Thoughts from my recent visit to the World

[whiterhino42]

In New Fantasyland? That whole area opened at one time in Dec. of 2012 with the mine train being somewhat behind schedule.

We had been when everything else was opened just mine train wasn't so this was our first time riding it.

 

[draybook]

Didn't New Fantasyland take 5 years from announcement to end product? Universal took 3 years to put up the first Harry Potter area from announcement until end product. That's considering they had to build it to Rowling's specifications. Didn't one of them used to be the industry leader?..

 

[whiterhino42]

You sound awfully bitter. Perhaps its the English language thing, but I took the majority of the OPs comments as more of an update, but then Im not a fannyboy.
I think your confusing me taking the **** out of you as a gripe.

Thank you pumbas that's exactly what it was but I'm not a fanboy either so I guess that's why they didn't see it that way.

 

[mousehockey37]

We had been when everything else was opened just mine train wasn't so this was our first time riding it.

That scenario is what you'll be able to probably expect with the new lands as well. The design of Toy Storyland just underwent some changes recently, so factor in weather, setbacks and everything else. It's gonna be awhile.

 

[mousehockey37]

Didn't New Fantasyland take 5 years from announcement to end product? Universal took 3 years to put up the first Harry Potter area from announcement until end product. That's considering they had to build it to Rowling's specifications. Didn't one of them used to be the industry leader?..

I remember when was it Gringotts? The coaster opened and none of the screens or effects worked. People weren't given anything and were basically told to hit the back of the line and try again. So, it went up quick but didn't work when they opened it.

 

[Soarin2u]

CBR has been notoriously bad (by Disney standards),mostly for the distance from rooms to the lobby but I'd recommend the pretty recently renovated Coronado Springs, a place where my family has visited 5/6 times our first being at the CBR. Though I must state that if you're offering an opinion on an online forum your leaving it open to be critized. Yes, you may defend or define your view, but many times people will point flaws if its lacks foundation. As others stated, you could of avoided the bridge. The crowds are not designated to a certain date, last year we went at a usually moderate crowd and found some of the shortest lines since the first two times we went. Yes, they get big, and it can really suck when the parks are cramped but I don't let the crowds define Disney itself, they are their own thing. Epcot could be better, but I wouldn't say its been completely neglected. I would love to see some revamping of rides and buildings but we are currently getting the overhaul at DHS, AK and Disney Springs. Disney cant throw its money everywhere at once. Seeing that they're working on improving the "half day park" to hopefully a full day one, I can hope that their next goal is to improve FW.
In all honesty I don't completely care if Disney pushes back it dates, Id rather get a quality ride and area than a half-***ed one. I also don't see why its brought up, what something looks like doesn't mean that what's it is. Assumption is a key to arguments.
I'd like for you to explain how the Fastpass plus has not made the crowds worse. The system is hardly any different than the original fast pass. You are not locked into any shorter time frame, and it works better as you can select nearly the exact interval you want. If you didn't use FPs in the past that you are not required to use them. You can even select MORE FP+s while you're at the park at kiosks. So if you screw up by missing one, want to change parks or want to ride a ride again later you can. The only screwy I see about them is the EPCOT "select one from these and two from these." I also wish you gave your overall opinion of Disney World, because so far it coming across rather negative. You tried to fill it in with some positive notes but it failed to balance out with the negative ones.


I'm am aware I can occasionally come of rude and defensive of Disney. I apologize ahead of time if I came across too single sided and hot headed.

 

[disney4life2008]

I was at magic kingdom tonight from 8pm to closing at midnight. Waits were very low, 25 minutes or less for everything except mine train. Even Peter Pan got down to 20 minutes around 1030.

I was also impressed witg Casey's. They got rid of those horrible fry cups and now dump a ton of fries in the hot dog plate! Yum!

 

[flynnibus]

I read this a lot but yes we get a great deal on park tickets, dining and sometimes hotel rates but you do have to remember that on top of those discounts, we have to pay for expensive trans atlantic flights. A return flight for a family of four is just under £1k ($1.5k) for economy class. I don't know how much flights in the US cost but I'm sure it is nowhere near that price.

