Was Disney World better years ago? Your thoughts.

[TheGuyThatMakesSwords]

Yes.

 

[doctornick]

Honestly, I think the biggest thing that makes WDW not as good as in the past is that it is just way more crowded - all the time - than it was in decades prior. And, to be critical, development has not kept up with the crowds to adequately address them (so it does fall on TWDC themselves).

Most everything that is negative develops as a side effect of the parks being crowded which makes everything harder to do.

 

[jackpast]

Feel free to answer. Everyone has their own opinion.

Mine was that the Disney World parks (and Downtown Disney) were the best in the late 90s, but that is because I grew up mainly in the 90s. I am an 80s baby.

Went for first time in 1992. Been there dozens of times since. Crowds were better and manners were way better. Never heard the F word in the parks. Now a fist fight is considered normal.

 

[Mindy55]

I love this question! From a resort experience, Disney was much better, years ago. The array of amenities and combination of just good old fashioned fun, was so unique to WDW. It has since slowly dissipated and replaced with DVC buildings, or .. nothing. The motto of “cast first, guest always” was genuine. The lens that any and every upgrade or change was considered through was “does this add / improve the guest experience”, and only if the answer was a solid yes, did any project move forward. Disney continues to transform, however it is no longer for everyone, and has become increasingly exclusionary, despite the PR push to the contrary. Bob Iger’s indelible mark (stain?) will be defined, in my opinion, by the unapologetic relationship with China. While we all recognized a steady and increasing decline in some areas (merchandise being on top of my list), I think the most stunning decay is the absence of uniqueness. I knew if I was shopping in the parks, a Disney resort / DTD store, it was special, great quality and maybe not available anywhere else. I loved the assortment of Disney merchandise and resort style fashion. Everything, in each location / park, connected and I would feel transported. I haven’t had that kind of experience in too long. What’s worse .. Cast member attitudes are unpredictable. In a single day, I was greeted with exceptional Disney charm, then, shortly after, eyes rolled at me, then complained to by a cashier that he’d rather be anywhere else but not helping guests.
Something that was a once in a blue moon experience, is an expected daily occurrence there- poor guest service. I even saw 2 costumed cast members in Galaxy’s edge, snickering and behaving so snobby right in front of a woman who looked like she was waiting for her family to return from a ride or something and encountered these 2, who seemed to find it amusing that she loved Star Wars and was asking questions .. I don’t know, I keep trying to hold out hope that some sense of nostalgia will spark a new direction from where they have been seemingly headed for a long time now. I can’t deny that I’m losing a bit of faith.

 

[chriskbrown]

So I start going in the 70s, with only a park and two hotels. 2 days at MK was more than enough. No concept of after hour events or anything.

So we went from a single park with 2 hotels to 4 parks, 2 water parks, Disney springs - plus a ton more hotels and resorts. Currently - not as much. I think the peak so far was actually in the mid-2000s. I am not in love with the current leadership at all. I look at my local park - Carowinds. Paramount bought them, and they made some initial great investments. Then they basically forgot about the place before Cedar Fair bought them. Cedar has made amazing investments. Parts of the original park are long gone. It's cyclical, always has been. Watch some of the Disney+ shows where you can see that cycle play out. The theme parks are right now a cash cow; one day someone else will invest in them.

 

[Djsfantasi]

I would say, prior to the Genie program, the current WDW was better️ I don’t understand the complaints about spontaneity, having to make park reservations, etc… First, making advance reservations makes my trip more enjoyable. The stress of hoping to get the attractions I desire is gone. And I don’t understand the concern about the lack of spontaneity. Once I make my must do reservations, there is 1-2 hours to spontaneously do attractions I might not have done in an unplanned environment. I get to experience everything I want, there is plenty of time to be spontaneous and my trip is majorly less stressful.

Now, with the Genie program, it is much more stressful, I find it easier to miss experiences I want and I HAVE TO PAY FOR GETTING FRUSTRATED !!!

