the old feeling is gone.... or at least reduced a lot..

[TrainsOfDisney]

For what it’s worth…. I’m here now and I’m pleasantly surprised - it can still be quite enjoyable if you ignore the cash grabs.

I do over hear LOTS of people complaining about the pricing for genie+ and photos, etc. so it’s definitely being noticed.

But over all I think some of the complaints of the “magic gone” are exaggerated. I don’t see any major differences other than pricing.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I concur with your post. We are leaving for Disney in 28-days and I simply am not feeling the anticipation that I have had on past trips. I made the reservations well over a year ago but was brought down to earth quickly when I was "Johnny on the spot" for ADRs day 61-65 but came up pretty miserable with little available. We have Genie+ pre-bought for the trip but I am already worried about our 5-years old smart phone and if the app will work worth a crap. I am not looking forward to the lack of daily room service and how badly coming back to a dirty room will make the trip seem "less". But I just paid the bill, so we are going.

In truth I am looking forward more to the drive down and visiting the Disney Character Warehouses and then dinner at Boston Lobster Feast prior to checking in at Gran Destro Tower. Then I find myself looking forward to checking in at Portofino Bay Hotel after leaving Disney. I will enjoy Express Pass and got all 5 restaurants we wanted at the exact time we wanted. No question here that Universal is winning me over.

All I can say is that I am honestly hoping that Disney will wow me as always and that Genie+ will get us on a few new rides. We will see. But unless it does then I will have to consider this a swan song trip and will likely not return to a Disney resort until at a minimum full room service is reinstated and some decent perks are available. I am already planning the 2023 trip for Universal, SeaWorld and NASA. So, we will definitely skip Disney next year. I won't say that I am not going back...but we will just have to wait and see how we feel after the trip in 4-weeks.

I can’t imagine spending that much money to go somewhere with that kind of attitude. It’s likely to be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I will say this: we haven’t been in 13 years, things changed, we got a bit tired of it and switched to Europe. We had been going 2x per year for years. We were total devotees. We’re going back this year to see. If we don’t like it, that will be that. We probably wouldn’t return as there are so many great places to go that are MUCH cheaper. We’ll come back and I will write a TR and then if we didn’t like it, drop even being on these boards anymore. If we do like it, then we’ll see. We may fit it back in every now and then but our days of 2x per year are Over. It’s too expensive! We have done 2 trips of 3-4 weeks in Europe the last year and EACH trip is less than what we’re paying and will pay For a week in WDW. We will spend the money on ILL and had already bought G+ because the parks sound overrun now. So anyway it will be interesting, we leave ina bit over a week.

That was my experience as well. Just a few years back, I took a month long trip to France, Italy and Spain. Independent touring with planes, buses and trains and ended it with a trans-Atlantic cruise and spent less money then 1 week at WDW. I loved Disney for close to 40 years of excitedly planning for my almost yearly visit to WDW and now the thought just makes me sad. Beyond the cost there is a lot of difference in the feel of the place. I don't see another visit in my future.

 

[mf1972]

just to add 1 more item to the list of feeling less magic…fellow tourists. i’ve seen less manners, courtesy & common sense, & a lot more entitlement.

 

[StarshipDisney]

I can’t imagine spending that much money to go somewhere with that kind of attitude. It’s likely to be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

If so, then it will only be because I find that Disney has truly fallen that far. The attitude comes direct from Disney's poor changes, money grabbing schemes and crap leadership over the past 4-years.

As far as money, I was often a deluxe resort guest that stayed Club Level for 8-night vacations. I purposely spent much less on this trip because I am worried about enjoyment. Perhaps a bad trip will make it easier to stop going if that is what happens.

 

[John park hopper]

just to add 1 more item to the list of feeling less magic…fellow tourists. i’ve seen less manners, courtesy & common sense, & a lot more entitlement.

