Poll: For those who curbed visits or stopped visiting Disney Parks, what are your top reasons?

[NickMaio]

well said

Disney has done well to capture/instill some pixie dust in all of us and it manifests if different ways. This thread shows that in the embedded emotion in many's post....

While I'd tell you we just tap the Gate, keep our wallets closed, and cringe to think of peeps overspending $$$ on soft drinks, chips, ice cream, we STILL have to hit LeCellier out of nostalgia on many trips....

Alright......we HAD to grab a few Dole whips.
We love the place.....
I have been going for almost 4 decades.
My wife and I are celebrating our 20th anniversary next summer.

The kids and her said we MUST go back to celebrate...
What is a nit picking WDW guy like myself to do....

 

[DisneyHead123]

Many areas are softening for sure.....tons of deals at the ballpark, as well as Dining in both Fast Food and lower moderate sit down types.....

With Disney it comes down to numbers/volume....they had more peeps attending and taken their proportionate (fastball down the middle of the plate here) hit....

Yeah, I’ve definitely noticed this as well. Panera has had some good promotions recently.

With Disney I think a key thing is that they have to add more capacity or else there’s a problem either way. With rides being down and entertainment cut, it feels like they can barely hold the crowds they have, even if those crowds are relatively smaller. While I want their prices to come down, the parks are already a bit claustrophobic and if crowds surged it would get even worse.

 

[Dad 2 M & M]

Alright......we HAD to grab a few Dole whips.
We love the place.....
I have been going for almost 4 decades.
My wife and I are celebrating our 20th anniversary next summer.

The kids and her said we MUST go back to celebrate...
What is a nit picking WDW guy like myself to do....

Our 25th Anniversary was spent at Tony’s….they sat us outside for the perfect view of the Parade(we timed the ressie for the parade and hoped for ideal seating). The GM serenaded us with Bella Notte (“This is the Night” from Lady and the Tramp)….DW cried….never had a bad meal at the Tony’s since

Pixie Dust sounds so mundane but some still believe…

 

[Mark Dunne]

TBH i didnt have a reason, but this leaving out international guest from booking LL passes even though we stay at WDW resorts has really ed me off, so someone staying outside the resorts still get the 3 day advance on me, and don't get me started with VPN this and VPN that, we book DCL , and in 10 days time i can book resort island activities, and dining , so its bull that we cant book ILL passes, the biggest issue is with the so called leaders of this company, so many people wanted Chaepek out, praised the rtn of Mr Iger, what's changed? nothing! Cant even get packages sent to front of the park anymore, surely even the numbers would state that people would be more willing to buy merchandise if they didnt have to lug it round the parks all day, the M.E never will rtn, IMO the leadership team have lost there way, we need another dream team to sort this out, in the style of Walt & Roy or Micheal & Frank , we still love the cast members and the Disney fanbase , people we meet in the parks. I'm sure there used to be a stock near liberty bell as a photo opportunity , i have an idea who to put in them !!

 

[Mark Dunne]

Same top three as most people. I seem to not be very original.

I was already starting to think I wasn't going to go back again after this time, but if I can't get the new multi-pass system to work with a VPN before landing in the US, then that's the final straw for me.

I'm not paying all that money just to not be able to get lightning lanes for the rides I want because they've all been booked up before my arrival.

I've been banging this drum for over a month now, sent e mail to Mr Iger ( no reply ) its a joke! I'm all for looking after American guests, absolutely they should get discounted tickets for sure , plus DDP vouchers free with there stay, but this is just so Wrong, i think it will change though, if we all calmly state this at the front desk, I'm sure that will feed to upper management, or not

 

[John park hopper]

I wish Disney management was listening to all the guest complaints --frankly I don't think they are or care --every email I have sent if I get a reply it is just a form response.

 

[Stellajack]

We had a March '24 visit to celebrate Granddaughter's graduation prior to her resuming a Masters program, but we DO have a visit on the books for Aug. 2025. This past year was consumed by our family with the following major event! Granddaughter #1's marriage! That's my absolutely marvelous DH wiping tears and wishing this day had never come! Just kidding. Plus, we need at least a year's break to just exhale from this past year.

