What Defined the Decade at WDW?

[Animaniac93-98]

Worst quick service food (maybe not as bad as Paris, but that is relying on word of mouth as I’ve never been).

No Paris is indeed the worst for quick service food. Assuming the restaurant is even open when you're hungry, it's not "quick" or great food.

There's a reason so many leave the parks to go to McDonald's in Disney Village.

 

[Kate F]

While there were some great new additions, most notably Pandora, I can’t think of anything more fitting to describe the decade than price increases.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

It was a combination of things to me. New charges, price increases and fast pass plus. I said new charges because charging for parking did not exist in 2010 at WDW hotels, but they do now. Paid extra hours ticket events did not exist in 2010, they are now.

 

[Bob Harlem]

Another vote for Harry Potter (June of 2010), that really sparked and set the tone and theming bar for the decade, including, what is currently going on now with the additions/replacements (finally), after most of the decade was pretty lackluster for new/improved park going. (Other than my magic plus, which just made hyper-planning the norm)

 

[gobstoper27]

Thinking back..my first visit to WDW was back in 2009 at the end of the last decade and I just visited last month. In my 10 years of travelling to the World what stands out for me is the difference in planning. Back then due to primarily a lack of experience on my part, the use of fast passes was never even a thought. Fast forward to now, for this past trip, my fast pass window literally opened up at the same time my flight was scheduled to take off and I was having a mini panic attack. I miss the days of being able to wing it. With all the crowd calendars, and sites that tell you which route you should take to get to your destination faster, it is crazy..
I know some folks can go with the flow with no issue..but for someone like myself who get down every few years, I have to try to make the most of my time so excessive, detailed planning it is..


I am not a fan of deciding where you want to eat 180 days out.. I'm trying to figure out what we're eating for dinner tomorrow

 

[bubbles1812]

No Paris is indeed the worst for quick service food. Assuming the restaurant is even open when you're hungry, it's not "quick" or great food.

There's a reason so many leave the parks to go to McDonald's in Disney Village.

The worst cup of coffee I have ever had the displeasure of drinking came from a stand in Disneyland Paris... This is coming from someone who generally only drinks coffee while in Europe (they just make it better) and shall be visiting France for the third time in May. But it was simply the worst and has become legendary in family lore.

 

[marni1971]

The worst cup of coffee I have ever had the displeasure of drinking came from a stand in Disneyland Paris... This is coming from someone who generally only drinks coffee while in Europe (they just make it better) and shall be visiting France for the third time in May. But it was simply the worst and has become legendary in family lore.

That’s a shame. We live on coffee and find DLP to be no different. Maybe you got a bad one.

 

[HongKongFooy]

The most meaningful feature in the theme park industry since '55 Disneyland is the opening of a second gate, EPCOT.

For the last 3 decades it is clearly Potter Universe

As for WDW stories/news in the 2010's I'd say Rise, as in rise of prices then:

2)Batuu
3)Pandora
4)PassGass+
5)Gondola system

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

1. How people are oddly obsessed with painted walls that have been there since the park opened and noticed it all of a sudden that it got repainted
2. Magnets.......Just Magnets..
3. Park exclusives and the lines guests are in that would make Flight of Passage an embarresment and only to find it on Ebay several hundered dollars more
4. Star Wars......Yeesh...I miss the days in 2007 when it was all about Pirates and Princesses..

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

Mymagic+ and all it entails.

After that NFL.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Increase crowds, increase pricing, extra hour ticketed events, need of the use of technology (MB, FP+, ADR, MDE ) for planning, removal of beloved attractions, updated attractions, more and more DVC's and resorts. Overall taking the good with the bad IMHO, Disney still is on the good side of me.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

All of the above!
I would add that the taking away of what was always free at WDW for the upcharge events. The resulting decline of the "regular" paying guest's experience. Too many "event" days. These times used to be free, but now to have a chance at riding all you want to, you have to pay, pay, pay. I refuse to. #2 for me is the decrease in the CM's Disney university from a week to a day or so? You can see the results easily over the years.
I love going to Universal and being able to ride what I want, when I want, and as many times as I want. I remember when Disney was like that. So that leads to #3, that being the huge amount of preplanning you have to do. I know, I know, you don't "have" to, but if you don't do at least some preplanning, you are at a disadvantage over everyone else who has done this.
It's a shame that the things we have listed are not the addition of new attractions, but the decline in other areas.

