The Disney Decade Ruined Me

[geekza]

My sister also noticed this in Disneyland where she said the crowds were horrendous.

To be fair, Disneyland is also tiny compared to the Florida parks, but I have read that it has become much busier than it used to be.

 

[LeighM]

It wasn't affordable to all families back in the 80s either. My first trip there was when I was 2 yrs back in 1983 during a vacation with my single mom and her parents. I was too young to remember it but they all hated it - it was crowded, hot, and spent too much time waiting in lines. Because of that experience they never wanted to go back. So I had to wait until I was an adult and talked my boyfriend (now husband) into going with me in 2012. During the late 80s and early 90s, I had to make do with Disney Afternoon (loved those cartoons!), waited for the free preview week of Disney Channel on cable so I could watch Mickey Mouse Club, and wait for the Disney Store catalog to arrive in the mail. I still remember my excitement one year, when Mom surprised me with an over priced bottle of Tinker Bell's pixie dust. I kept that as a momento for a good 10 years until it was accidentally broken by a younger cousin. Which I'm still a little bit bitter about lol.

 

[ppete1975]

Hello All,

This article is specific to WDW only

I've been considering writing something like this for a while and thought I would see what the Disney community thought. The impetus for this post is actually a conversation I had with my dad the other day, just reminiscing about childhood WDW trips. We were talking about how we went during May one year, and we walked on everything and how it had been amazing compared to our previous July trips, and how every year we went there was something big and new opening; for reference we had gone in '89, 91, 92, 94, 97, 99. It was at this point where I had to tell him that things like that don't exist anymore

I'm 29 yrs old, and Disney, both the animated features and parks, WERE my childhood. However, it wasn't until I was older (and only within the last year or so) that I learned what the Disney Decade was, and that I grew up in the middle of it. My family and I would go to WDW almost every other year, and to this day my favorite vacations were during those trips. However, having grown up during that time, it's ruined my adult Disney experience.

I want to preface by saying I don't care about crowds all that much, and I can save up for months and months to afford to go to the parks. However, having grown up during the largest expansion of the parks and the prices/crowds being a shadow of what they are now, it's...I guess disheartening is the word...to see how things have shifted.

In my opinion, WDW is not a right, but a privilege, and I know it's a business whose goal is to make $$. That being said, the privilege seems so expensive and so out of reach especially for what you get out each visit. When my family and I would go on these trips, we did it on a single-income. My dad would use a bonus, or tax refund, or stock option, and my family of five would go to WDW for up to 10 days for some trips. Looking at hotel/ticket prices nowadays, there's no way we could have done anything close to what we did; even adjusted for wages/inflation/prices. We even stayed at the Deluxe resorts and had Park Hoppers.

Looking at prices now, I can't wrap my head around an average family affording $500-$800 a night for a deluxe hotel. The numbers just sound insane. On top of that, these are the same hotels that my family went to when they first opened for a fraction of the cost, but after 20 yrs they are exponentially more expensive. I can think of maybe three new hotels that have been added since I went as a kid.

This brings me to my next point, where we really haven't gotten anything new (IMO) that would justify these price hikes. During the DD, the hotel expansion was immense, two gates and expansion within them were added, 2 water parks, a sports complex...and the prices were affordable and the crowds weren't crazy. Since then, we've gotten...we will call it 4 new lands if you include the 2 in development, and a hand full of attractions...and the crowds are insane. To reiterate, I don't mind the crowds, but the $$ doesn't seem justified. Even with inflation and this and that.

As an adult, I've been in 2007, 2012, 2014 (twice), 2015 (DL), 2016, and most recently November 2017. I try to go every year. I love it every time, and it's still my favorite vacation spot anywhere. However, it's so bittersweet because I save up for a whole year to go and stay at a value resort, or a moderate if I can swing it, and I know I'm paying through the nose.

I'd love to be able to get an AP, and go anytime I want ( my dad used to do that) and enjoy the parks casually, but there's so much stress and to the minute planning with FP and all, it's just crazy; and you have to do it or you're not getting on anything.

I know it's a long-winded discussion, but I'm interested to read other people's thoughts on the Disney Decade, and the changes (or lack thereof) in the parks since then.

Geoff

Hello All,

This article is specific to WDW only

I've been considering writing something like this for a while and thought I would see what the Disney community thought. The impetus for this post is actually a conversation I had with my dad the other day, just reminiscing about childhood WDW trips. We were talking about how we went during May one year, and we walked on everything and how it had been amazing compared to our previous July trips, and how every year we went there was something big and new opening; for reference we had gone in '89, 91, 92, 94, 97, 99. It was at this point where I had to tell him that things like that don't exist anymore

I'm 29 yrs old, and Disney, both the animated features and parks, WERE my childhood. However, it wasn't until I was older (and only within the last year or so) that I learned what the Disney Decade was, and that I grew up in the middle of it. My family and I would go to WDW almost every other year, and to this day my favorite vacations were during those trips. However, having grown up during that time, it's ruined my adult Disney experience.