I was hesitant to say this but that for us has been a big factor in our decision to stop going

 

[Goofyernmost]

just to add 1 more item to the list of feeling less magic…fellow tourists. i’ve seen less manners, courtesy & common sense, & a lot more entitlement.

That is country wide, if not world wide.

 

[Tori]

just to add 1 more item to the list of feeling less magic…fellow tourists. i’ve seen less manners, courtesy & common sense, & a lot more entitlement.

This.

 

[Disstevefan1]

because of covid, we have not been do WDW in years.. we were going to go in October but again the virus threat stopped us.. ( i am 66 and my wife is 67) .. but i have to tell you.. watching Each and every bit of Disney news makes us WANT TO GO LESS.. Right now we should be at ground zero and starting almost daily planning for a march or april trip.. We spent two days in the car , and the trip talk hardly came up.. Disney management has done all it can to destroy the magic.. its GIVE ME ALL OF IT AND MORE.. its lets take more away and charge more.. and tell you We can do this because the parks are full.. and since the parks are full, why should we continue the magic in the parks. We have too many people .. we don't need you.. YOU SEEM TO NEED US.. but i have seen this happen to Sears.. to GM.. to the Mall type of management style.. and every one of those has failed.. Gimbles failed.. Macy's is in trouble. No one is too big , not to fail.. this current Disney management style has deeply hurt my image of the Magic.. my longing for the magic.. my need to go there with almost desperation.. to the point of almost .. I don't care.. they don't need me .. and by the way they are acting. they don't seem to want me.. AM I ALONE? do any of you feel this way.. ( in fact i haven't even been coming to this website with the same attention.,) . Let me know..

The mental trick I always used on myself when going to WDW for years even prior to the pandemic was to keep my expectations as low as possible and everything that happened better than I expected was a win.

TWDC and it’s theme parks are not going anywhere. There are still plenty of folks with the disposable income that will MOB the Disneyparks.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

The mental trick I always used on myself when going to WDW for years even prior to the pandemic was to keep my expectations as low as possible and everything that happened better than I expected was a win.

TWDC and it’s theme parks are not going anywhere. There are still plenty of folks with the disposable income that will MOB the Disneyparks.

I don’t even consider that a mental trick, just a reasonable perspective. It works in all aspects of life.

 

[RobWDW1971]

A WDW vacation today:

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Anyone consider that the “magic” was never more than you enjoyed the experience and that the experience is not what you currently hold as value?

I always say it’s familiarity, when something’s new to us it’s exciting, after a dozen trips it loses some of that excitement, after 100 trips what was exciting can become tedious.

I moved to Vegas because I loved the casinos, nightlife, excitement, etc… now I avoid the strip like it’s a plague. The Strip is relatively the same, I’ve just changed and don’t enjoy it anymore.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

Disney is not alone in this. I have seen regional parks start putting in the pay for front line access, and their food prices have increased even more egregiously than Disney has. But comparing Disney to Sears or even social media is not really an apples to apples argument. I think k they will continue to pack em in, what will change though is that some of the parents might not fall in love like they used. More first timers going and saying "oh that was fun. Not sure it was amazing..." so you won't have those Disneyheads being manufactured the same way, just doesn't happen.

 

[bennyw01]

I love WDW with my very being, but I understand since going back why you feel this way.
The freedom of magic that once represented the Disney parks is gone, you have to remain technically savvy to get the most from the experience and even then you are squeezed for every dollar.

I recommend going further afield, try Disneyland Paris, they have held onto a lot of the nostalgic ideals, its just a shame their food and service isn't that of a US park.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

I concur with your post. We are leaving for Disney in 28-days and I simply am not feeling the anticipation that I have had on past trips. I made the reservations well over a year ago but was brought down to earth quickly when I was "Johnny on the spot" for ADRs day 61-65 but came up pretty miserable with little available. We have Genie+ pre-bought for the trip but I am already worried about our 5-years old smart phone and if the app will work worth a crap. I am not looking forward to the lack of daily room service and how badly coming back to a dirty room will make the trip seem "less". But I just paid the bill, so we are going.