 

[MaximumEd]

Price increases. All the new capex over the last few years will just lead to more price increases and still probably no net ride count increase from 2000 to now. I don’t have to numbers for this, but it feels like all they do is rip and replace as opposed to add.

 

[drizgirl]

It's interesting to contrast this thread on the DLR forum talking about the past decade. Very different responses. And both spot on.

The 2010's - A Disneyland Resort Decade In Review!

I got home from Christmas vacation a few hours ago, I'm still on Hawaii time, and while flying across the Pacific this thread idea came to me. Surprisingly, Hawaiian Airlines has no WiFi service on its planes, even the flagship routes to the West Coast on their big new A330's, so I had to jot...

forums.wdwmagic.com

 

[bryanfze55]

It's interesting to contrast this thread on the DLR forum talking about the past decade. Very different responses. And both spot on.

The 2010's - A Disneyland Resort Decade In Review!

I got home from Christmas vacation a few hours ago, I'm still on Hawaii time, and while flying across the Pacific this thread idea came to me. Surprisingly, Hawaiian Airlines has no WiFi service on its planes, even the flagship routes to the West Coast on their big new A330's, so I had to jot...

forums.wdwmagic.com

Both resorts have added some great attractions over the past decade (and raised prices significantly), but the upcharge efforts have been so much more obvious at WDW. At least at Disneyland you can still enjoy Christmas entertainment without paying an additional $100/person for a “party.”

 

[Goofyernmost]

FP+ and the complete loss of spontaneity.

I have been going to WDW pretty much every year, sometimes more then once and have never lost the feeling of spontaneity. Yes, I have had to add a couple of things, like getting FP's 30 days and less out, checking to see when the crowds are likely to be heavy and what is operating and what isn't. How much of the loss is because so many drink the Disney Kool Aid. You don't need to stay at high priced locations onsite to enjoy the parks. You don't need to pay top dollar for mediocre food onsite. When you make yourself a prisoner then you have lost your ability to be spontaneous.

This past September I stayed at the new resort hotel at Universal, because they had low introductory prices, otherwise I would have stayed at one of the hundreds of offsite reasonably priced locations. I went to WDW when I wanted to... got a few FP's ahead of time or just figured out when the best time was to try and board attractions when the crowds are preoccupied with other things like getting to ADR's on time or parades or castle projections. Or decide to see other things like Universal or explore the area around WDW and Universal and take advantage of many attractions, quality restaurants (no reservations required. Eat what you want, when you want.) Take side trips to the Kennedy Space Center (60 miles to the east) or Bok Tower (20 miles to the west) or a few miles further to Tampa and the Sunshine Bridge. Or on the way to Legoland stop into a candy store that makes the best Citrus Candy I have ever had. Or a couple hour drive Northwest to Silver Springs. There are so many things to enjoy and to be spontaneous with. A full time stay on WDW property is the only thing that takes away spontaneity and makes you swaddled in a minute by minute commitment. OK, for some, never for me.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

A combination of cost cutting/price increases. Leading to diminished value/quality/experience - that opened the door for others to expand (Uni/Sea World) or come into existence (ICON Park/Legoland).

 

[RobWDW1971]

I have been going to WDW pretty much every year, sometimes more then once and have never lost the feeling of spontaneity. Yes, I have had to add a couple of things, like getting FP's 30 days and less out, checking to see when the crowds are likely to be heavy and what is operating and what isn't. How much of the loss is because so many drink the Disney Kool Aid. You don't need to stay at high priced locations onsite to enjoy the parks. You don't need to pay top dollar for mediocre food onsite. When you make yourself a prisoner then you have lost your ability to be spontaneous.

This past September I stayed at the new resort hotel at Universal, because they had low introductory prices, otherwise I would have stayed at one of the hundreds of offsite reasonably priced locations. I went to WDW when I wanted to... got a few FP's ahead of time or just figured out when the best time was to try and board attractions when the crowds are preoccupied with other things like getting to ADR's on time or parades or castle projections. Or decide to see other things like Universal or explore the area around WDW and Universal and take advantage of many attractions, quality restaurants (no reservations required. Eat what you want, when you want.) Take side trips to the Kennedy Space Center (60 miles to the east) or Bok Tower (20 miles to the west) or a few miles further to Tampa and the Sunshine Bridge. Or on the way to Legoland stop into a candy store that makes the best Citrus Candy I have ever had. Or a couple hour drive Northwest to Silver Springs. There are so many things to enjoy and to be spontaneous with. A full time stay on WDW property is the only thing that takes away spontaneity and makes you swaddled in a minute by minute commitment. OK, for some, never for me.