I want to preface by saying I don't care about crowds all that much, and I can save up for months and months to afford to go to the parks. However, having grown up during the largest expansion of the parks and the prices/crowds being a shadow of what they are now, it's...I guess disheartening is the word...to see how things have shifted.

In my opinion, WDW is not a right, but a privilege, and I know it's a business whose goal is to make $$. That being said, the privilege seems so expensive and so out of reach especially for what you get out each visit. When my family and I would go on these trips, we did it on a single-income. My dad would use a bonus, or tax refund, or stock option, and my family of five would go to WDW for up to 10 days for some trips. Looking at hotel/ticket prices nowadays, there's no way we could have done anything close to what we did; even adjusted for wages/inflation/prices. We even stayed at the Deluxe resorts and had Park Hoppers.

Looking at prices now, I can't wrap my head around an average family affording $500-$800 a night for a deluxe hotel. The numbers just sound insane. On top of that, these are the same hotels that my family went to when they first opened for a fraction of the cost, but after 20 yrs they are exponentially more expensive. I can think of maybe three new hotels that have been added since I went as a kid.

This brings me to my next point, where we really haven't gotten anything new (IMO) that would justify these price hikes. During the DD, the hotel expansion was immense, two gates and expansion within them were added, 2 water parks, a sports complex...and the prices were affordable and the crowds weren't crazy. Since then, we've gotten...we will call it 4 new lands if you include the 2 in development, and a hand full of attractions...and the crowds are insane. To reiterate, I don't mind the crowds, but the $$ doesn't seem justified. Even with inflation and this and that.

As an adult, I've been in 2007, 2012, 2014 (twice), 2015 (DL), 2016, and most recently November 2017. I try to go every year. I love it every time, and it's still my favorite vacation spot anywhere. However, it's so bittersweet because I save up for a whole year to go and stay at a value resort, or a moderate if I can swing it, and I know I'm paying through the nose.

I'd love to be able to get an AP, and go anytime I want ( my dad used to do that) and enjoy the parks casually, but there's so much stress and to the minute planning with FP and all, it's just crazy; and you have to do it or you're not getting on anything.

I know it's a long-winded discussion, but I'm interested to read other people's thoughts on the Disney Decade, and the changes (or lack thereof) in the parks since then.

Geoff

Well written and true. Not sure why you are getting some of the "then don't go" "if you don't enjoy it". You seem to love it and enjoy every second just noting how things have changed. I'm in the same boat I remember going with my parents and they skimped and struggled so we could go a few times in my child hood and now I wonder if we could have went.
Can I ask what state you live in? I live in Oklahoma and that's part of the cost for me, airline etc.

 

[GeoffR]

Well written and true. Not sure why you are getting some of the "then don't go" "if you don't enjoy it". You seem to love it and enjoy every second just noting how things have changed. I'm in the same boat I remember going with my parents and they skimped and struggled so we could go a few times in my child hood and now I wonder if we could have went.
Can I ask what state you live in? I live in Oklahoma and that's part of the cost for me, airline etc.

I'm in Mass, and yes, if I cut out airfare I'd be going way more!! LOL!!

Thank you! Yes, that's exactly what I'm going for. I'm a huge WDW fan, and I'll go whether I like the changes or not out of nostalgia. My impetus for the post was how the decade of park expansion, specific to WDW, and how relative it was in affordability skewed my adult WDW experiences. It's the greatest vacation spot on earth imo, but things could be better, and certainly were not too long ago. I just found it funny that I had no idea the Disney Decade was a thing until recently, and no one in my family did either, despite how amazing it made our childhoods.

 

[GeoffR]

It wasn't affordable to all families back in the 80s either. My first trip there was when I was 2 yrs back in 1983 during a vacation with my single mom and her parents. I was too young to remember it but they all hated it - it was crowded, hot, and spent too much time waiting in lines. Because of that experience they never wanted to go back. So I had to wait until I was an adult and talked my boyfriend (now husband) into going with me in 2012. During the late 80s and early 90s, I had to make do with Disney Afternoon (loved those cartoons!), waited for the free preview week of Disney Channel on cable so I could watch Mickey Mouse Club, and wait for the Disney Store catalog to arrive in the mail. I still remember my excitement one year, when Mom surprised me with an over priced bottle of Tinker Bell's pixie dust. I kept that as a momento for a good 10 years until it was accidentally broken by a younger cousin. Which I'm still a little bit bitter about lol.

