Reflections After a Week-Long Solo Trip

GeoffR

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Hello Everyone,

I wasn't quite sure how to approach this, so I figured I would discuss my latest visit to WDW and my overall reflections and opinions of the state of the parks. This is meant to open up the discussion to other's opinions in relation to my experiences and their own and see where it all goes.

Now, you probably read the thread title and were a little puzzled as to why someone would want to be in such a family-oriented area for as long as I was. The short answer is I always wanted to go solo and see what it was like. What follows are my takeaways from the current state of the place I hold so dear to my heart, WDW.

I've been fortunate to visit the parks a lot in my life. I'm 30 years old, and I've been going since 1989. In total, I've been 13 times and have visited the parks in 1989, 1992, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2007, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and most recently 2018. As you can see by the years I visited, my childhood was The Disney Decade; the largest expansion of the parks in history. Throughout my youth, They added two gates, almost a dozen hotels, two water parks, and expanded what is now Disney Springs into what can almost be considered a 5th gate. Needless to say, my childhood was possibly the best time to visit the parks and we did as a family almost every other year. That being said, the standard of WDW is set very high for me personally, and the current state of where things are are naturally disappointing. There are a few factors that contribute to this but we'll start off with the first to get the ball rolling:

Quality

On my week-long solo trip, I really was able to notice a lower quality of upkeep, merchandise, cleanliness, maintenance, and fiscal value. On my very first day there, which was in MK, three E-Ticket attractions had noticeable malfunctions, broken effects, and broken-down animatronics. Now, one attraction here and there is expected, but three, for me, is pushing it. And it wasn't just any-old three, it was Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, and Space Mountain. Three marquee attractions with very prominent issues. Could it just be a bad day? Yes, but IMO that's throwing them a very large bone.
Additionally, there were a lot of dirty looking areas I really noticed. The Robot in front of the PeopleMover is filthy, paint is noticeably faded and chipping on buildings and within attractions, I could visibly see dust on the animatronics on Living With the Land and on the projection screens, the list really could go on and on. It's not what I have come to expect at WDW.
The merchandise selection is really poor as well, not to mention the quality. It's the same merch in every store, with a few exceptions, the theming is irrelvent (fantasyland merch in TomorrowLand...), and the quality in relation to the price is absurd. A graphic T should not be $37.50 with tax...especially when two years ago it was $29.99. What happened in 24 months to raise prices like this? Countless examples of that too. This leads to my next point, value.
If prices went up, and quality was maintained, and all of the above weren't relevent, I wouldn't care. But prices are rises every year on everything including admission. Prices are rising, but there isn't AC in the monorails, and they are literally falling apart. Prices are rising and E-Ticket attractions are so poorly maintained, I don't know how it goes unnoitced by so many. Prices are rising, and you're not offering anything new. IMO Pandora, Toy Story Land are poorly executed copies of HP World in Universal; much smaller, less theming, less shopping, fewer attractions, and yet rising prices....Prices are rising, and you're removing things. One Man's Dream is smaller, Muppet's 3D post show has no Muppet merch and the statue outside is missing figures, Space Mountain post-show is gone...the list goes on.

And yet somehow, the parks are so packed it makes it almost unenjoyable. Somehow the WDC has managed to raise prices, lower quality and offerings, and somehow raise attendance. It's baffeling.

This is post #1 of my reflections, but Im interetsed to see what people think so far.

Geoff
 

Disstevefan1

Well-Known Member
Geoff nailed it. 100 percent correct. Sadly, folks visit WDW a lot through the years like Geoff WILL NOTICE all this. Geoff didnt touch on evolution of the food offerings and prices that has happened since 1989

This really hit me, "A graphic T should not be $37.50 with tax...especially when two years ago it was $29.99. What happened in 24 months to raise prices like this?"

WOW! Disney T-shirt prices has gone up MUCH FASTER than my income!!

I have often wondered who actually purchased these T-shirts in WDW? I purchase my Disney T-Shirts in Wal-Mart and Target...

Geoff also says, "And yet somehow, the parks are so packed it makes it almost unenjoyable." , also sad but very true!
 

drizgirl

Well-Known Member
Geoff nailed it. 100 percent correct. Sadly, folks visit WDW a lot through the years like Geoff WILL NOTICE all this. Geoff didnt touch on evolution of the food offerings and prices that has happened since 1989

This really hit me, "A graphic T should not be $37.50 with tax...especially when two years ago it was $29.99. What happened in 24 months to raise prices like this?"

WOW! Disney T-shirt prices has gone up MUCH FASTER than my income!!

I have often wondered who actually purchased these T-shirts in WDW? I purchase my Disney T-Shirts in Wal-Mart and Target...

Geoff also says, "And yet somehow, the parks are so packed it makes it almost unenjoyable." , also sad but very true!
Whether or not I knew the price of a graphic t-shirt in WDW in recent years, I would still be shocked at a 37.50 t-shirt.
 