I can only speak for myself, but our trips to WDW used to simply be book a flight and a hotel and then the world was our our oyster.

Wake up and decide what park to go to, roam the parks and jump in lines when we felt like it, grab a reservation for dinner, etc.

Now, Disney has made it like planning for the invasion of Normandy and everyone is forced to get FP’s months in advance, which has also lead to booking all meals in advance, etc.

My wife and I are thinking of going in the next couple of weeks and where we used to have excitement for the spontaneity of it all, now we just know we’re behind the planning
eight ball.

We went to Knott’s the other day on a spur of the moment, it was like a blissful walk back in time to not have to stare at your phone all day, not running from FP to FP, lines all moved quickly, and there was just a sense of relaxed fun.

No longer having that feeling at WDW has been a huge loss.

 

[The_Jobu]

For me it will always be the decade of monetization, I'm hoping for much better associations in the new one. Break off things that used to be standard and charge (a lot) for them. The billion dollar resort that needs to constantly cut back on staffing and raise prices. Synergize IP in every space available and throw in an overpriced mini cupcake buffet.

It's also the decade that Potter made Universal stand up and say "Hey, I'm over here. I want your business" and it worked.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I can only speak for myself, but our trips to WDW used to simply be book a flight and a hotel and then the world was our our oyster.

Wake up and decide what park to go to, roam the parks and jump in lines when we felt like it, grab a reservation for dinner, etc.

Now, Disney has made it like planning for the invasion of Normandy and everyone is forced to get FP’s months in advance, which has also lead to booking all meals in advance, etc.

My wife and I are thinking of going in the next couple of weeks and where we used to have excitement for the spontaneity of it all, now we just know we’re behind the planning
eight ball.

We went to Knott’s the other day on a spur of the moment, it was like a blissful walk back in time to not have to stare at your phone all day, not running from FP to FP, lines all moved quickly, and there was just a sense of relaxed fun.

No longer having that feeling at WDW has been a huge loss.

The way you described it was the way I started out as well, except that in all these years I only stayed onsite once and vowed I would never do it again. It was to limited and way, way to confining. I could easily pay for a weeks car rental for the extra it cost for one day in a Disney Resort.

Admittedly it is tougher now because for years I bought a 10 day park hopper which never expired and I could decide on a whim when I was going and for how many days. I was free to do other things because I didn't have to commit to whatever ticket I bought for the one experience. To me that was the beginning of the end for my many Florida adventures. I hated FP from the first day and wrote to Disney to tell them what a kick in the teeth that was for the common folk but the paper FP did give one a bit more flexibility because you didn't have to commit to a park ahead of time. So to compensate I just spend fewer days there then I did before. I still get to see the other places and don't feel that I have to devote all my time to Disney. If it rained I went to indoor flea markets instead of the parks with no loss of anything.

Other then that the changes had very little affect on my touring. I still stayed offsite, had breakfast before I went in, picked up lunch at a quick service place onsite and left after the 3 O'clock parade and had a full meal at whatever restaurant I had a hankering for. Rested the old bones for a few minutes and then I returned in the evening to the park I was in or whatever other one that hit my mood. I never worried about FP's in the evening.

I don't go to Disney for more then 2 days on any trip now. They want to make my life structured, I don't need them. I can get all the theme park exposure that I want from Uni or the hundreds of tourist traps outside. They have had to be much higher quality now since Disney and Universal have raised the bar. Besides during that long decade of inactivity they quietly began purging the imagineers that had been there long enough to be drawing big salaries out of the company. They went to Universal in many cases and it is getting harder to tell them from a Disney park anymore.

Don't get me wrong I still love WDW and try to go once a year even though I'm hitting close to 72 years old now. I still go solo quite often. But, I enjoy variety and the freedom to wander around and find new things and new places to visit is a bigger draw now that Disney has basically decided that they don't really care if I go there or I don't. They are after much bigger bucks that I don't have. So what I do have I spread around to other deserving enterprises outside those 42 sq. miles.

I agree that losing that early Disney feel was a huge loss! And it all started not with a mouse, but with a Fast Pass. That was the beginning of the end of leisurely Disney vacations and the start of frustrating, anger inducing stand-by lines. I'm at the age now that I cannot count on my health being good enough to go, so each visit I look upon as possibly my last one. The loss of that feeling angers me enough that I can feel better if I get to a point where I cannot go anymore simply because they have sucked the fun right out of it.