Yea I was talking to my dad and he mentioned something similar about how it's always been expensive. My point was more along the lines of as a single-income family, we were able to pull it off again and again, and (again coming from my dad) after we went recently he said there's no way that could happen now; unless of course the single income is very large or WDW is prioritized over other things.

 

[GeoffR]

To be fair, Disneyland is also tiny compared to the Florida parks, but I have read that it has become much busier than it used to be.

I went during the 60 yr celebration in July 2015. It was crowded, but I expected more. Did all the attractions, except the ones that broke down. It was a very different experience, but to reiterate I don't mind crowds, and thought it was a blast.

 

[GeoffR]

if anything, I see more on the horizon now than there has been in a long time.

You can’t hust look at wdw. Look globally at what Disney is doing.

We have lived in the orlando area since 1995. Got to watch AK be built and got to go prior to the actual opening.

Not everything is theme parks. Disney is spending a ton of money on infrastructure, which is not exciting to anyone except the geekiest of geeks. However, it sets the stage for more growth and a better experience.

You have Pandora, which is the best themed area that Disney has done in a very long time.

Toy Story is not as major, but you have something game changing on the horizon.

Disney Springs is great, tons of good restaurants. Not as exciting as a new theme park, but a solid reimagined area.

Caribbean and Coronado are completely being revamped. Not as exciting as “new” resorts, but they essentially are new resorts.

The best part is that we also have a formidable and motivated Universal massively upping their game. The more they build, the more motivation the mouse finds.

As for affordability, it’s always been an issue. My parents did not take me to WDW as a kid. It just did not fit into the budget.

Probably explains why we live in Celebration, own DVC, Platinum on DCL, have aps, etc.

My wife and I really wanted a house in celebration. No way we could have afforded it when celebration started, so we took a risk, started a business, worked out butts off, and pushed to make our dreams a reality. It was not always easy, but we knew what we wanted.

If someone really wants something, they figure it out, or get frustrated. Simple choice.

I have met thousands of people who visit WDW. some are so much in debt and just don’t care. Some figure out ways to fit it into their budget. And then there are those that have so much $$ it just doesn’t matter. They all make it work somehow.

By the way, we would never pay $500 a night or more. We own DVC and that is what allows us to stay on property, even though we live 10 minutes away.

Great post, and thanks for the response. Again, like I mentioned in my opening, my pov was specific to WDW. Obviously there's been a monetary investment (gains and losses) on the international scene as well as DL and DCA, but my perspective was just to focus on WDW

 

[GeoffR]

We took the kids every summer and stayed at the Poly or Contemporary. Then when they grew up and we started going ourselves, we stayed AKL or WL. With an annual passholder discount, we used to be able to stay at AKL for $179. Now we stay at CBR and I'm hoping those rates will not go up due to gondola transportation. Like so many have said, I'm not complaining. We still go. Eventually, I see Pop Century on the horizon.

Loved Pop Century lol

 

[geekza]

I didn't mind staying at the All-Star Movies the last time I went back in 2006. The rooms were very basic, but we weren't in them except to sleep and they were clean. The housekeeping staff still took the time to arrange my young son's stuffed animals to make them look like they had been watching TV, etc. The pool was nice. I don't know what the resort is like these days, but back then it was fine. Functional, if not fancy.

 

[ppete1975]

I didn't mind staying at the All-Star Movies the last time I went back in 2006. The rooms were very basic, but we weren't in them except to sleep and they were clean. The housekeeping staff still took the time to arrange my young son's stuffed animals to make them look like they had been watching TV, etc. The pool was nice. I don't know what the resort is like these days, but back then it was fine. Functional, if not fancy.

how is transportation to the parks? That's one thing I love about port Orleans.. easy quick free travel.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

The sad part is that the only reason we can afford to go this time is that my mother passed away back in April and left me a little bit of money.

Sorry for your loss

 

[KBLovedDisney]

I will say the Disney Decade ruined me...at first.

At first, I hated Disney making all of the changes it was making to the theme parks and resorts, until I realized how rather outdated the stuff I liked was. Kind of my love for the old technology that were flip phones, but were only good in their time. If I went back to using my flip phone today, I would be totally missing out on the better technology and expierence.

Change isn't easy, but there is no sense in fighting the inevitable future.

 

[ppete1975]

Off topic... but as crowded as it is... how much of peoples trips do you think are credit card, loan, second mortgage, selling kidney?
In the 70's 80s people didn't use credit (it was there but it wasn't accepted like today) there was layaway, but you couldn't do that with your trip. So you skimped and starved and saved and hopefully in a year or two could afford a great Disney vacation.. well people don't save anymore.. and looking at some of the people that go to Disney (some every year), it makes me wonder how much of that is pure credit debt..