In truth I am looking forward more to the drive down and visiting the Disney Character Warehouses and then dinner at Boston Lobster Feast prior to checking in at Gran Destro Tower. Then I find myself looking forward to checking in at Portofino Bay Hotel after leaving Disney. I will enjoy Express Pass and got all 5 restaurants we wanted at the exact time we wanted. No question here that Universal is winning me over.

All I can say is that I am honestly hoping that Disney will wow me as always and that Genie+ will get us on a few new rides. We will see. But unless it does then I will have to consider this a swan song trip and will likely not return to a Disney resort until at a minimum full room service is reinstated and some decent perks are available. I am already planning the 2023 trip for Universal, SeaWorld and NASA. So, we will definitely skip Disney next year. I won't say that I am not going back...but we will just have to wait and see how we feel after the trip in 4-weeks.

With Genie+ I felt we were better off with fewer ADR's. For us, most table service offerings are somewhat stale, especially when I look at prices. On our most recent visits, some of our favorite meals were nights where we ate late and wound up getting carry out from offsite, because most WDW options had closed. We had a car so we ordered ahead, and the pick-up was easy.

For G+, we had great luck using the Atomic time app. I highly suggest adding it to one of your phones. Have one phone call up the Atomic time and use the other to get your G+ and BG at exactly 7am. That made a huge difference on our most recent visit over our prior visit.

Mind, our mornings were marred because we bought the dumb plus magic bands, and they were just an aggravation and a waste of money. If you bought them, and happen to have an old set of bands, bring the old bands. Also be sure to bring some rubber bands. We had to resort to twisting rubber bands around them to keep them on our wrists. The more we took them on and off, the less they wanted to stay on our wrists. We also found it helpful to get a small back-up portable charger; one that is compact to carry. We didn't need a ton of charge, but a little extra juice came in handy. On top of that, having a very short connecting cable was helpful for charging on the go. (both inexpensive.) Our hotel rooms had quite a few outlets, but if you'll be using the new bands, consider getting a small surge protector power strip. The nightstand was a snarl of charging cables!

 

[StarshipDisney]

With Genie+ I felt we were better off with fewer ADR's. For us, most table service offerings are somewhat stale, especially when I look at prices. On our most recent visits, some of our favorite meals were nights where we ate late and wound up getting carry out from offsite, because most WDW options had closed. We had a car so we ordered ahead, and the pick-up was easy.

For G+, we had great luck using the Atomic time app. I highly suggest adding it to one of your phones. Have one phone call up the Atomic time and use the other to get your G+ and BG at exactly 7am. That made a huge difference on our most recent visit over our prior visit.

Mind, our mornings were marred because we bought the dumb plus magic bands, and they were just an aggravation and a waste of money. If you bought them, and happen to have an old set of bands, bring the old bands. Also be sure to bring some rubber bands. We had to resort to twisting rubber bands around them to keep them on our wrists. The more we took them on and off, the less they wanted to stay on our wrists. We also found it helpful to get a small back-up portable charger; one that is compact to carry. We didn't need a ton of charge, but a little extra juice came in handy. On top of that, having a very short connecting cable was helpful for charging on the go. (both inexpensive.) Our hotel rooms had quite a few outlets, but if you'll be using the new bands, consider getting a small surge protector power strip. The nightstand was a snarl of charging cables!

Thank you for the feedback.

I am hoping the best for genie+. If I can get one good ride per day, then I'll consider that a positive.

Yes, we bought the MB+. I do have some older bands that I could take with the most recent being from 2018. But would they still work after 4 years?

 

[Weather_Lady]

Thank you for the feedback.

I am hoping the best for genie+. If I can get one good ride per day, then I'll consider that a positive.

Yes, we bought the MB+. I do have some older bands that I could take with the most recent being from 2018. But would they still work after 4 years?