It's not far off at all. 300-350 a head is common. Sub 200 is hard to get anymore.

 

[flynnibus]

It's too long according to what?? How long do you think it should take to build an entire new land in a Disney theme park?

What.. Is this the first time it's been done??? Smh..

 

[flynnibus]

Let me guess...you counted on touringplas for this crowd meter. Anytime anyone I know mentions this as their guide to crowds I tell them they need not pay attention to this site cause theres no scientific way they could know what the crowds wil be in the coming months or weeks. They are merely guessing based on past crowds they know nothing about because #'s in attendance are never released to the public. and then everyone who swears by them, takes their trip, and then returns to these boards complaining about the crowds when the crowd calender told them its a 4 out of 10 or something like that and its ends up a 10 of 10. Its hilarious that people swear by them and are then so let down.

Maybe @lentesta would comment on their estimate verse the measured for that time period...

 

[SW_matt]

Hmmmm £150 - 200 for the tunnel and fuel in an average car or £600 a head for air fair? 14 days for 7 has been offered for a decade, its the vain hope you dont buy an Orlando pass and spend more time at the other parks. Free dinning, mmmmm cant wait to hit those $20 nuggets and mac n cheese in understaffed over full over priced eateries. A shadow of what was offered 6 or 7 years ago.

The only thing wrong with Paris is the Parisians. And the weather. And theres no Universal. Simple fact is DLP is not a 14 day holiday destination Orlando is

Have you ever eaten at places other than quick service? Because the table service restaurants are nothing like what you have described? Also the deal being offered now is pretty much the same one we jump on for everyone of our trips beginning in 2009.

 

[lentesta]

Let me guess...you counted on touringplas for this crowd meter. Anytime anyone I know mentions this as their guide to crowds I tell them they need not pay attention to this site cause theres no scientific way they could know what the crowds wil be in the coming months or weeks.

The OP's use of the phrase "10th least crowded week" is a strong indication the crowd predictions came from another site, but I could be wrong. The OP can correct me if so.

As for our crowd calendar predictions, I don't think anyone on our team is happy about its performance last September, October, or the second week after Easter this year. The stuff we're doing to fix that is moderately interesting, if anyone wants to hear about it.

I'm interested your "theres no scientific way" belief. Do you think it's physically impossible for any organization to predict crowds to any level of accuracy at all? As in, the U.S. government couldn't do it, with their budget, computing power, and knowledge? Or, you know, is it just that you think we suck at it? I'm perfectly fine if the answer is "it's just that you suck. I'm interested in hearing from people who think the answer to the former question is no.

 

[pax_65]

Fast passplus sucks. I felt locked into every second....and hated that.

EXACTLY! This is what I keep saying. When our kids were little we'd wake them up early and say "What park would you like to do today?" And then we'd get up and go do it. Those days are GONE.

It also dramatically affects how the parks handle crowds. Because they're pulling so much more from the FP+ line, the standby line moves slower - so the lines grow.

It's just not the same experience as it used to be, and I feel the value is significantly diminished - because you just can't do as much as you could in the past. As a result we won't be going nearly as often - we're going from 2 trips a year to 1 trip every other year.

 

[bjlc57]

1. I just want to point out that you can find floor plans for the rooms online and I'm sure that when you booked the website outlined all of the room amenities. If you were curious about whether there was a pullout bed, I'm positive that info would have been available to you. Obviously there's no excuse for a nasty room.

2. Wooohoo!

3. This has been an issue Disney has been running into in recent weeks, along with those who make the crowd calendars. In past years, spring break was over by this time. For some reason though, schools have decided to stagger their spring breaks even more this year, which has created quite a few issues for Disney since, as you said, this is supposed to be a pretty slow time of year. I went one day a couple weeks ago when the crowds were supposed to be very low and there were 68,000 people in MK by 11am.

