The “wealthy” is not going to work

[Trackmaster]

I think another thing to consider, that I touched on briefly in an earlier comment, is the difference between raising prices and specifically marketing to a wealthy audience. Designer products generally have a certain 'look' in their advertising - everyone is very skinny and very bored. I just looked up a couple of boujee brands to check and even the small children on the Burberry website look incredibly bored with life. Or, when advertising as a luxury destination, you get the commercial where a well dressed couple clank wine glasses in front of a sunset with a reel of buzzwords stated slowly in the background. "Beauty. Eloquence. Simplicity. (Insert name of location)."

I think Disney is still marketing solidly to the middle class. If they have made any changes in their approach in recent years, it has probably been to market to a younger audience (selfie stations, 'Gram worthy drinks and snacks, more technology, trendy items like the Rose Gold line), who presumably have less money. They're just taking this approach of middle American marketing and putting a higher and higher price tag on it because supply and demand allows them to do this.

Yeah, this is pretty well put. What's going on with Disney now is just basic Micro Economics and following the supply and demand curve. For years, the parks were overcrowded and Disney could do nothing to contain the demand and was powerless to increase the supply. Now the plan is to raise prices to see just how far people will go and how much they want to be there.

I'd imagine that if they were really catering to 1%ers, they'd have to seriously limit the crowds, give more individual attention to guests, and make it obvious that the parks are "exclusive." The philosophy of a theme park is that you try to jam a lot of people through a tiny space as fast as possible and the plan is to give them all homogenous experiences. Then you repeat this process again and again. That's not really what 1%ers would expect when they're on vacation. They want to show up, have staff pamper them, have unique experiences, not have to wait in line, and not have to do the same things that the middle class are doing.

 

[jasminethecat]

I get the feeling that covid did a number on many people here, and in our desire to return to normal we wanted our collective favorite places (WDW and DL) to be the same as they had always been. It's not the same as it was in 2019 or any earlier time and it never will be again, but I do see trip reports from forums members who are having a great time. We can complain as much as we like about increasing costs, ride management and chapek himself, but the reality is that none of it matters. Our choices are take it or leave it.

We're all the old man yelling at anyone who will listen about how this town used to be beautiful wooded land and now it's all shopping malls and starbucks. For people who complain that they cannot afford to take their kids multiple times anymore like they used to...sorry but there are people out there who never get to go. If you can only save a few hundred and go to the Great Wolf Lodge or spend a weekend at the beach or camping, then do that. Anyone who now says something like "well my disney trip used to cost me $6000 and now it's $7500 and that's ridiculous" needs a reality check and realize that most of america and over 99% of the world will never have the opportunities that we have. I grew up in a nice suburb in western NY, and very few of my friends had ever been to Disney World. Now people act like it's everyone's right to go.

Yeah, this is pretty well put. What's going on with Disney now is just basic Micro Economics and following the supply and demand curve. For years, the parks were overcrowded and Disney could do nothing to contain the demand and was powerless to increase the supply. Now the plan is to raise prices to see just how far people will go and how much they want to be there.

I'd imagine that if they were really catering to 1%ers, they'd have to seriously limit the crowds, give more individual attention to guests, and make it obvious that the parks are "exclusive." The philosophy of a theme park is that you try to jam a lot of people through a tiny space as fast as possible and the plan is to give them all homogenous experiences. Then you repeat this process again and again. That's not really what 1%ers would expect when they're on vacation. They want to show up, have staff pamper them, have unique experiences, not have to wait in line, and not have to do the same things that the middle class are doing.

The 1%'ers still go, they just pay for a tour guide and they don't wait in line. They take backstage tours, get driven around behind the scenes and hang out in club 33. To quote George Carlin, there's a club and we ain't in it.

