Statements about WDW that grind your gears

[Heppenheimer]

Thru NC,SC,GA on I-95 one gets the hotel coupon book at the state line welcome center and gets a better deal. And the buffett breakfast is eggs, waffles, biscuits, gravy, grits, bacon or sausage and cold items, juice, milk,etc.

There's a memory blast from the past! I only fly down to Florida now, and although I don't miss the I-95 traffic, as a kid, those welcome centers were fascinating. We would grab all the brochures for things like wax museums, zoos or amusement parks, but I don't think we ever visited a single one.

I also remember the Florida welcome center offered a free cup of orange juice, and has my memory invented this, but did they even have a little Audio-Animatronic Orange Bird?

 

[Lilofan]

There's a memory blast from the past! I only fly down to Florida now, and although I don't miss the I-95 traffic, as a kid, those welcome centers were fascinating. We would grab all the brochures for things like wax museums, zoos or amusement parks, but I don't think we ever visited a single one.

I also remember the Florida welcome center offered a free cup of orange juice, and has my memory invented this, but did they even have a little Audio-Animatronic Orange Bird?

The FL welcome center eliminated the free OJ. Don't recall the Orange Bird. The state welcome center in all those southern states from VA to FL are a plethora of information packets, artifacts, CLEAN restrooms and very knowledgeable staff. They still even can call the hotel for you to make a reservation like the old days when no one had a cell phone. The GA welcome center has free samples of peach juice. For the drivers that want a fairly safe place to sleep in their cars overnight during their long drive to Disney, the welcome centers are the place they do it. There are armed deputies at night.

 

[unmitigated disaster]

Thru NC,SC,GA on I-95 one gets the hotel coupon book at the state line welcome center and gets a better deal. And the buffett breakfast is eggs, waffles, biscuits, gravy, grits, bacon or sausage and cold items, juice, milk,etc.

What does that have to do with Greenville, Ohio?

 

[Walt Disney1955]

The general public does not dictate safety policy at Disney. When Disney opens, the company will be following policy they've developed to minimize their legal risk and keep the visitors in parks safe while following local and state guidelines. Who cares if people want to wear masks at Disney to feel safe. If Disney doesn't mandate that guests wear masks, then to each their own. And if Disney does mandate wearing of masks, then your choice is either to go and wear a mask or not.

Nothing ruins a family photo in front of Cinderella's Castle more than a family wearing masks that may or may not be smiling. Sorry, no thanks Disney. When they are willing to be the Disney we all know then we'll go back. If that means they'll be normal again by September or October then so be it. But no one wants to spend hundreds upon hundreds of dollars to go to a place that doesn't feel any different than the real world. We get treated like criminals and toddlers in the real world on a daily basis because of this overreaction, I don't need to experience that at one of my favorite childhood places.

I don't see Disney becoming a police state of wearing masks and using preventative measures like that forever. People are suggesting or I guess demanding apparently that Disney have people wear masks to prevent the spread of a highly communicable disease that we currently have no vaccine or treatment for, I don't think that's ridiculous thing to ask of guests. If you are so eager to return to the parks so close to reopening from a global pandemic then you should expect Disney to take precautions. That said, I don't get what you're saying that the Disney you know might be gone forever when referencing these changes? Do you think Disney is going to require people to wear masks in 2024? Do you think they'll only operate at 50% capacity and never have another parade again? I understand not wanting to attend the parks once they reopen due to the changes in operation and all the things that will be cut, but do you really think the parks will remain that way? Even if we live in a future where we haven't developed a vaccine or even a treatment for this argument's sake, people are going to find ways to return to somewhat of a normal existence. I honestly don't see any long term, permanent changes that would turn Disney World into a police state of sanitary enforcement. Like you said yourself, the parks have operated for a long time and have remained sanitary, we are going to see the parks return to "normal" eventually. It might even take a couple years depending on many factors, but I can not imagine how the Disney you know will be so different even in the distant future.

That's a good question, and I hope not when it comes to how long they'll expect people to wear masks. You pay that money for the Disney experience, not the constant reminder that the world is just crackers-crazy out there at every turn. Disney is an escape. People can wear masks all they want. They can wear them to bed, in the shower, while eating breakfast or driving their car. I might chuckle at them but it doesn't get in my way so whatever. But to pay to go to a park that demands you do it is just a sour note.