4. Photopass is awesome!

5. I don't think this is anything new. Obviously, Soarin' is down for refurbishment and will be re-opening later this year, which is amazing because it was in serious need of an overhaul. I haven't seen any issues with Living With the Land recently though, and I'd hardly say FW is in shambles.

6. Neither of those things are supposed to be done yet, so I'm not sure what the issue is. Pandora is set to open next year...

7. Agreed.

8. Disney World* and I think your calculations may be a bit off, although I've not heard great things about Disneyland Paris.

9. Yes, agreed. I wish they'd stop renting out the doublewide strollers.

10. Cool.

11. Three times in a row or three times over six days?

12. Again, it isn't supposed to be near completion yet and the point is it's getting a new character.

13. Maybe you shouldn't drive on them?

14. Maybe stay home for awhile?

15. Fastpass Plus is amazing and I'm not sure why you would feel "locked into every second" considering the old FP had a one hour window also.

for Number 14.. WHY would STAYING HOME.. make the park cleaner? if the park is dirty that is SOMETHING that CAN BE FIXED.. this is the difference between Disney and a Carnival according to Walt Disney.. the parks WILL ALWAYS BE CLEAN.. it takes hiring and using personnel. its not a great job but one that probably pays okay figuring the circumstances are late at night or early early morning. .but if Management doesn't use this utility, then what does staying home have to do with it?

 

[MickeyMomV]

Not five or six years. I'm not universal can but I'm sorry what they did with potter shows that speed and quality can go together.

I know that everybody likes to compare Disney projects to Universal's Harry Potter but I just want to point out that Universal has been working on Harry Potter Land for about 7-8 years and it is still not completely finished!

 

[bjlc57]

The MK was designed to be operated at 10 million guests. It currently draws nearly double.

'Wall to wall crowds' is not a minor inconvenience, or misread crowd calendar. It is a depressing, all-encompassing disaster. With disastrous effects on anything ranging from theme to relaxation level (family in-fights aplenty!) to ride capacity to even guest and CM courtesy. The problem isn't pushy strollers, the problem is packed walkways. The problem isn't FastPass+, but undercapacity. Overcrowding is a sorry and mean-spirited way to operate WDW. Roy would hang current management by their bollox for operating the park he built for his baby brother in this manner.

If Mk was designed for 10 million Guests.. and they currently draw 20 million.. its time for a fifth gate.. The problem is management won't fix the three other parks.. or is doing so of the speed of a crippled snail.. but none the less ., if Disney world is Truly drawing those numbers.. and you don't seem to have a graph to prove those numbers,, and if you do please please post it for all to see, then they need a fifth gate.. NOW.. and should have broken ground LAST YEAR.. if all this money is truly rolling in.. and the parks are at capacity..

 

[bjlc57]

It's too long according to what?? How long do you think it should take to build an entire new land in a Disney theme park?

Magic Kingdom.. built in a year.. Epcot built in just over a year.. how much time.. ONE YEAR.. period.. FOR A COMPLETE PARK.. oh it cost money to do it that way.. but it can be done and has in the past.. the problem is that Disney does not want to spend the money.. that's the rub..

 

[imperius]

I know that everybody likes to compare Disney projects to Universal's Harry Potter but I just want to point out that Universal has been working on Harry Potter Land for about 7-8 years and it is still not completely finished!

Ummm what isn't finished?

 

[MickeyMomV]

Ummm what isn't finished?

Well you have the Ministry of Magic show and the Diagon Alley Expansion for starters. And the original announcement for Harry Potter came in 2007 with rumors starting in 2003. So even if we go off the 2007 date we are at 9 years.

 

[imperius]

Well you have the Ministry of Magic show and the Diagon Alley Expansion for starters. And the original announcement for Harry Potter came in 2007 with rumors starting in 2003. So even if we go off the 2007 date we are at 9 years.

Expansions are expansions. They don't mean it isn't done. Hogsmeade is its own land and is finished and was when it opened. Diagon is its own land and is finished. If they start on phase 3 with the ministry that is its own build.