 

[Glasgow]

Yeah, its a shame but unfortunately it's the inexorable rate of change that is pervasive throughout the current business climate, really. I am older than you but spent much of my childhood and many of the past 10 years with my children vacationing at Disney. The cost difference versus even just 4-5 years ago is amazing .. and yet .. and yet .. people are still showing up in droves. Which means many are not concerned with the exponential cost increase, for whatever reason .. be it that they finance their trip, go into more debt now, are wealthy enough to not care or perhaps, like us, are acutely aware of the past and how it used to be much more reasonably priced. Either way, it is what it is. Disney has seen this trend and is trying to build for the future again but it comes at a great cost increase to the guests. So really, you have two options - accept it or take your money elsewhere. As sad as it is to say, perhaps you'll find another experience that meets or exceeds your WDW years .. who knows. #CostIncreaseSilverLining

 

[geekza]

how is transportation to the parks? That's one thing I love about port Orleans.. easy quick free travel.

Again, my experience is from 2006, however it wasn't an issue. You're a little farther from Animal Kingdom than the rest of the parks, but a lot of people stay at these resorts, so bus service is pretty constant. Every 20 minutes, give or take a few minutes.

 

[bhg469]

Lol yikes. Was asking opinions and trying to start a discussion, but I suppose apathy is an opinion?? Lol

You're definitely in the right here. Your opinion matters. Those that reply with such retorts are unable to see that there is, indeed a real problem. There are tons of things on the horizon but when I hear about something like the main street theater being scrapped out of the blue, it makes me wonder why. There is so much money to go around, there is no reason for a project like that to be stopped, and the excuse was to reallocate the money is a slap in the face to guests. Even better news though, Universal is poised to do something huge. Orlando is not going to stagnate because one company has lost touch.

 

[bhg469]

To be fair, Disneyland is also tiny compared to the Florida parks, but I have read that it has become much busier than it used to be.

Yet it is so much better!

 

[geekza]

Yet it is so much better!

That's what I understand. I've always wanted to go. I think a big part of the reason why lots of people like it better is that, because it's the original, Walt-created park, the company has been careful, in many ways, to protect many of the attractions. They've had CA to constantly tinker with. Now that Star Wars is coming to Disneyland, though, I just don't know what will happen. I really want to go out there, but a trip to California is just waaaaay out of my price range.

 

[larryz]

I feel you, truly, but I can't isolate it to Disney World, alone. As a kid, my parents brought me to the city at least 3 times a year. At the time, yes, it was expensive. But not nearly what it is today. My father has said to me on multiple occasions that he doesn't know how families do it, today. He said he'd put aside $600 for two nights (we'd drive in from Connecticut). And this includes theater tickets, meals, museums, and NICE hotels in midtown like the Peninsula or the Algonquin. And this was 2000, not 1995, not 1990. Today, it would be easily $3500. Easily. There's inflation and there's inflation. Theater ticket prices for the same seats we got then have gone from $75-90 a ticket to $300. Premium tickets, you may argue. Some are even higher than that, yes, but at the time, comparatively, they were NOT premium tickets. They were just called Orchestra or Front Mezzanine tickets. Obviously, for some of the less popular shows or straight plays, this isn't an issue - but it still shouldn't cost $200 to see a 65 minute non-musical play with 3 actors.

Opera and concert venues are ever worse. I don't think anyone thought Opera would have to worry about extravagant pricing - but companies are going out of business left and right. The old are dying out, and the younger patrons like myself can't afford to pay the difference. I will sit in the last row - seriously - of the Family Circle, which is the highest level up at the Met. A 4,000 seat house, stacked like a... well, like an opera house. My ticket is $60 after taxes. For the absolute last row. And of course the section is packed. But go down a level or two and it's a Ghost town. The old are dying and the generation with money doesn't give a damn about Mozart. They want to go see Hamilton and Harry Potter (I love both of them but there is something to consider): Broadway houses are less than half the size of opera houses, and don't also have to cover the costs of an 80-piece orchestra, a 100-member company, the enormous design departments - they do NOT need to be charging second row Opera prices. But they do. And so it goes.

Beautiful buildings are coming down, retail is fading away, the character/heart/soul of the city is dying. And I think that goes for a lot of places around the country. So, Disney is following suit. It's a capitalist society. But that doesn't mean there isn't reasonable practice in business. There is - a lot of people do it. But the giant, rotten bananas haven't just spoiled the bunch, they've become the standard.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

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