Sorry Karyn, Disney has taken my enjoyment away from my vacation. Still trying to make up my mind as to whether I will return. Maybe I’ll book an all-inclusive trip to the Caribbean.

 

[Namaari]

I spent most of my Disney years in the 90s and fondly remember and miss a lot of the things other posters mentioned (e.g. lower crowds, free FastPass, rides/attractions that didn't have IP slapped all over them, etc). Granted, I was a kid/pre-teen and had a different view of things than I do now as an adult, but one thing that seems to be happening lately that's concerning is the frequent ride breakdowns. I don't remember that happening nearly as much in the 90s and I can't help but wonder why. So disappointing.

 

[rwdavis2]

I'll have to say our 2016 trip was the best. Loved the way FP+ allowed us to sleep in some days and still be able to do the popular attractions. The planning was a bit much but once we were there it was fine. We don't obsess over dining.

 

[StarshipDisney]

Now, with the Genie program, it is much more stressful, I find it easier to miss experiences I want and I HAVE TO PAY FOR GETTING FRUSTRATED !!!

Concur completely. I once could plan a trip and reserve the best rides in advance and know that I would enjoy the trip. Now, with Genie+ and if I want to get best use out of the system, I must be up early every day at 7 AM with a phone in my face and then spend most of the day with a phone in my face. What a crap shoot every day will be.

 

[tanc]

It's sad that some people will never experience the adventurers club.

 

[John park hopper]

When I was working I got up 5 days a week at 4:30am now that I am retired I don't want to be a slave to the clock specially when on vacation. The old FP allowed me to pick ahead of time and I had the option of sleeping in if I wanted to. Now with the ridiculous Genie I must get up at before 7 and get on my phone. "Get on my phone" just what I don' t want to do be on my phone on vacation.

 

[Padre]

We are DVC and were Annual Pass Holders. I agree with nearly all posts. The mismanagement of WDW since around 2000 on has been very disheartening. The worst being EPCOT. The second being MGM/Hollywood Studios. It's as if Disney Parks management were simply throwing darts at a dartboard to decide on demolition/change/new structure.

All the detail from some of the posts above are fantastic so I'll say that Epcot has been destroyed. Horizons, World of Motion, Universe of Energy, Wonders of Life, all the "re-imagining" of Living Seas, Norway, etc. have not been for the better. MGM, the bad changes are nearly enumerable but I'll say the Star Wars addition is great, just don't destroy a significant portion of the part to put it. They could have doubled the park size, alleviating congestion, by simply ADDING ON.

Resorts? Awesome. Adding a gazillion people into the parks without increasing the parks? Stupid.

 

[Smooth]

We are DVC and were Annual Pass Holders. I agree with nearly all posts. The mismanagement of WDW since around 2000 on has been very disheartening. The worst being EPCOT. The second being MGM/Hollywood Studios. It's as if Disney Parks management were simply throwing darts at a dartboard to decide on demolition/change/new structure.

All the detail from some of the posts above are fantastic so I'll say that Epcot has been destroyed. Horizons, World of Motion, Universe of Energy, Wonders of Life, all the "re-imagining" of Living Seas, Norway, etc. have not been for the better. MGM, the bad changes are nearly enumerable but I'll say the Star Wars addition is great, just don't destroy a significant portion of the part to put it. They could have doubled the park size, alleviating congestion, by simply ADDING ON.

Resorts? Awesome. Adding a gazillion people into the parks without increasing the parks? Stupid.

Right. It was a simple formula of maintaining the classics and adding attractions to enhance the experience and handle increased capacity.

 

[Tom Morrow]

It was unquestionably better in my opinion. Yes, there have been a lot of recent enhancements that I am grateful for and would not want to lose, such as Rise of the Resistance, and lots of improved infrastructure and streamlining and whatnot. But aside from additions and growth, nearly every category has declined other than perhaps food quality, which has improved significantly.

Ignoring things like the fact that service and upkeep are nowhere near what they used to be, crowds are bigger, more pre-planning and hassle is required, crowds are bigger, you're paying a lot more for less now and being nickel and dimed, etc...