 

[Epcot81Fan]

Complaining is all part of the process......

You never complain about your sports team?.....or do you just stop watching until they make you happy?

I never understood the logic why people thingk you can't complain and go at the same time.

Because when you give them money it reinforces to management that their decisions are good.

Next question?

 

[NickMaio]

Because when you give them money it reinforces to management that their decisions are good.

Next question?

Watching Disney plus....gives them money
Watching a Disney add on tv....gives them money
Watching a forced add on YouTube ....gives them money
Buying a t-shirt or anything Disney related .....gives them money
Watching anything on ABC network or any network they own.......take a guess

So if you can sit here and tell us on a Disney forum that you do none of this .....good for you.

Stop being so black and white.......not going to their parks will do absolutely nothing to their decision making process....
Disney has made it clear they will do what they want.

 

[NickMaio]

I wish Disney management was listening to all the guest complaints --frankly I don't think they are or care --every email I have sent if I get a reply it is just a form response.

I get the same as well.....
In the past. Before COVID a cast member would actually call us about our complaints.

 

[John park hopper]

Watching Disney plus....gives them money
Watching a Disney add on tv....gives them money
Watching a forced add on YouTube ....gives them money
Buying a t-shirt or anything Disney related .....gives them money
Watching anything on ABC network or any network they own.......take a guess

So if you can sit here and tell us on a Disney forum that you do none of this .....good for you.

Stop being so black and white.......not going to their parks will do absolutely nothing to their decision making process....
Disney has made it clear they will do what they want.

Don't do any of that

 

[Epcot81Fan]

Watching Disney plus....gives them money
Watching a Disney add on tv....gives them money
Watching a forced add on YouTube ....gives them money
Buying a t-shirt or anything Disney related .....gives them money
Watching anything on ABC network or any network they own.......take a guess

So if you can sit here and tell us on a Disney forum that you do none of this .....good for you.

Stop being so black and white.......not going to their parks will do absolutely nothing to their decision making process....
Disney has made it clear they will do what they want.

If you buy their product, you are supporting and reinforcing their decisions.

When a product does not sell, profits fall, changes must be made, management is fired, etc.

It’s been the way since the first wheel was sold.

 

[DisneyNittany]

most of the company's management and executives loath the average guest.

Pre-COVID, my two obsessions were College Football and Disney Parks. Now, I've essentially lost all of the passion that I held for both, and it's mostly due to the fact that those in charge either don't understand the product (at best) or flat out loathe me and my peasant family (at worst).

Pre-COVID/Pre-kids, my wife and I both traveled for work, so we had APs and would take advantage of work flex travel to spend countless weekends down there, not to mentioned 1-2 full weeks/year (as well as many other locations).

Now, a lot of things have changed for me as well since 2019 (mainly that I have two kids now), but I hold very little excitement in regards to going to WDW. If it weren't for the nostalgia or my girls, I probably wouldn't go back. My eldest loves it there (obviously), so there is still value in taking her, since we can afford it. Yet, I don't get excited like I used to. I mean, I even loved the preplanning and spreadsheeting. However, now, we just go down without a plan really, since it wasn't really worth it / able to pre-plan much anymore. We have a trip booked for the Fall, but looking to audible to Disneyland, or just head to the mountains instead.

Back in the day, it was relaxing for us. We'd tell people all the time how laid-back a WDW trip really could be. That doesn't seem true now. Either you have to diligently plan AND micromanage by the minute or wing it and accept that you probably won't be able to do anything you really want.

Is it more challenging now with a family of 4, as opposed to just two childless adults? Sure, but I don't think becoming a dad is the reason I lost passion for my hobbies (at least not entirely). It probably has more to do with getting punched in the gut continuously and then be told that puking up blood is part of the experience and then being billed for it.

 

[NickMaio]

Pre-COVID, my two obsessions were College Football and Disney Parks. Now, I've essentially lost all of the passion that I held for both, and it's mostly due to the fact that those in charge either don't understand the product (at best) or flat out loathe me and my peasant family (at worst).

Pre-COVID/Pre-kids, my wife and I both traveled for work, so we had APs and would take advantage of work flex travel to spend countless weekends down there, not to mentioned 1-2 full weeks/year (as well as many other locations).