I'd like to think this silliness won't take long and it will be Disney who is one of the first companies to realize this.

By the way, we have a vaccine for the flu and more people die from the flu annually than Corona has claimed, even with their inflated stats. So maybe we should start to relax and, you know, live a little again?

 

[smooch]

Nothing ruins a family photo in front of Cinderella's Castle more than a family wearing masks that may or may not be smiling. Sorry, no thanks Disney. When they are willing to be the Disney we all know then we'll go back. If that means they'll be normal again by September or October then so be it. But no one wants to spend hundreds upon hundreds of dollars to go to a place that doesn't feel any different than the real world. We get treated like criminals and toddlers in the real world on a daily basis because of this overreaction, I don't need to experience that at one of my favorite childhood places.



That's a good question, and I hope not when it comes to how long they'll expect people to wear masks. You pay that money for the Disney experience, not the constant reminder that the world is just crackers-crazy out there at every turn. Disney is an escape. People can wear masks all they want. They can wear them to bed, in the shower, while eating breakfast or driving their car. I might chuckle at them but it doesn't get in my way so whatever. But to pay to go to a park that demands you do it is just a sour note.

I'd like to think this silliness won't take long and it will be Disney who is one of the first companies to realize this.

By the way, we have a vaccine for the flu and more people die from the flu annually than Corona has claimed, even with their inflated stats. So maybe we should start to relax and, you know, live a little again?

I definitely think it's time to start relaxing restrictions but I personally think that Americans should be wearing masks if we are going to be in a busy area such as a reopened Disney Park even with social distancing measures because it's impossible to be 6 ft. apart at all times and I think if the company requires people to wear masks in order to protect each other then that is fine by me. I understand they're annoying and people say they just will have a drink or snack while walking so they won't have to wear a mask, but I just think if people are going to these high traffic areas so soon after reopening they should expect to wear a mask when places like grocery stores have required masks for entry in many areas.

What numbers are you looking at? The CDC's website shows that the estimate of flu deaths for 2018-2019 was around 34,000 and in 2017-2018 was around 61,000 deaths. The Coronavirus death count for the U.S. is 81,795 deaths at the moment I'm writing this comment. First off, that number is larger than the two previous flu season death counts according to the CDC. But, let's say we were tied with flu deaths for the year... that would mean we would have seen as many people die in around 2-3 months now from Coronavirus as we would have seen die from the flu for the ENTIRE year.

I agree Disney is an escape and I would love to be able to go to a Disney Park and try to distract myself from the world going bonkers, but this is a different situation. You can go to Disney and forget the stresses of daily life and push those thoughts aside for the trip, that doesn't work with a highly communicable disease that is causing a global pandemic. I think saying Disney is an escape so they shouldn't have to wear a mask is very silly, if you go to the parks and want to escape from thinking of the disease that's fine, but what happens if you don't take precautions and then contract the disease along with the rest of your family. And I say this all as someone who wants places to reopen soon and I think the guidelines being created to reopen areas in California (where I live) are ridiculous and we should be more realistic that we can't get to a 0 death count for multiple weeks in many areas, and even if we do then reopening will cause increases in cases and I'm sure that will cause pushback that we should have kept places closed. Believe me I think we need to begin reopening and we need to be smart about lowering risk of transmission, but I know we won't be able to prevent everything.

 

[Lilofan]

What does that have to do with Greenville, Ohio?

You talked about CA and OH locations. Better deals and better food at the I-95 locations where many travelers going to FL stay in.

 

[Lilofan]

The general public does not dictate safety policy at Disney. When Disney opens, the company will be following policy they've developed to minimize their legal risk and keep the visitors in parks safe while following local and state guidelines. Who cares if people want to wear masks at Disney to feel safe. If Disney doesn't mandate that guests wear masks, then to each their own. And if Disney does mandate wearing of masks, then your choice is either to go and wear a mask or not.

CEO Chapek already hinted to media that guests and cast will wear masks and he mentioned about summertime weather. Everyone has a boss and if the theme parks don't follow, then the execs that are in charge of parks will have to answer to Chapek.