 

[Trackmaster]

I get the feeling that covid did a number on many people here, and in our desire to return to normal we wanted our collective favorite places (WDW and DL) to be the same as they had always been. It's not the same as it was in 2019 or any earlier time and it never will be again, but I do see trip reports from forums members who are having a great time. We can complain as much as we like about increasing costs, ride management and chapek himself, but the reality is that none of it matters. Our choices are take it or leave it.

You raise a good point. The corporate philosophy of some of the park chains was to say "Due to the shutdown and the 'extraordinary circumstances' this might be a good chance to implement policies that we've wanted to do for years." But in reality, maybe this was the wrong time to do it. Since people may have just wanted a return to normalcy more than anything else.

 

[Lilofan]

I get the feeling that covid did a number on many people here, and in our desire to return to normal we wanted our collective favorite places (WDW and DL) to be the same as they had always been. It's not the same as it was in 2019 or any earlier time and it never will be again, but I do see trip reports from forums members who are having a great time. We can complain as much as we like about increasing costs, ride management and chapek himself, but the reality is that none of it matters. Our choices are take it or leave it.

We're all the old man yelling at anyone who will listen about how this town used to be beautiful wooded land and now it's all shopping malls and starbucks. For people who complain that they cannot afford to take their kids multiple times anymore like they used to...sorry but there are people out there who never get to go. If you can only save a few hundred and go to the Great Wolf Lodge or spend a weekend at the beach or camping, then do that. Anyone who now says something like "well my disney trip used to cost me $6000 and now it's $7500 and that's ridiculous" needs a reality check and realize that most of america and over 99% of the world will never have the opportunities that we have. I grew up in a nice suburb in western NY, and very few of my friends had ever been to Disney World. Now people act like it's everyone's right to go.


The 1%'ers still go, they just pay for a tour guide and they don't wait in line. They take backstage tours, get driven around behind the scenes and hang out in club 33. To quote George Carlin, there's a club and we ain't in it.

Club 33 , Per person, $33K to join, $15K annual dues to hang out at the top floor of Epcot American Adventure and doesn’t include food or drink? No thanks.

 

[kingdead]

I get the feeling that covid did a number on many people here, and in our desire to return to normal we wanted our collective favorite places (WDW and DL) to be the same as they had always been. It's not the same as it was in 2019 or any earlier time and it never will be again, but I do see trip reports from forums members who are having a great time. We can complain as much as we like about increasing costs, ride management and chapek himself, but the reality is that none of it matters. Our choices are take it or leave it.

We're all the old man yelling at anyone who will listen about how this town used to be beautiful wooded land and now it's all shopping malls and starbucks. For people who complain that they cannot afford to take their kids multiple times anymore like they used to...sorry but there are people out there who never get to go. If you can only save a few hundred and go to the Great Wolf Lodge or spend a weekend at the beach or camping, then do that. Anyone who now says something like "well my disney trip used to cost me $6000 and now it's $7500 and that's ridiculous" needs a reality check and realize that most of america and over 99% of the world will never have the opportunities that we have. I grew up in a nice suburb in western NY, and very few of my friends had ever been to Disney World. Now people act like it's everyone's right to go.


The 1%'ers still go, they just pay for a tour guide and they don't wait in line. They take backstage tours, get driven around behind the scenes and hang out in club 33. To quote George Carlin, there's a club and we ain't in it.

What I'm seeing is less about the expense of the experience alone. Everyone knows that Disney is going to be more expensive than Six Flags or Great Wolf Lodge.

It's really about how the experience is more expensive and more stressful. The ton of paid add-on options available makes it seem like there's a good experience that's always waiting if you pay for one more thing. If you pay for GeniePlus, if you pay for LL on top of that, if you pay for a Disney sherpa to plan it all out, if you pay for this or that, you can get the emotional kick you expected from Disney.

However, most of the time these add ons don't make up for services that used to be included (Disney Express?) or they just add more stress. The "Disney is just for the wealthy" doesn't mean that Disney parks are actually just aimed at Bill Gates, Elon Musk, and whichever Kardashian is supposed to be a billionaire today, it means that people at all financial levels are feeling ripped off--"only an insanely rich person wouldn't feel bad about wasting money, this park must be for them."