KBLovedDisney

Well-Known Member
Yes, I too have seen this and truly it has actually started making me (I can't believe I am saying this) lose a good bit of interest of rushing back to the World anytime soon. DH and I talked about Disney World and its current state for a little bit a couple of nights ago after trying but failing to watch the 90 special on Hulu.

Here are my points on this without the usage of nostalgia specs but just current observances:

@Mr Ferret 88 Insert Popcorn meme here;)

1) OP you got it right about the prices man. It is getting harder and harder to justify their cost and my spending. Yes, food quality and spending was always, I repeat, always questionable but I never complained. However, the park prices, separate upcharges, stupid merchandise going waaay too high, etc. It has become more than just questionable.

2) Quality, again OP, yes. This too has become very sad. TDC seems to be taking on bigger projects and expansions, but they are missing some very fine details that are going awry and causing a lot of Disney fans to become somewhat distraught.

3) Back to money, but this time with architecture. This one is more on a personal basis for me with how they changed the World of Disney. Trying to make things "hip" and easier to sell seems to be their current target. I really feel like we are losing that Disney-esque touch that made things, even like shopping, feel extra special instead of going to your neighborhood mall.

4) To add my other thought, things at Disney are starting to feel "extra" fake. We all know everything was "fake" to begin with like the facades, fake walls, animatronics, etc., but with this trying to get even more money out of their customers, I feel like Scrooge has taken over the company

I agree with you OP, 100%. It truly has become somewhat sad.
 

donnylambb

Well-Known Member
I don't know how they keep up. Millions of people going through and open everyday. Maybe when all the new rides opening over the next few years they will start to pay attention to the things you pointed out. Still love to go but your right there is no excuse to let things fall apart.
 

KBLovedDisney

Well-Known Member
Are you kidding?? I find the exact opposite. People are way more condition to criticize than praise. Not in this case just in general.
I guess it depends the social circles you follow or have spotted, or in my case come from. The ones I have stumbled upon (and family...can't forget the crazies) post nothing but "good this" and "great that" when I know for certain things are terrible behind closed doors. I come from a family who tried to white-picket-fence everything to make things look so perfect that every time they told people just how "good" things were, I would cringe so badly on the inside and grind my teeth so hard that my jaw would hurt the next day from soreness.

However, maybe just maybe they other circles are more truthful. I would gladly accept the truth and be hurt by it than stupid facades that cover up b.s. I get more hurt over fake than I do truth.

Ugh. My emo is very prevalent today.

Or maybe I'm goth.:cautious: Haven't figured that out yet.
 

GeoffR

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Whether or not I knew the price of a graphic t-shirt in WDW in recent years, I would still be shocked at a 37.50 t-shirt.

Yes, things like this have become commonplace. There is a famous statuette of the Partner's Statue. I got one for Christmas in 2014, the price was $150. Now, it's $160. Those prints in Art of Disney, used to be $29.95, not they are $34.95. It's just a few dollars here and there, but over and and over again, while you're raising admission, you're not hurting on attendance, and your quality is going down. It's unreal
 

GeoffR

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I guess it depends the social circles you follow or have spotted, or in my case come from. The ones I have stumbled upon (and family...can't forget the crazies) post nothing but "good this" and "great that" when I know for certain things are terrible behind closed doors. I come from a family who tried to white-picket-fence everything to make things look so perfect that every time they told people just how "good" things were, I would cringe so badly on the inside and grind my teeth so hard that my jaw would hurt the next day from soreness.

However, maybe just maybe they other circles are more truthful. I would gladly accept the truth and be hurt by it than stupid facades that cover up b.s. I get more hurt over fake than I do truth.

Ugh. My emo is very prevalent today.

Or maybe I'm goth.:cautious: Haven't figured that out yet.

I agree, and I certainly don't want to come off as negative. Because, and I think this can be said for everyone on these forums, we LOVE this place. This is why we get upset. When everything is so perfect, the imperfections really shine through, and unfortuantly, there have been a lot of them that even people who love them notice it.

I used to hate when people complained about crowds, prices, and this and that. I would defend WDW tooth and nail. But now, how can you argue against them?
 

GeoffR

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Things are not always as they seem.

Social Media and all with pretty pictures and lovely stories...

I would argue that Social Media has actually added to increased attendance. Everyone wants to duplicate the Instagram pics they see. I saw it everywhere last week. Everyone has their matching Etsy shirts, posing here and there. Social media really has made people want to go more, just to visually duplicate what they see
 

GeoffR

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Lol "open it up"?? Every week there is a thread about how terrible Disney is.

Merge it with " why do you think Disney has gone downhill" thread.

How are the parks so crowded with things so godawful? That's what i can't figure out.
Dirty parks
Drunks
Broken rides
Upcharges.
I can't figure out how they are selling tickets at all??