 

[unmitigated disaster]

You talked about CA and OH locations. Better deals and better food at the I-95 locations where many travelers going to FL stay in.

They might get some deals, but they're still not going to get 24/7 maintenance or housekeeping or security or lifeguards or.... The All-Stars are resorts. Not motels.

 

[Lilofan]

They might get some deals, but they're still not going to get 24/7 maintenance or housekeeping or security or lifeguards or.... The All-Stars are resorts. Not motels.

That's true. I called about a non working toilet in a Holiday Inn in SC. The front desk clerk said the person to fix it comes in the morning. She moved me to another room.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

Some years ago, a toddler in my extended family took to calling the Swan and the Dolphin hotels, "the Duck" and "The Fish." I was relaying said family joke, to a family member sitting beside me once while riding a WDW bus, and some busybody stranger felt the need to butt into my personal conversation to 'correct' me.

What she didn't realize? Half the bus consisted of my extended family, and they all proceeded to laugh at her.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

They might get some deals, but they're still not going to get 24/7 maintenance or housekeeping or security or lifeguards or.... The All-Stars are resorts. Not motels.

Meh. I have stayed at all the WDW value resorts, and plenty of off-property places in the same price range. Sometimes the WDW value resorts are worthwhile, but offsite places often provide much better value for the price.

The WDW value resorts aren't as new as they once were. Housekeeping can be spotty. Some of the room amenities are lacking: low level lighting, crummy towels, tight water flow restrictions, and the way the air system shuts off, etc.

I've stayed at plenty of places that have better amenities for the same price or lower, and our rooms were much larger.

The value resorts aren't all bad, but it sometimes feels to me that Disney cut corners in ways that are just a bit silly, like Disney was trying too hard to make the moderates look better or something. IMO, certain amenities should (more or less) be required in every hotel room, except old fashioned family motels. IMO, it is shortsighted and stupid when corporate hotel rooms don't come with a shaving/make up mirror. What does it cost to install one? Maybe $10 per room? It just feels like an odd place to cut costs.

But who knows what we'll get when we return to vacations!

 

[Walt Disney1955]

I definitely think it's time to start relaxing restrictions but I personally think that Americans should be wearing masks if we are going to be in a busy area such as a reopened Disney Park even with social distancing measures because it's impossible to be 6 ft. apart at all times and I think if the company requires people to wear masks in order to protect each other then that is fine by me. I understand they're annoying and people say they just will have a drink or snack while walking so they won't have to wear a mask, but I just think if people are going to these high traffic areas so soon after reopening they should expect to wear a mask when places like grocery stores have required masks for entry in many areas.

What numbers are you looking at? The CDC's website shows that the estimate of flu deaths for 2018-2019 was around 34,000 and in 2017-2018 was around 61,000 deaths. The Coronavirus death count for the U.S. is 81,795 deaths at the moment I'm writing this comment. First off, that number is larger than the two previous flu season death counts according to the CDC. But, let's say we were tied with flu deaths for the year... that would mean we would have seen as many people die in around 2-3 months now from Coronavirus as we would have seen die from the flu for the ENTIRE year.

I agree Disney is an escape and I would love to be able to go to a Disney Park and try to distract myself from the world going bonkers, but this is a different situation. You can go to Disney and forget the stresses of daily life and push those thoughts aside for the trip, that doesn't work with a highly communicable disease that is causing a global pandemic. I think saying Disney is an escape so they shouldn't have to wear a mask is very silly, if you go to the parks and want to escape from thinking of the disease that's fine, but what happens if you don't take precautions and then contract the disease along with the rest of your family. And I say this all as someone who wants places to reopen soon and I think the guidelines being created to reopen areas in California (where I live) are ridiculous and we should be more realistic that we can't get to a 0 death count for multiple weeks in many areas, and even if we do then reopening will cause increases in cases and I'm sure that will cause pushback that we should have kept places closed. Believe me I think we need to begin reopening and we need to be smart about lowering risk of transmission, but I know we won't be able to prevent everything.