 

[DisneyHead123]

Yeah, this is pretty well put. What's going on with Disney now is just basic Micro Economics and following the supply and demand curve. For years, the parks were overcrowded and Disney could do nothing to contain the demand and was powerless to increase the supply. Now the plan is to raise prices to see just how far people will go and how much they want to be there.

I'd imagine that if they were really catering to 1%ers, they'd have to seriously limit the crowds, give more individual attention to guests, and make it obvious that the parks are "exclusive." The philosophy of a theme park is that you try to jam a lot of people through a tiny space as fast as possible and the plan is to give them all homogenous experiences. Then you repeat this process again and again. That's not really what 1%ers would expect when they're on vacation. They want to show up, have staff pamper them, have unique experiences, not have to wait in line, and not have to do the same things that the middle class are doing.

I think it’s also worth noting that while we have our issues with class divides, the US is not a staunchly hierarchical society. The top percent of earners turns over frequently and it is no biggie for people to date or marry across income classes. We still want politicians who show up at local diners and who you “could have a beer with.” A huge majority of the country considers themselves “middle class” while having wildly different incomes, indicating that trying to associate yourself with the upper classes as soon as it’s feasible isn’t actually something that most Americans want. If someone says, with emphasis, “You’re beautiful” or “You’re so kind” or “You are amazing at your job” to an American, there’s no doubt that is a compliment. If they say “You’re rich.”… that is a loaded statement, and probably carries some negative connotations. I actually think that catering to the truly upper class in the US is such a niche market that it wouldn’t allow for the kind of growth a huge corporation like Disney is expected to show.

 

[Roy G. Dis]

When you got people attending the theme parks for 2 hours just so they can get a Figment popcorn holder -- to then sell and turn a profit -- then it's clear something could use some tweaking. WDW "should" be making money off that customer, not the other way around.

 

[kingdead]

When you got people attending the theme parks for 2 hours just so they can get a Figment popcorn holder -- to then sell and turn a profit -- then it's clear something could use some tweaking. WDW "should" be making money off that customer, not the other way around.

They pay admission and for the popcorn holder, right? What they do with that popcorn holder is none of Disney's business once they're off the grounds. (I admit I don't get the collecting urge myself...)

 

[Trackmaster]

I think it’s also worth noting that while we have our issues with class divides, the US is not a staunchly hierarchical society. The top percent of earners turns over frequently and it is no biggie for people to date or marry across income classes. We still want politicians who show up at local diners and who you “could have a beer with.” A huge majority of the country considers themselves “middle class” while having wildly different incomes, indicating that trying to associate yourself with the upper classes as soon as it’s feasible isn’t actually something that most Americans want. If someone says, with emphasis, “You’re beautiful” or “You’re so kind” or “You are amazing at your job” to an American, there’s no doubt that is a compliment. If they say “You’re rich.”… that is a loaded statement, and probably carries some negative connotations. I actually think that catering to the truly upper class in the US is such a niche market that it wouldn’t allow for the kind of growth a huge corporation like Disney is expected to show.

Yeah, you raise a few good points, even some I haven't thought of before. I agree that its virtually impossible to have a mega company that focuses on the super rich, there's an old phrase "Produce with the masses, eat with the classes." Even airlines have figured that while businessmen and elite travels can pay stupidly high prices, there's only so many of them to go around, so they need to fill the plane out with the regular people.

I think that addressing your point about everyone considering themselves middle class -- I think that this is an attribute of a developed and industrialized society. In older civilizations and in developing nations, "Middle class" actually means that you do pretty well for yourself and are much richer than normal. Most people are peons, and the elite few are middle class, and a microscopic amount may be upper class. Its a sign of a success when the majority of your populations is comfortable enough that a lot of people see themselves as middle class. Why do wealthy people call themselves middle class? Well to truly be at the top, you'd need to be in the top 1%. They know their wealthy.

