What keeps you coming back?

[bryanfze55]

Like many others, there is not a lot drawing me back now. I still visit Disneyland as part of larger California trips. Florida just doesn’t appeal in the same way. And that isn’t a political statement - California is just an endless array of variety and things to do. I doubt I’ll ever take an exclusive theme park vacation again. Been there, done that. There’s too much else to see out there in the world.

I struggle to see where Disney really excels these days. Dollywood and Silver Dollar City have better food and customer service (more consistently “good” at least). Universal’s new rides are as good as Disney’s new rides and arguably just as well-themed. Hundreds of parks out there have better capacity than three of WDW’s four parks. I suppose the main reason to visit nowadays would be nostalgia. By and large, I enjoy what was built in the 20th century - the rides, yes, but also the themed areas. And you can still feel Walt’s legacy alive and well at Disneyland with all the classic rides still there. I suppose that is the basis of my preference. You don’t get that at WDW - it’s just a resort destination.

 

[Deadphish]

Non expiring tickets is what keeps me going back, nothing else. We have 4 days left on them and when they are used up we won’t be going back. Just got back from our first trip to Cedar Point yesterday, we had so much more fun there then we did on our last Disney trip

 

[tpoly88]

Reasons vary over time. I still remember my first time in WDW in 1983 (I've been going to DL since the 50's): drove in from Tampa in the early morning, and as I entered the long drive to MK, fog rolled in and covered everything. Things just appeared out of the mist and it was magical, like entering another world! So as a young adult, it was excitement and magic.

Later, as a parent, we would fly down without reservations, trusting that we would get some last-minute accommodations (and got some very good ones as a result; there used to be a whole last-minute department by the Car Care Center). But it was the kids' interests that drove the visits. Or not; a particularly stark memory is saying: "Let's go to the parks," and hearing "we want to watch TV."

An an "empty nester," it was memories more than anything else, and usually a "mission." I used to trip-report a "best burger in the World" contest, and that went on for quite a while. Then I got into Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom (an interactive game that involved showing playing cards in combinations to fight villains to help "save" MK), which meant I would go every day for a week just to level up that game, which died last January.

Now, it's more people-watching, the way my father did way back when, and seeing the few new attractions. We tour slower, don't go on the same rides, and just enjoy the experience.

Same here, but its the memories of my youth with my brothers and parents when we started going in 1973. when i walk around the MK its remembering my brother pulling me through the caves on Tom Sawyer island and being scared on the haunted house. as i sit there it takes me back to that time. sounds corny but ill never forget those times. as i go now with Kids and our family i have new memories but nothing compares to those first couple years.

 

[Jrb1979]

Non expiring tickets is what keeps me going back, nothing else. We have 4 days left on them and when they are used up we won’t be going back. Just got back from our first trip to Cedar Point yesterday, we had so much more fun there then we did on our last Disney trip

Cedar Point is my favorite park. I usually go multiple times a season. They have added quite a bit for families to do in the last few years.

 

[Doug Means]

for me and my family, its the details. Disney, for the most part, out details any other brand(except for maybe universal who had to catch up to Disney, and did). The details in every little things makes it great and my family looks for that everywhere...so the nostalgia over the years as we discover the greatness of detail keeps us coming back.

 

[Qscout]

Could have easily voted for all
Of the above (not including Magic Express- we drive in)

but the main and most important reason is how the wife and I reconnect on our vacations.

twice a year in AKL- I can see the happy in her, and she can see the happy in me

so, I’ll keep going back!

Yes agree, we go back every 2 years because of cost from UK, but it was our honeymoon venue, and 2 weeks of forgetting the outside world and it being just us 2 and the magic brings us together, memories, new experiences. Even the months after we connect talking about our trip, and then talking about our next one. It is our "happy place".

 

[threvester]

Just got to TOT and TJ was out front greeting guests...these are the things that keep me coming back..the guy is incredible

 

[Walt Disney1955]

For me staying at Cedar Point at their hotel is like staying at Disney in regards to that bubble feeling. For those who have never stayed there, the hotel is fantastic. You can walk to the park and you have a beach right outside the doors.

I disagree that they are a different animal. Not all regional parks are the same. Some of them are destination parks. I would consider Dollywood, Cedar Point and Silver Dollar City as such.

I like Disney and when I took my nieces a few years ago I enjoyed more then when I went myself. Seeing the enjoyment through them made a difference. It might return when my child is older. Part of my issue is when I go to a park I enjoy riding attractions multiple times. I'm sorry to say, I find most Disney attractions one and done.

Darien Lake is another good example of a park that combines more things together. The campgrounds are lovely, it is sort of your own personal space. Sort of separate across the lake from the park, so only people with trailers or staying at the cabins are wandering around. Plus the cabins are spaced out quite a bit, it is lovely. The fireworks above the lake aren't at the level of Disney, but it still has an aura about it. So you can do your campfire thing at night and then go to the theme/water park during the day. I love that combo.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

I also love the Boardwalk and Disney Springs just for the atmosphere. Even just for the boat rides alone. It is good to soak up the atmosphere. I also will take a boat to different resorts and just roam around and check it out.

