Was it more relaxed in the early days of the park?

[Pixieish]

^^^ THIS ^^^

What @Goofyernmost is describing here is what we used to call the 'Disney Effect' i.e. people don't mind being in lines as long as they are MOVING and perhaps that's the biggest change that FP+ has brought in that standby lines are now more akin to a traffic jam than a queue.

Heck in the OLD Disney lines we used to make friends sometimes short term, some we are still in touch with today, mainly because the vibe was better. yes we were waiting in line but it was not a bunch of frustrated angry people, It was more like a concert experience.

HAHA...I'm notorious for talking to strangers while we're at Disney...people at our resort, people in line...and if I trip on air or something ridiculous and you witness it - feel free to laugh and make fun, because I sure as heck am going to.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

Unless they are carelessly walking directly into you or your family, there is no need for you to purposely nudge someone just walking by.

They are walking straight towards you with their heads down and their fingers flinging. Yes, sometimes a person needs to realize that they are responsible for who they walk into. Don't worry, no one has ever gotten hurt, except their pride.

 

[disneyflush]

My experience spans 30 years not 50, I was a hardcore pixie duster till as you say about 2010 when Disney went into a flat spin from which any pilot will tell you is unrecoverable with the constant quality cuts and price increases, The price increases I could have lived with IF Disney was actually building something besides the stock price, You needed to be around in the 80's if you wanted to see PRICE INCREASES yet at the time Disney went from underpriced to 'fairly priced' and that's when Disney was actually building things.

WDW started to take hits in the late 90's with refurbs (that's why Tomorrowland looked half finished - because it was indeed half finished) being halted to redirect funds to DLP which at the time was running far over budget (sound familiar WDW fans ? something about a park in China costing more than expected...)

I first took my family in 2006 and then went back in 2008. The dining plan in 2006 was basically all-inclusive for 99% of the places to eat on property for 1 credit. Gratuity and appetizer included. We got the same plan in 2008 (they had begun offering a version of the Deluxe Dining Plan in 2008) but they had raised the price and removed the appetizer and gratuity. That is when we started seeing a (the) change. I looked at the prices for the 2018 Standard Dining Plan recently when they were announced:

2006 = $37.99/Disney adult (10 years old and above) $10.99/Disney child
2018 = $75.49/Disney adult (10 years old and above) $25.80/Disney child

It has obviously been 12 years now and prices should have increased but it feels like I'm looking at the 1980's price for something versus present day price. And the 2018 version has lost 40% of its value with the loss of tip and appetizer. The answer is obviously just don't buy it anymore and we don't but I'm bringing it up because this has contributed to a less relaxed feeling in the park for my family. Meals on our first trip were fun and were a big factor in the trip experience. Sure the prices were high but we were somewhat insulated and could experiment with the options. The end of the meal wasn't a cause for aggravation. 2006 felt like Disney was looking out for my family and offering us a great deal. 2008 felt like Disney stopped caring about 'us'. The years since have seen comical price raises on food (and other things) across the board. The place you trust with your family and vacations shouldn't leave such a feeling of maltreatment every time you offer them your money for something.

 

[jloucks]

HAHA...I'm notorious for talking to strangers while we're at Disney...people at our resort, people in line...and if I trip on air or something ridiculous and you witness it - feel free to laugh and make fun, because I sure as heck am going to.

Me too! I am introverted to the point that I have to be in a fantastic mood to talk to other people, and Disney

I first took my family in 2006 and then went back in 2008. The dining plan in 2006 was basically all-inclusive for 99% of the places to eat on property for 1 credit. Gratuity and appetizer included. We got the same plan in 2008 (they had begun offering a version of the Deluxe Dining Plan in 2008) but they had raised the price and removed the appetizer and gratuity. That is when we started seeing a (the) change. I looked at the prices for the 2018 Standard Dining Plan recently when they were announced:

2006 = $37.99/Disney adult (10 years old and above) $10.99/Disney child
2018 = $75.49/Disney adult (10 years old and above) $25.80/Disney child

It has obviously been 12 years now and prices should have increased but it feels like I'm looking at the 1980's price for something versus present day price. And the 2018 version has lost 40% of its value with the loss of tip and appetizer. The answer is obviously just don't buy it anymore and we don't but I'm bringing it up because this has contributed to a less relaxed feeling in the park for my family. Meals on our first trip were fun and were a big factor in the trip experience. Sure the prices were high but we were somewhat insulated and could experiment with the options. The end of the meal wasn't a cause for aggravation. 2006 felt like Disney was looking out for my family and offering us a great deal. 2008 felt like Disney stopped caring about 'us'. The years since have seen comical price raises on food (and other things) across the board. The place you trust with your family and vacations shouldn't leave such a feeling of maltreatment every time you offer them your money for something.

The only way to reverse the trend is for everyone to stop paying those prices. So long as people come and spend at a starving horde level, the prices will continue to rise. At some point it will happen, I just dont know at what level.

In a way, you should thank Disney because without the price increases the mob size would grow to astronomical levels.

 

[wdwfan22]

The only thing that has really changed is that the off season times are no longer off season. In the early days there were times in the fall where the parks would be practically empty. Keep in mind Magic Kingdom closed early every night and didn't offer fireworks or parades except on weekends, but crowds were light. I've been going since 1980 and lines were long during peak times back then as they are today. The only difference is they moved instead of being stopped for long periods at a time. However you still had to wait 120 minutes for Space Mountain just like you do today. Personally I feel you can experience more rides today without long waits thanks to FASTPASS. Restaurants have always been hard to get into but never impossible as long as you keep checking. I can tell you that even back in the early days you couldn't always walk up to a restaurant and expect to be placed on a list. The biggest change remains that off season isn't off season any more.

 

[Jamie77]

Early 80's? No doubt you are correct, but this was my experience as last as 2012. Something changed right about that time, and crowds skyrocketed at all times.

I think they were starting to tinker with FP+ at that time.