The single biggest difference that is gradually killing my lifelong enthusiasm for me is the ever-growing push for corporate synergy. For the first 30-35-ish years, the WDW experience was largely NOT about constantly being bombarded by the Disney brand. Yes, it's always been prominent, but you went to WDW before because it was a high quality experience and escape at what were originally relatively reasonable prices. You'd meet the characters and there were some IP attractions, but more attractions than not were non-IP based and if they were, it didn't feel like Disney trying to market to you. It felt like a place that didn't need the Disney brand to exist because it was so impressive, cohesive, high quality, and unique that it would be a draw on its own.

My first visit was as a 9 year old in 1994. Even at that age, I remember being apprehensive about going because the perception many people had back then was that WDW was for small children only, corporate tackiness, and all about hugging the characters and rides like the teacups and dumbo. I was already in a state of mind to not want that. Then, to my surprise, we get there and you could largely ignore the character stuff if you wanted to. I distinctly remember feeling like this place was family friendly but "mature", it wasn't pandering to me or kids smaller than me. I was in total awe that a perfect, massive scale place like this seemed like it shouldn't exist, but did. I became a lifelong fan after that.

Now I know that not everyone agrees and many think that the Disney branding is an integral part of the WDW experience. But the difference is that before it could largely be kept in the background if you weren't as interested in it. Since the early to mid 00's they've continued to dial up the IP and corporate synergy. Now, with Chapek, it's reaching the absurd levels that 10 years ago we would have joked about as hyperbolic examples. The irony is that WDW today is so much more like what naysayers assumed it was like all along - being marketed to and bombarded by the Disney brand at every possible opportunity.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

You know what doesn't hold up AT ALL?

Old Epcot. Don't @ me, just watch Kitchen Kabaret on YouTube and tell me it represents the absolute peak of themed entertainment.

The same goes for Horizons, World of Motion, all of it.

 

[erasure fan1]

As a whole, we very much enjoyed our trips more back in the mid 90s than the last 10 or so years. For me, it has everything to do with the crazy price increases and being nickel and dimed to death. Couple that with the constant removal of things and it just isn't as good. The funny thing is, if all this extra money we were spending, went into increasing the capacity of the parks. I wouldn't really have an issue. Unfortunately, even with everything they have built, and are building now, we still aren't that much ahead of capacity from the mid to late 90s.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I think everyone should have to disclose their age when they comment on this topic.

"Everything was awesome when it was cheaper..."

...because you were 9 years old in 1987, your parents paid for everything, and you viewed the world with the wonder of a child.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I think everyone should have to disclose their age when they comment on this topic.

"Everything was awesome when it was cheaper..."

...because you were 9 years old in 1987, your parents paid for everything

Except we have historical records on prices and can calculate what they would be in today's dollars based on inflation.

@ParentsOf4 has several graphs on this subject.

Regardless of who paid for what, your vacation dollar used to go further in WDW.

 

[erasure fan1]

I think everyone should have to disclose their age when they comment on this topic.

"Everything was awesome when it was cheaper..."

...because you were 9 years old in 1987, your parents paid for everything, and you viewed the world with the wonder of a child.

Nope. It was just a better experience for a lot of people back then. It wasn't perfect by any stretch. The issues that so many have might not have really impacted you. That's great, really it is. But that doesn't make your views right and ours wrong. Or the other way around.

 

[Tom Morrow]

You know what doesn't hold up AT ALL?

Old Epcot. Don't @ me, just watch Kitchen Kabaret on YouTube and tell me it represents the absolute peak of themed entertainment.

The same goes for Horizons, World of Motion, all of it.

i don’t think anyone is suggesting they build rides exactly like that now as yes they would not hold up. But at their time they were incredibly impressive on scales that theme parks had not seen before. They were at least interesting, creative, original, and didn’t feel like corporate synergy: the ride.*

*Yes they had corporate sponsors but were not attractions about the company sponsoring them.