corporate landscape.

I’m scheduled to next visit Disney World in December. It’s going to be my last trip for a while. I’m showing my dissatisfaction with their woke-profiteering-first, improved-guest-experience-last attitude by taking my dollars elsewhere. If friends weren’t traveling a great distance to meet us there, I’d have already cancelled the trip.

Disney World used to be a magical place. It’s not anymore. It’s a mashup of politically correct profiteering coated with a veneer of intellectual property. And I can’t - and won’t - support it anymore.

Totally get and agree!

 

[Midwest Elitist]

I don't like the changes that Disney is making.

That being said, as a moderator of a community 20x as toxic as this one, new users to any community should unironically read the rules before complaining.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I have never known this site to delete a post because it said something negative about Disney. If that were the case I would have been banned for life long ago. They do, however, react when things get overly political, religious or nasty to others. I'm not sure what is being referred to as being deleted, but I'm sure it wasn't just for disagreeing with Disney and/or its management.

 

[Zgore80]

Fact... There is no curriculum in any school that teaches those things. Biology is the only one that comes close and if a child asks about it believe they will tell them to ask their parents. So parents need to do their job and have those difficult discussions before they are asked. It is easier to just say nothing, but one way or the other kids will find a way, and it will be from other children, not teachers. Does anyone think that is better? Stupid is as stupid does.

Wrong...I can give you many cases where this is being 'taught'. Washington state, Chicago, California, etc. Florida is just trying to preempt.

 

[Editor516]

I guess this goes to my original point. It’s sad that we can’t just talk about how awesome the parks are, or how we’re looking forward to an upcoming trip. The shift in corporate focus not only affected processes and systems designed to improve the parks and the guest experience, but it is also dividing long-time fans.

 

[The Mom]

It's unfortunate that we are far from the days when a trip to WDW was only hindered by costs, time off, weather and crowd levels. Many guests are weighing the pros and cons and the cons are winning.

 

[mkt]

Oh, darn. One less group of people in line at the parks.

With so many people canceling their trips, maybe I won't let our APs lapse.

 

[eliza61nyc]

It's unfortunate that we are far from the days when a trip to WDW was only hindered by costs, time off, weather and crowd levels. Many guests are weighing the pros and cons and the cons are winning.

I've asked this question for the last 5 years and no one seems to know. If the cons are winning who are all these people packing the parks?? Heck, a number of people in these forums go back.

When exactly is this mass exodus supposed to happen. I'm serious, you really think the supposedly "cons" are winning??
Every year for the last 10 years I've heard HERE about how whatever current gripe is going to be the comeuppance for Disney and every year the parks get more and more packed. So in all seriousness how in the heck are the cons remotely "winning".

 

[mkt]

I've asked this question for the last 5 years and no one seems to know. If the cons are winning who are all these people packing the parks?? Heck, a number of people in these forums go back.

The parents may be ed, but they'll pay for a day at Disney to shut up their kids.

Lots of alligator tears, and lots of hypocrisy.

 

[Zgore80]

I guess this goes to my original point. It’s sad that we can’t just talk about how awesome the parks are, or how we’re looking forward to an upcoming trip. The shift in corporate focus not only affected processes and systems designed to improve the parks and the guest experience, but it is also dividing long-time fans.

 

[Zgore80]

Paying into a system that turns a blind eye or outright contributes so much evil is what this is about. There are bigger issues in the world than whether you had a delay on Space Mountain.

 

[The Mom]

I've asked this question for the last 5 years and no one seems to know. If the cons are winning who are all these people packing the parks?? Heck, a number of people in these forums go back.

When exactly is this mass exodus supposed to happen. I'm serious, you really think the supposedly "cons" are winning??
Every year for the last 10 years I've heard HERE about how whatever current gripe is going to be the comeuppance for Disney and every year the parks get more and more packed. So in all seriousness how in the heck are the cons remotely "winning".

I was specifically referring to the fact that more goes into deciding whether or not people will go to WDW today than in the past, and in many cases the cons are winning. I did not say that they win in every case, and many people do not weigh them at all because, as you say, they are unaware of their existence.

I also do not have the numbers on new versus repeat guests. There are many famous places I've visited over the years that were on my bucket list but have been "one and done" trips due to crowds, admission prices, and entrance procedures, while I would gladly go back to others. Millions still flock to these places, but I don't know how many make repeat visits.