 

[Trackmaster]

What I'm seeing is less about the expense of the experience alone. Everyone knows that Disney is going to be more expensive than Six Flags or Great Wolf Lodge.

It's really about how the experience is more expensive and more stressful. The ton of paid add-on options available makes it seem like there's a good experience that's always waiting if you pay for one more thing. If you pay for GeniePlus, if you pay for LL on top of that, if you pay for a Disney sherpa to plan it all out, if you pay for this or that, you can get the emotional kick you expected from Disney.

However, most of the time these add ons don't make up for services that used to be included (Disney Express?) or they just add more stress. The "Disney is just for the wealthy" doesn't mean that Disney parks are actually just aimed at Bill Gates, Elon Musk, and whichever Kardashian is supposed to be a billionaire today, it means that people at all financial levels are feeling ripped off--"only an insanely rich person wouldn't feel bad about wasting money, this park must be for them."

Good point. A lot of people are OK with splurging and spending more on vacation. But when you factor in having to make reservations for everything, endless planning, and then endless waiting in line for everything, its stressful.

To me, the long waits and need for planning is just a slight of hand by Disney and indirect price gouging too. They could solve wait times if they wanted to, and they could do away with the need for planning: Just double the number of gates, make all 8 dry gates as full of attractions as Magic Kingdom, and staff the parks to the teeth. But no, Disney wants to charge a lot, underbuild the parks, and understaff. Ergo, its a shell game where they make it look like there's enough to do an enough to accommodate everyone, but in reality there's not enough capacity for everyone. So they're relying on people to give up because the lines are too long and they didn't make reservations ahead of time... AFTER they've paid the money.

I don't really fault Disney too much, they're just a business. I blame city planning for not allocating enough space for competing theme parks across the country that give Disney/Universal an oligopoly. I love the regional parks, and I've been to almost every theme park/amusement park in the country, if you're not obsessed with extreme coasters like I am, the regionals just can't provide what Disney/Universal has. If legitimate competition popped up, I think that things would get better.

 

[kalel8145]

Good point. A lot of people are OK with splurging and spending more on vacation. But when you factor in having to make reservations for everything, endless planning, and then endless waiting in line for everything, its stressful.

Hi- I am honestly not being argumentative. And this is not directed to you, just saw this in your post.

I don't understand when people mention endless planning. We(My group of 4) are going in June with my sister and her family (our mother and sister's family of 4, so total of 9 people). We took one Sunday and booked our resort, bought park tickets and such through the web site, coordinated flights, all in about 1-2 hours. When it got to 60 days out, we booked a handful of dining reservations, and our park reservations while texting each other and on the app.

We are done with all our planning. We will meet up at the airport and ride to WDW together. We literally planned the whole thing in a matter of about 4 hours between 2 days. All that's left is to enjoy the trip. What is everyone planning that I am missing?

We are not newbies. A trip at least once every other year, and 3 in the last 2 years. Booked tons of dining, fast passes when they still had them, tours (behind the seeds, wonderful. Hope it comes back.) , never felt stress from it and was always done rather quickly. With most of our trips in the middle of summer cause of school. This is has always been a mystery to me.

I feel like I am missing out on something I should be doing. I don't wanna miss out.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Hi- I am honestly not being argumentative. And this is not directed to you, just saw this in your post.

I don't understand when people mention endless planning. We(My group of 4) are going in June with my sister and her family (our mother and sister's family of 4, so total of 9 people). We took one Sunday and booked our resort, bought park tickets and such through the web site, coordinated flights, all in about 1-2 hours. When it got to 60 days out, we booked a handful of dining reservations, and our park reservations while texting each other and on the app.