Now, a lot of things have changed for me as well since 2019 (mainly that I have two kids now), but I hold very little excitement in regards to going to WDW. If it weren't for the nostalgia or my girls, I probably wouldn't go back. My eldest loves it there (obviously), so there is still value in taking her, since we can afford it. Yet, I don't get excited like I used to. I mean, I even loved the preplanning and spreadsheeting. However, now, we just go down without a plan really, since it wasn't really worth it / able to pre-plan much anymore. We have a trip booked for the Fall, but looking to audible to Disneyland, or just head to the mountains instead.

Back in the day, it was relaxing for us. We'd tell people all the time how laid-back a WDW trip really could be. That doesn't seem true now. Either you have to diligently plan AND micromanage by the minute or wing it and accept that you probably won't be able to do anything you really want.

Is it more challenging now with a family of 4, as opposed to just two childless adults? Sure, but I don't think becoming a dad is the reason I lost passion for my hobbies (at least not entirely). It probably has more to do with getting punched in the gut continuously and then be told that puking up blood is part of the experience and then being billed for it.

Nicely put......
I think it's a combination of things.
The big one being that people who are in charge truly don't understand what made the parks great.

Although it does feel personal, doesn't it.....

 

[GigglesMcSnort]

Having just come back from doing both Universal and Disney in the same trip, it's two things (surprisingly not money so much, although it sure was expensive).

One, Universal (and you can substitute most other theme parks here) was just so much more laid back. Get up whenever you want, leisurely have a casual breakfast, wander into the parks (which are next to each other) and use Universal Express Pass (included with a proper premium hotel that costs the same as a "moderate" resort in WDW) to casually go on everything you want in both parks, see a few shows, and have time to go back to the hotel for a nap or evening meal, before coming back into the park. The key word is "casual", nothing needed to be planned. It really felt like a vacation. WDW literally felt like work (including having to be so reliant on my phone for everything). Everything needed to be regimented, and I felt like I was constantly watching the clock (because of Genie+ and ADRs that couldn't be changed within a two hour window), just like I would with meetings in Outlook. Every decision to spend time on something, meant something else needed to be compromised, as if I was working to deadlines. Doing both back to back, the difference was really stark, and I'm not sure I have the energy or desire to ever do WDW style theme parks again.

Two (and I appreciate this is 100% a me problem), now that my family is older, most of the rides just aren't appealing anymore. They're all designed to be suitable for young kids, meaning that even the supposed "thrill" rides are all quite tame (Rock 'n' Rollercoaster and Tower of Terror are notable exceptions). A lot of our enjoyment of the parks was because of nostalgia, and there's only so far that can go. Universal did a much better job at staying engaging for all ages. Yes, there are rides that younger kids can't go on, but so what. There's still enough for them to do and older kids don't get bored because there are real thrill rides to keep them engaged. It all just felt a bit more grown up (in one show they even joked that "this isn't Disney, we don't need to be nice to kids here").

But I didn't see a lot of what people here tend to complain about. Most of the cast members (though there were one or two notable exceptions) were as friendly as always, the parks were clean and tidy, and I thought all the new rides (Tiana, Guardians and Tron) were really cool and well done. I also definitely didn't see the reduction in crowds sometimes talked about here, everything seemed as busy as it's ever been.

 

[Disney4family]

Our 25th Anniversary was spent at Tony’s….they sat us outside for the perfect view of the Parade(we timed the ressie for the parade and hoped for ideal seating). The GM serenaded us with Bella Notte (“This is the Night” from Lady and the Tramp)….DW cried….never had a bad meal at the Tony’s since

Pixie Dust sounds so mundane but some still believe…

I'm so happy for you. I had hoped for something like this when we went for our 25th. We didn't even get a congrats from anyone.

My son had a graduation celebration button on. Throughout the trip CMs glanced at his button and wished him a happy birthday.

It's still our happy place and we still believe in the magic. I just never thought I would associate the phrase - when you don't expect much you're never disappointed - with Disney.

I really am happy for you. Those are the magical moments that make a special WDW trip extra special.
Congrats on your 25th!