The worst thing for us, and I am not just talking about when we visit Disney, is for us to wear masks. It weakens your immune system and if anything creates a panic that is not necessary. Also being bad was locking people up in their homes, keeping them away from other people and otherwise weakening their immune system. The best thing we can do for ourselves is be in large groups so that there are those that get it, get over it, and become immune to it. Throughout history this is how we have done it. For something that is more dangerous than Covid-19 like the flu we live every single flu season with this mindset. We don't TRY to get it, but if we do we deal with it. We have to learn how to co-exist with a virus around us and still function properly. All the social distancing and masks are is just media-induced fear and needless panic. Eventually once Disney realizes the public isn't scared of their shadow anymore is when they'll also ignore the silliness of social distancing at a theme park or mandatory masks or checking temperatures. I hope it is sooner rather than later because I would love to visit the parks in October and have it be back to the Disney I know and love. Not treating me like a criminal and a "guilty-until-proven-innocent" thing. I know we all say "what would Walt think" but let's face it, he's rolling in his grave over this.

 

[smooch]

The worst thing for us, and I am not just talking about when we visit Disney, is for us to wear masks. It weakens your immune system and if anything creates a panic that is not necessary. Also being bad was locking people up in their homes, keeping them away from other people and otherwise weakening their immune system. The best thing we can do for ourselves is be in large groups so that there are those that get it, get over it, and become immune to it. Throughout history this is how we have done it. For something that is more dangerous than Covid-19 like the flu we live every single flu season with this mindset. We don't TRY to get it, but if we do we deal with it. We have to learn how to co-exist with a virus around us and still function properly. All the social distancing and masks are is just media-induced fear and needless panic. Eventually once Disney realizes the public isn't scared of their shadow anymore is when they'll also ignore the silliness of social distancing at a theme park or mandatory masks or checking temperatures. I hope it is sooner rather than later because I would love to visit the parks in October and have it be back to the Disney I know and love. Not treating me like a criminal and a "guilty-until-proven-innocent" thing. I know we all say "what would Walt think" but let's face it, he's rolling in his grave over this.

I agree that it is harmful keeping specifically children at home quarantined because they are not developing their immune systems which is so necessary. I agree that we are going to have to just accept the fact that we're going to have to get through this and things are going to get worse before they get better, it's unreasonable to lockdown indefinitely until a vaccine that isn't even guaranteed to be possible is created and administered to the general population. I agree that people who are not at risk should feel more comfortable with getting the virus and getting through an asymptomatic or mild case, the problem becomes people who aren't at risk who live with people who are at risk. We should definitely still make attempts to lower transmission to at risk people, obviously, but I do think we need to accept the fact that we're going to have to endure through the virus and get to a point of some semblance of herd immunity and it is wrong that anyone who disagrees with me and believes we should stay in our homes til 2021 will act like I'm calling for people to infect each other and die and I don't care that people will die. It makes me incredibly sad that we have to go through this, I wish there was a way to prevent anyone else from getting sick or dying from Coronavirus, but it is literally impossible. We have a flu vaccine and don't expect to have 0 cases, how the heck are we supposed to get to that point with a virus with no vaccine.

It's so beyond me that anyone can expect people to continue to remain locked down and to speak on their high horse on how easy it is to just stay home. I am 20 and I live at home while attending college and I don't really go out to any places because my parents grocery shop and I am able to do school and work online, and yet I don't sit and preach like I have some moral high ground. I see so many people on Instagram and Twitter talking about how evil people who are going out are and while I agree it has been essential to quarantine to flatten the curve, which we already accomplished, it is silly to keep preaching this and pretend we can viably live like this for an extended period of time. There are no simple answers to any aspect of this, and I agree we need to reopen while taking precautions, but anyone who preaches to either side and vilifies the other side is so annoying to me, especially when celebrities are able to continue making money while never leaving their beautiful homes full of food and not having any risk of not being able to provide from not being able to continue to work, they continue making their money and preach to stay home and demonize anyone who wants places to reopen so they can literally go back to work and afford to live.

 

[juniorthomas]

I'd say one of the more annoying topics would have to involve the mythical 5th gate.

 

[EngineerMom]

"Disney is too commercial." "Disney is only about the money."

We have good friends who's children are now grown who never took them to Disney because the Dad had this negative attitude. Did they go to other amusement parks - yes. Fair and Festival's - yes. When I go to a fair that is MOSTLY about food and they charge admission just to get in so I can then spend money on food and shopping it kills me. BUT if I am interested and want to go then I go.
Disney is a business so of course they try and figure out how to make money.