We are done with all our planning. We will meet up at the airport and ride to WDW together. We literally planned the whole thing in a matter of about 4 hours between 2 days. All that's left is to enjoy the trip. What is everyone planning that I am missing?

We are not newbies. A trip at least once every other year, and 3 in the last 2 years. Booked tons of dining, fast passes when they still had them, tours (behind the seeds, wonderful. Hope it comes back.) , never felt stress from it and was always done rather quickly. With most of our trips in the middle of summer cause of school. This is has always been a mystery to me.

I feel like I am missing out on something I should be doing. I don't wanna miss out.

You're not. Most are comparing it to the days before park reservations and genie plus.

Now it definitely is more time consuming, it's not really all that bad imo. I think it's more of a "freedom" issue. Being able to pick where you want to go last minute

In the interest of full disclosure, I rarely sleep past 6-630 so making early morning reservations is not that bad, I could totally understand if someone sleeps late how they wouldn't like it.

 

[kalel8145]

You're not. Most are comparing it to the days before park reservations and genie plus.

Now it definitely is more time consuming, it's not really all that bad imo. I think it's more of a "freedom" issue. Being able to pick where you want to go last minute

In the interest of full disclosure, I rarely sleep past 6-630 so making early morning reservations is not that bad, I could totally understand if someone sleeps late how they wouldn't like it.

Early riser myself. I have been known to hit the parks by myself after several attempts to wake the wife up.

 

[Lilofan]

When you got people attending the theme parks for 2 hours just so they can get a Figment popcorn holder -- to then sell and turn a profit -- then it's clear something could use some tweaking. WDW "should" be making money off that customer, not the other way around.

This was rampant years ago during Star Wars Weekends at DHS. At Darth’s Maul behind RocknRoller Coaster there was a huge tent everything Star Wars. Some were buying in bulk and reselling for profit. Anyone buy the fast passes being sold by fellow guests to other guests for $10 each back when Toy Story first opened 14 years ago outside the TS entrance?

 

[AdventureHasAName]

I paid $18 this morning for three egg mcmuffins and three hashbrowns at the McDonalds down the street from my house. I think Disney (and the rest of the travel and entertainment industries) are about to be smacked in the face by the reality that inflation is going eliminate the concept of disposable income.

 

[Lilofan]

I paid $18 this morning for three egg mcmuffins and three hashbrowns at the McDonalds down the street from my house. I think Disney (and the rest of the travel and entertainment industries) are about to be smacked in the face by the reality that inflation is going eliminate the concept of disposable income.

If you have nearby a Golden Corral all u can eat breakfast for under $10 per person that would be a much better deal by far. One can eat more than $10 worth of food easily.

 

[DisneyHead123]

Hi- I am honestly not being argumentative. And this is not directed to you, just saw this in your post.

I don't understand when people mention endless planning. We(My group of 4) are going in June with my sister and her family (our mother and sister's family of 4, so total of 9 people). We took one Sunday and booked our resort, bought park tickets and such through the web site, coordinated flights, all in about 1-2 hours. When it got to 60 days out, we booked a handful of dining reservations, and our park reservations while texting each other and on the app.

We are done with all our planning. We will meet up at the airport and ride to WDW together. We literally planned the whole thing in a matter of about 4 hours between 2 days. All that's left is to enjoy the trip. What is everyone planning that I am missing?

We are not newbies. A trip at least once every other year, and 3 in the last 2 years. Booked tons of dining, fast passes when they still had them, tours (behind the seeds, wonderful. Hope it comes back.) , never felt stress from it and was always done rather quickly. With most of our trips in the middle of summer cause of school. This is has always been a mystery to me.

I feel like I am missing out on something I should be doing. I don't wanna miss out.