Yes, they'll still work, for everything except the functions that rely on the long-range battery, which dies after a couple of years (although I had one that was still going strong 3 years on -- YMMV!). The functions that won't work after that battery dies are: automatic linkage of on-ride photos to your MDE/Photopass account, and "interactive" ride elements like seeing your name at the end of it's a small world. You can still use your MagicBand for everything else, so long as it remains linked to your MDE account: park entry, hotel room access, Genie+/ILL reservations, paying for things with a linked credit card, etc.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

Thank you for the feedback.

I am hoping the best for genie+. If I can get one good ride per day, then I'll consider that a positive.

Yes, we bought the MB+. I do have some older bands that I could take with the most recent being from 2018. But would they still work after 4 years?

Generally, yes, the old bands will still work. They won't capture the automatic ride photos, like on 7DMT. I am pretty sure you can still scan them to capture photos though, like at SpaceMtn. Otherwise, that's about the only difference. Every place you tap your band still works: room key, G+, park ticket, buying things.

Just make sure the old bands are still linked and active in your MDE account. Even though that won't tell you if the battery has died.

For the new bands, make sure to fully pair the new bands to your phone and set any options you want BEFORE you go to WDW. Also know it might not work, even after you go through all the possible options like reinstalling MDE. Make sure you have the latest MDE updates before you even try. Supposedly, they pair okay with Apple, but not necessarily Android. For Andoid, have everything FULLY charged when you try to pair them. The bands are NOT fully charged out of the box. You have to charge the bands first before you try. When they are fully charged the whole stripe around the mickey head glows green.

The troubleshooting information is available on the WDW website. I suggest doing all this multiple days before you leave. Even after going through all the troubleshooting options, we still could not get them to really work, but maybe they have improved the software since our visit. They would work intermittently at best. I mena we spent 2 hours in Guest Services, and CM's couldn't get them to work. Supposedly, even without the plus features they should function like the very old bands, except the old bands stayed on our wrists better.

 

[Goofyernmost]

The mental trick I always used on myself when going to WDW for years even prior to the pandemic was to keep my expectations as low as possible and everything that happened better than I expected was a win.

TWDC and it’s theme parks are not going anywhere. There are still plenty of folks with the disposable income that will MOB the Disneyparks.

That is possibly the proper way to prepare now, but it wasn't always that way. I never went there until I was 35 years old and I was literally won over at "hello". I didn't know what to expect except that the ads and brochures looked fun. I wasn't disappointed. I then made at least 35 more trips over 30 some years before the "magic wore off". So to that point I went from 35 to 65 and my level of excitement and expectations was always high and I never was disappointed. After that they slowly shoved me out via cost and staleness. (i.e. lessened value) until it reached the breaking point since the Pandemic.

I spent years traveling by plane or road from Vermont until finally at age 62 I was able to move to NC and it became a day trip. I was able, at the time to buy 10 day, no expiration tickets and could decide on any given day to pack up and leave the next morning. I'd, strictly on impulse, decide to go for 2 or 3 or more days. I didn't have to make reservations for what park I wanted to see or even if I wanted to visit any of them on any given day. That decision was made shortly after I woke up in the mornings. Sometimes at breakfast I made that decision (I stayed and ate, except for lunch, offsite). That decision didn't always mean I'm going to WDW. Many times it meant other places like Universal, Sea world, Gaterland, Kennedy space center, Tampa and the sunshine bridge, Cypress Gardens (when it existed), Silver Springs and one time I even headed on down to Key West totally on a whim from Kissimmee. That is the way I like to travel and WDW stopped me from enjoying my entire trip by making it a singularly inflexible, insanely expensive hassle. I get my Disney fix now on the boards or You Tube. And my feet aren't sore at the end of the day.

For those that go and feel that they are getting their money's worth, I'm happy for you and all I will say if you like it now, you would be amazed by what the experience was at one time.

 

[Laketravis]

"For those that go and feel that they are getting there money's worth, I'm happy for you and all I will say if you like it now, you would be amazed by what the experience was at one time"

Exactly.