Sorry you didn't enjoy your trip Op

I think you misunderstood. I very much enjoyed my trip. I love this place. However, I wanted to 'open it up' to see if others have had similar recent experiences. My main point is I grew up during such an amazing expansion and period of WDW, to see how things have fallen off is just disconcerting.
 

KBLovedDisney

Well-Known Member
I would argue that Social Media has actually added to increased attendance. Everyone wants to duplicate the Instagram pics they see. I saw it everywhere last week. Everyone has their matching Etsy shirts, posing here and there. Social media really has made people want to go more, just to visually duplicate what they see
That to me is so very sad. Nothing original just copy cats.
 

NickMaio

Well-Known Member
Hello Everyone,

I wasn't quite sure how to approach this, so I figured I would discuss my latest visit to WDW and my overall reflections and opinions of the state of the parks. This is meant to open up the discussion to other's opinions in relation to my experiences and their own and see where it all goes.

Now, you probably read the thread title and were a little puzzled as to why someone would want to be in such a family-oriented area for as long as I was. The short answer is I always wanted to go solo and see what it was like. What follows are my takeaways from the current state of the place I hold so dear to my heart, WDW.

I've been fortunate to visit the parks a lot in my life. I'm 30 years old, and I've been going since 1989. In total, I've been 13 times and have visited the parks in 1989, 1992, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2007, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and most recently 2018. As you can see by the years I visited, my childhood was The Disney Decade; the largest expansion of the parks in history. Throughout my youth, They added two gates, almost a dozen hotels, two water parks, and expanded what is now Disney Springs into what can almost be considered a 5th gate. Needless to say, my childhood was possibly the best time to visit the parks and we did as a family almost every other year. That being said, the standard of WDW is set very high for me personally, and the current state of where things are are naturally disappointing. There are a few factors that contribute to this but we'll start off with the first to get the ball rolling:

Quality

On my week-long solo trip, I really was able to notice a lower quality of upkeep, merchandise, cleanliness, maintenance, and fiscal value. On my very first day there, which was in MK, three E-Ticket attractions had noticeable malfunctions, broken effects, and broken-down animatronics. Now, one attraction here and there is expected, but three, for me, is pushing it. And it wasn't just any-old three, it was Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, and Space Mountain. Three marquee attractions with very prominent issues. Could it just be a bad day? Yes, but IMO that's throwing them a very large bone.
Additionally, there were a lot of dirty looking areas I really noticed. The Robot in front of the PeopleMover is filthy, paint is noticeably faded and chipping on buildings and within attractions, I could visibly see dust on the animatronics on Living With the Land and on the projection screens, the list really could go on and on. It's not what I have come to expect at WDW.
The merchandise selection is really poor as well, not to mention the quality. It's the same merch in every store, with a few exceptions, the theming is irrelvent (fantasyland merch in TomorrowLand...), and the quality in relation to the price is absurd. A graphic T should not be $37.50 with tax...especially when two years ago it was $29.99. What happened in 24 months to raise prices like this? Countless examples of that too. This leads to my next point, value.
If prices went up, and quality was maintained, and all of the above weren't relevent, I wouldn't care. But prices are rises every year on everything including admission. Prices are rising, but there isn't AC in the monorails, and they are literally falling apart. Prices are rising and E-Ticket attractions are so poorly maintained, I don't know how it goes unnoitced by so many. Prices are rising, and you're not offering anything new. IMO Pandora, Toy Story Land are poorly executed copies of HP World in Universal; much smaller, less theming, less shopping, fewer attractions, and yet rising prices....Prices are rising, and you're removing things. One Man's Dream is smaller, Muppet's 3D post show has no Muppet merch and the statue outside is missing figures, Space Mountain post-show is gone...the list goes on.

And yet somehow, the parks are so packed it makes it almost unenjoyable. Somehow the WDC has managed to raise prices, lower quality and offerings, and somehow raise attendance. It's baffeling.

This is post #1 of my reflections, but Im interetsed to see what people think so far.

Geoff
Cut and paste this to WDW ...... I have noticed this same trend.
It really makes you wonder how low the current management is willing to let the park go.

WDW used to be the yard stick that every other theme park was measured against........now .... I just don't know.
Enough is enough with the cuts.........put some TLC back into the parks please!!!!
 

GeoffR

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Cut and paste this to WDW ...... I have noticed this same trend.
It really makes you wonder how low the current management is willing to let the park go.

WDW used to be the yard stick that every other theme park was measured against........now .... I just don't know.
Enough is enough with the cuts.........put some TLC back into the parks please!!!!

And again, it's not that there aren't great things there. I just argue that the negatives are so much more noticeable. It's great that they've driven innovation in other parks, but I feel like the current climate is starting dessert before finishing dinner, you know?
 

aliceismad

Well-Known Member
Can you explain a little more what you mean about both Pandora and Toy Story Land being lesser versions of Uni’s HP? Other than being based on movies, as a theme park outsider, I don’t see a correlation between the three (except of course that Disney’s lands were made to try to compete with HP). Just curious.
 

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