I think it depends on your particular circumstances (big group with mixed ages vs. small group of adults or older kids; 'easy' booking straight through the website or some manner of speciality booking, etc.) Also, I don't know about you, but I know that my job involves doing elebenty billion reams of paperwork on my laptop. So what seems like another day of clickety-click-click-clicking away as usual to me can see like a big task to people in my family who aren't used to that. Even the idea of making a park reservation seemed like a lot to some people - it kind of made me laugh because I am used to sitting in meetings where the 'meeting' goes dead silent because it's a bunch of people sitting around filling out forms on their laptops, going "Ok, if you'll just bear with us for a minute, we're just completing a few forms..." So no, to me, making a park reservation didn't feel like a lot, but to my family members who don't understand why Panera doesn't take orders over the phone anymore and makes you use that daggone app, it feels like a lot.

Currently planning, and I have already spent a looooot of time planning due to research and being on hold though. Again, that might not apply to someone doing a very straightforward, 'easy' trip. For example:

- Preliminary research regarding the best rate for us (which can really take some time).

- Needed a special conference rate. Had to call for that. On the phone for elebenty billion hours.

- Must have gotten a newbie on one of those phone calls, because the tickets we purchases just - disappeared. Poof. On the credit card statement but not on anyone's account. On hold for about 40 minutes at a time with about 4 or 5 different people until someone could locate them and link them to the My Disney Experience (keeping in mind we've been before and have that set up, to a newbie learning My Disney Experience and getting a large group registered and linked would be a whole 'nother project.)

- Very large party, and, as always, someone's account refused to link up with the rest of the group on MDE. Another call, got everyone linked, linked our tickets, our resort, made park reservations.

- One family mentions they are going to go to two different parks on a particular day, because the average person isn't aware of different ticket types. Drat. Back on the phone for elebenty billion hours to change them to park hoppers because with our tickets that can't be done on the website.

- I start playing around with dining reservations even though our window isn't open, and realize I can't book a large party at CRT. Double drat. Hop online to research why this is the case and if I should try booking two tables online or risk calling a CM who might be able to get us one table (but by the time we get through to them the restaurant could be full, on the day reservations open.)

- Somebody needs a birthday cake. Don't want the standard mouse ears cake. Long rabbit hole of research. Supposedly there are resort bakeries but for whatever reason those numbers are hard to find on the actual Disney website, although there are threads devoted to them (with the needed numbers) on Disney message boards.

- Do we want a cabana on the aforementioned birthday? How the heck do we reserve it? Back to the laptop to figure that out. Think we have it figured out when I realize that half day rentals are no longer available and there is a limit to the number of people allowed in each cabana, with unclear rules about how flexible that limit is. None of this information is prominent or clear on the Disney site, it takes digging to find.

- Somebody wants Bippity Boppity Boutique. Not sure if it will be open. If it is open, not sure what the process for making reservations will be. Currently watching like a hawk.

- Somewhere in there, remember to add stroller rentals and PhotoPass.

- Research transportation from the airport. Sunshine Flyer is super cute - that's a go, right? Let's just spend more time reading some reviews. Oh... wait. They may or may not have luggage handling by the time of our trip. And angry reviewers are saying they don't even send the cute train buses sometimes even though you think that's what you're paying for, for your kids. Mears? Ride service? But what about carseats? We'll come back to that one.

I haven't even gotten to the following tasks:

- Make ADRs for each day the second our window opens (which involved me figuring out what my work schedule is going to be months from now to make sure I would be available).

- Add Genie to our tickets and watch video tutorials on how to use it, so that our fingers are ready to fly at 7:00 am on our first park day to score a good ride.

- Same for watching Lightning Lane tutorials.

- Make a rough plan of how we will tackle the parks each day in terms of target Genie+ ride, possible LL ride, areas where we will be focused (elderly members of the group can't walk far,) nap times, mealtimes. Of course Genie or LL could throw a big wrench in that as you can't pick your time on Genie and on LL it might change on you, but really nothing we can do about that.