I admit it. I LOVE Disney. We have been taking our kids since they were 4 and they loved it then (totally believed and were thrilled to meet characters) and they love it now as high school age kids. They tell us they still want to go when they are adults.
I know Disney is not for everyone and if you don't go it isn't the end of the world but I have to control myself when people act like Disney isn't something special.

 

[SourcererMark79]

I'd say one of the more annoying topics would have to involve the mythical 5th gate.

Said the bus driver

 

[Walt Disney1955]

I agree that it is harmful keeping specifically children at home quarantined because they are not developing their immune systems which is so necessary. I agree that we are going to have to just accept the fact that we're going to have to get through this and things are going to get worse before they get better, it's unreasonable to lockdown indefinitely until a vaccine that isn't even guaranteed to be possible is created and administered to the general population. I agree that people who are not at risk should feel more comfortable with getting the virus and getting through an asymptomatic or mild case, the problem becomes people who aren't at risk who live with people who are at risk. We should definitely still make attempts to lower transmission to at risk people, obviously, but I do think we need to accept the fact that we're going to have to endure through the virus and get to a point of some semblance of herd immunity and it is wrong that anyone who disagrees with me and believes we should stay in our homes til 2021 will act like I'm calling for people to infect each other and die and I don't care that people will die. It makes me incredibly sad that we have to go through this, I wish there was a way to prevent anyone else from getting sick or dying from Coronavirus, but it is literally impossible. We have a flu vaccine and don't expect to have 0 cases, how the heck are we supposed to get to that point with a virus with no vaccine.

It's so beyond me that anyone can expect people to continue to remain locked down and to speak on their high horse on how easy it is to just stay home. I am 20 and I live at home while attending college and I don't really go out to any places because my parents grocery shop and I am able to do school and work online, and yet I don't sit and preach like I have some moral high ground. I see so many people on Instagram and Twitter talking about how evil people who are going out are and while I agree it has been essential to quarantine to flatten the curve, which we already accomplished, it is silly to keep preaching this and pretend we can viably live like this for an extended period of time. There are no simple answers to any aspect of this, and I agree we need to reopen while taking precautions, but anyone who preaches to either side and vilifies the other side is so annoying to me, especially when celebrities are able to continue making money while never leaving their beautiful homes full of food and not having any risk of not being able to provide from not being able to continue to work, they continue making their money and preach to stay home and demonize anyone who wants places to reopen so they can literally go back to work and afford to live.

True enough. My children's sports leagues are being cancelled or at the very least postponed as well. This is not good for the social development of children at all. We really are beyond the point of reason though. They've drilled it in people's heads for too long about "social distancing" and wearing masks and such that I don't think it would matter who told these people to chill, they still wouldn't. It is an irrational fear, and let's not even get into how this affects the 3rd world countries who have even more people dying of starvation because of this.

But the mere idea that you are selfish because you want your job back or your rights back just shows you how much people are brainwashed by this whole thing. Masks should be optional. Believe me, there are enough paranoid people that will still wear them but it should not have anything to do with my choices. And now we are seeing any sort of summer plans we may have had just go up in flames. Believe it or not, you have a right to create memories with your family, that is sort of the point and WDW is a good start.

 

[Giss Neric]

Some years ago, a toddler in my extended family took to calling the Swan and the Dolphin hotels, "the Duck" and "The Fish." I was relaying said family joke, to a family member sitting beside me once while riding a WDW bus, and some busybody stranger felt the need to butt into my personal conversation to 'correct' me.

What she didn't realize? Half the bus consisted of my extended family, and they all proceeded to laugh at her.

Was she a female? If yes then she's definitely a "Karen"

 

[Dragonman]

How bout this one

*Walks into Epcot

“Daddy look at the golf ball!”

 

[donaldtoo]

Haven’t read the whole thread, and has probably already been mentioned...
Not a statement, but, a question that is asked many times by people when WDW comes up in a conversation... “Oh, Disney World. Is that the one in California or Florida?”
I realize many people have never been to either, but, it actually makes me want to crack up more than really grinding my gears...!!!!!