 

[Monkee Girl]

Definitely the food/dining. I don't get to go to a lot of fancy restaurants in NJ so the idea of saving money and waiting a whole year for favorite restaurants is special for me. Even though we are often in park attire, it feels like a big event to go to breakfast/dinner and it's just something I appreciate. We always have Easter dinner at the Yahtsman so we actually take time and dress up for that dinner. Other favorites include 'Be Our Guest', 'Ohana's', and 'Chefs De France'. I gain like 10lbs after each trip but it's totally worth it haha

 

[Graham9]

It's a unique and special place which has given a lot of happy memories.

Unfortunately due to the current pandemic, it is unreachable for us and we cannot plan when we can return. But we look forward to the time when we can return and collect yet more memories.

 

[rreading]

That's the one thing that confused me the first day of the poll. I wanted to choose more than 3, but "resort" to me had to be chosen. It states "resort", I took that to mean the entire resort, WDW as one resort, not "resorts". For me it should state "hotels" instead of resort and have another line resort or "entire WDW resort.". At least that is how my mind worked when I read it the first time.

Possibly that is why some of us keep saying bubble, the magic line etc, for us it truly is "one" 42 Sq mile resort with hotels, parks varied activities and a ton of other stuff. That is what we come for. In that vain of thinking there is no one resort on the planet that comes close to the scope of WDW. That to me is what I come back for, the all encompassing bubble of the largest resort in the world.

That's the difficulty in defining a poll. Sure, you can let everyone choose everything and see what falls out (doesn't get chosen) but I thought that it would be more interesting to see what does (along the same lines, only choosing one would be too difficult)

Similarly, I did have a hard time deciding whether to focus the bubble or the hotels. I decided that the resort encompassed both. For some, they don't care about which hotel - they just love the bubble; others really want to stay at one hotel or the other. Either way, it's the comfort of the space that I decided that I was looking for (whatever you want to call it)

edit: similarly, there is an answer for the "parks" independent of rides and shows. For some, they just enjoy the atmosphere of the space and could prefer the ambiance of other places instead. Honestly, I probably should have offered 5 choices to be selected since I would have chosen this answer had I not had three more selections more important to me (family/CM/resort).

 

[tagguy]

I should of brought my last set of kids(twins) when they were younger. I waited until they were 15. I had them go to 3 character meals, Dinner at the Castle, the two Poly shows and Hoop De Doo, twice. They actually enjoyed the character meals(some of my other kids as teens would of done nothing but complain). The younger kids were drawn to them as being older, they led a parade thought the tables at Chef Mickeys and it was great fun. Still, in that moment I thought, I blew it, I should of brought them when they were 8.

So enjoy it with the kids!

Don't feel that you blew it. The teens will never forget those times. We took our pre-teen (12-12-13) grandchildren a couple of times and they talk about he great fun they had, all the time.

 

[Copper789]

It was an escape for a little while from the real world. Disney has changed and has brought politics into its attractions and parks. You can also see they are a money grabbing organization and have taken the special little things away.

 

[Goof-Man]

For me it’s the memories coupled with the opportunity to create new memories with my kids. When illuminations closed I took a trip with the wife to watch the last performance and I felt like it was the closing of a chapter and I was done with Disney(for many reasons) but as my kids get older and opportunities to see them love the princesses or the characters and see the castle, I find myself being drawn back to the magic and I can point out things that my mom loved doing and we can honour her and create our own memories at the same time.

 

[Phil12]

We're going back this year so we can observe Disney's cultural maturity in eliminating the offensive stereotypes on the Jungle Cruise. And we intend to go back over the next few years to observe the re-theming of Splash Mountain and the other insensitive and inappropriate attractions.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

Like many others, there is not a lot drawing me back now. I still visit Disneyland as part of larger California trips. Florida just doesn’t appeal in the same way. And that isn’t a political statement - California is just an endless array of variety and things to do. I doubt I’ll ever take an exclusive theme park vacation again. Been there, done that. There’s too much else to see out there in the world.

I struggle to see where Disney really excels these days. Dollywood and Silver Dollar City have better food and customer service (more consistently “good” at least). Universal’s new rides are as good as Disney’s new rides and arguably just as well-themed. Hundreds of parks out there have better capacity than three of WDW’s four parks. I suppose the main reason to visit nowadays would be nostalgia. By and large, I enjoy what was built in the 20th century - the rides, yes, but also the themed areas. And you can still feel Walt’s legacy alive and well at Disneyland with all the classic rides still there. I suppose that is the basis of my preference. You don’t get that at WDW - it’s just a resort destination.

I'll agree that there is a bigger emphasis on Walt at Disneyland. For good reason, he walked that park for 11 years. He started everything there, he created the rides there. It is where everything began. So for me, yeah I thought the nostalgia was epic there. It is the original, and for the people who love WDW - as I do - you can't NOT go to the original if you are that big of a fan.

Now............Walt did have a hand in WDW as well. Construction had started by the time he died and there is still very much that feel there of Walt. So you do get it there too. It isn't as if Walt's influence isn't doused all over Magic Kingdom as well.