To be fair, part of this is probably due to the fact that when people do these huge family trips, they usually go somewhere easy and open ended, like the beach, where the general plan is "wake up, head to the beach at some point, kids run around, figure out dinner in the evening." If you were trying to take a huge group of mixed ages to, say, Europe, that would no doubt be pretty complex too. So I don't think this is 100% on Disney - but I do think they are trending towards making the process more complex, not simpler.

 

[kalel8145]

I think it depends on your particular circumstances (big group with mixed ages vs. small group of adults or older kids; 'easy' booking straight through the website or some manner of speciality booking, etc.) Also, I don't know about you, but I know that my job involves doing elebenty billion reams of paperwork on my laptop. So what seems like another day of clickety-click-click-clicking away as usual to me can see like a big task to people in my family who aren't used to that. Even the idea of making a park reservation seemed like a lot to some people - it kind of made me laugh because I am used to sitting in meetings where the 'meeting' goes dead silent because it's a bunch of people sitting around filling out forms on their laptops, going "Ok, if you'll just bear with us for a minute, we're just completing a few forms..." So no, to me, making a park reservation didn't feel like a lot, but to my family members who don't understand why Panera doesn't take orders over the phone anymore and makes you use that daggone app, it feels like a lot.

Currently planning, and I have already spent a looooot of time planning due to research and being on hold though. Again, that might not apply to someone doing a very straightforward, 'easy' trip. For example:

- Preliminary research regarding the best rate for us (which can really take some time).

- Needed a special conference rate. Had to call for that. On the phone for elebenty billion hours.

- Must have gotten a newbie on one of those phone calls, because the tickets we purchases just - disappeared. Poof. On the credit card statement but not on anyone's account. On hold for about 40 minutes at a time with about 4 or 5 different people until someone could locate them and link them to the My Disney Experience (keeping in mind we've been before and have that set up, to a newbie learning My Disney Experience and getting a large group registered and linked would be a whole 'nother project.)

- Very large party, and, as always, someone's account refused to link up with the rest of the group on MDE. Another call, got everyone linked, linked our tickets, our resort, made park reservations.

- One family mentions they are going to go to two different parks on a particular day, because the average person isn't aware of different ticket types. Drat. Back on the phone for elebenty billion hours to change them to park hoppers because with our tickets that can't be done on the website.

- I start playing around with dining reservations even though our window isn't open, and realize I can't book a large party at CRT. Double drat. Hop online to research why this is the case and if I should try booking two tables online or risk calling a CM who might be able to get us one table (but by the time we get through to them the restaurant could be full, on the day reservations open.)

- Somebody needs a birthday cake. Don't want the standard mouse ears cake. Long rabbit hole of research. Supposedly there are resort bakeries but for whatever reason those numbers are hard to find on the actual Disney website, although there are threads devoted to them (with the needed numbers) on Disney message boards.

- Do we want a cabana on the aforementioned birthday? How the heck do we reserve it? Back to the laptop to figure that out. Think we have it figured out when I realize that half day rentals are no longer available and there is a limit to the number of people allowed in each cabana, with unclear rules about how flexible that limit is. None of this information is prominent or clear on the Disney site, it takes digging to find.

- Somebody wants Bippity Boppity Boutique. Not sure if it will be open. If it is open, not sure what the process for making reservations will be. Currently watching like a hawk.

- Somewhere in there, remember to add stroller rentals and PhotoPass.

- Research transportation from the airport. Sunshine Flyer is super cute - that's a go, right? Let's just spend more time reading some reviews. Oh... wait. They may or may not have luggage handling by the time of our trip. And angry reviewers are saying they don't even send the cute train buses sometimes even though you think that's what you're paying for, for your kids. Mears? Ride service? But what about carseats? We'll come back to that one.

I haven't even gotten to the following tasks:

- Make ADRs for each day the second our window opens (which involved me figuring out what my work schedule is going to be months from now to make sure I would be available).

- Add Genie to our tickets and watch video tutorials on how to use it, so that our fingers are ready to fly at 7:00 am on our first park day to score a good ride.

- Same for watching Lightning Lane tutorials.

- Make a rough plan of how we will tackle the parks each day in terms of target Genie+ ride, possible LL ride, areas where we will be focused (elderly members of the group can't walk far,) nap times, mealtimes. Of course Genie or LL could throw a big wrench in that as you can't pick your time on Genie and on LL it might change on you, but really nothing we can do about that.

To be fair, part of this is probably due to the fact that when people do these huge family trips, they usually go somewhere easy and open ended, like the beach, where the general plan is "wake up, head to the beach at some point, kids run around, figure out dinner in the evening." If you were trying to take a huge group of mixed ages to, say, Europe, that would no doubt be pretty complex too. So I don't think this is 100% on Disney - but I do think they are trending towards making the process more complex, not simpler.

I'll give you the technology thing. I am a tech guy, so tackling the website and app doesn't phase me as it might someone who is not proficient on technology as others.

As for all the planning, looks like you just don't mind taking it on yourself, maybe in a sense enjoy it? Which is great. I do to a degree as well. Especially if I am going with someone who has never gone. Its like, well let me show you how its done, young padawan.
You also seem like someone that can handle it and has the patience for it. Being on hold, watching tutorials, etc.. You don't seem like others who get stressed out by it.

Seems like the stress some have comes from thinking it all has to get done at one time, or you will lose out. Or every minute has to be planned out. We have certainly had those trips as well. Fill the day to the max.

Is it getting more complex?, I don't, maybe. Doesn't feel like it to me. Maybe we have just had the luxury of "growing with the system"

Either way, gotta make sure to take some time to slow it down at least for a few hours during your trip or one could definitely walk away from a WDW stay and think never again.

 

[DisneyHead123]

I'll give you the technology thing. I am a tech guy, so tackling the website and app doesn't phase me as it might someone who is not proficient on technology as others.

As for all the planning, looks like you just don't mind taking it on yourself, maybe in a sense enjoy it? Which is great. I do to a degree as well. Especially if I am going with someone who has never gone. Its like, well let me show you how its done, young padawan.
You also seem like someone that can handle it and has the patience for it. Being on hold, watching tutorials, etc.. You don't seem like others who get stressed out by it.

Seems like the stress some have comes from thinking it all has to get done at one time, or you will lose out. Or every minute has to be planned out. We have certainly had those trips as well. Fill the day to the max.

Is it getting more complex?, I don't, maybe. Doesn't feel like it to me. Maybe we have just had the luxury of "growing with the system"

Either way, gotta make sure to take some time to slow it down at least for a few hours during your trip or one could definitely walk away from a WDW stay and think never again.

The planning doesn't particularly bother me because I like Disney. When it comes to, say, making a dentist's appointment, that will sit on my To Do list for an average of 4 months, ha ha, so I think motivation is definitely key - if I found planning for Disney about as fun as doing my taxes, I can see how the planning would be overwhelming.

I actually don't think it's the planning that overwhelms people, I think it's the research. Once you know what you need to do it's not too bad, but figuring everything out would be a lot for someone totally unfamiliar.

 

[Geek4WDW]

16 days until I am at WDW. This countdown however, I find myself questioning why I didn't cancel the trip. In 20 years I have only been to WDW 8 times. Each past trip has been magical, fun, enjoyable. This trip has been so stressful. My last trip in 2020 wasn't stressful and there were a lot of unknowns going into that trip. The stress of feeling like I am going to have to be on my phone on an app instead of taking in the sounds, music, smells and sights in is bothering me. Do I purchase genie+ or don't I, do I rope drop or let everyone sleep in and be refreshed, the long lines. Ordering food on an app takes longer then going to a counter and telling someone what you want. I just feel no magic going into this trip, just regret that all the money I am spending could be used for a more relaxing, peaceful vacation. This will probably be our last trip for several years, if we ever go back. Basically there is no more magic or pixie dust.