What was the best year to visit WDW?

PoorSkippy

PoorSkippy

Member
Original Poster
I'm very curious what year everyone thinks was the ideal year to visit WDW?

Consider what long-lost classics were still around, what was new and exciting, and the overall condition of the parks...maybe I'm just feeling nostalgic for vacations past!

I don't even know how I'd answer this question but I, personally, keep coming back to around the Millenium Celebration era, because I love Epcot and I remember that park having a great energy then...

And don't get me wrong: I think the parks have been looking great lately, even despite the construction walls (which we all know are needed if we want improvements and new "experiences"), and I think there are a lot of exciting things to come in the next few years.
 
Cmdr_Crimson

Cmdr_Crimson

Well-Known Member
Has to be when WDW was celebrating it's 20th birthday....The commercial just makes you want to go....

Especially the $85 a night deal (If that was for Deluxe....Holy Crud!)
 
Mista C

Mista C

Well-Known Member
I would have to say right around 1990. EPCOT Center was only 8 years old and still at the peak of it's glory days. MGM Studio's had just opened in 1989 and it was new and fresh, and a must-see for us on all of our trips. And the Magic Kingdom was just awesome being the Magic Kingdom. Also, those were the days when you could go for the first week in December and the parks were ghost towns.
 
BoarderPhreak

BoarderPhreak

Well-Known Member
Mista C said:
I would have to say right around 1990. EPCOT Center was only 8 years old and still at the peak of it's glory days. MGM Studio's had just opened in 1989 and it was new and fresh, and a must-see for us on all of our trips. And the Magic Kingdom was just awesome being the Magic Kingdom. Also, those were the days when you could go for the first week in December and the parks were ghost towns.
Click to expand...

Yeah, late 80s to early 90s. EPCOT Center was fleshed out, MGM Studios was fresh, interesting and showed promise. Magic Kingdom was what it always was. The resorts and crowds weren't over the top and you could plan trips during periods that truly were ghost towns.

Too early into the 80s and you don't have MGM Studios, and EPCOT Center didn't have a lot of attractions it would see later. Too much into the 90s and you get into the upcoming, in my opinion, downfall. EPCOT Center becomes Epcot, or worse yet, Epcot __. Cool, original attractions start to disappear, such as World of Motion, Horizons, Wonders of Life, Journey Into Imagination, yada yada yada. Then there's the whole Era of the Wand(TM), the paving over of the reflecting pond and raising of the sail. Characters begin their invasion (e.g. The Three Caballeros). Hollywood Studios is much ado about nothing and sinking fast... BAH goes up. Though ToT was a killer addition.

No, mid-80s to mid-90s was the sweet spot, IMO. Unless you go back to '71 for the opening of MK. A bit barren perhaps, but cool in its own right... Just as '81 was for EPCOT Center.
 
Mista C

Mista C

Well-Known Member
BoarderPhreak said:
Too early into the 80s and you don't have MGM Studios, and EPCOT Center didn't have a lot of attractions it would see later. Too much into the 90s and you get into the upcoming, in my opinion, downfall. EPCOT Center becomes Epcot, or worse yet, Epcot __. Cool, original attractions start to disappear, such as World of Motion, Horizons, Wonders of Life, Journey Into Imagination, yada yada yada. Then there's the whole Era of the Wand(TM), the paving over of the reflecting pond and raising of the sail. Characters begin their invasion (e.g. The Three Caballeros). Hollywood Studios is much ado about nothing and sinking fast... BAH goes up. Though ToT was a killer addition.
Click to expand...

SO TRUE.
 
Coaster Lover

Coaster Lover

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
I'd agree... late 80s to early 90s was certainly a sweet spot... in my opinion, it all started to go down hill right about here... (see image)
 

Attachments

  • Screen-Shot-2014-03-27-at-3_35_06-AM.jpg
    Screen-Shot-2014-03-27-at-3_35_06-AM.jpg
    84.7 KB · Views: 62
ULPO46

ULPO46

Well-Known Member
I feel every year prior to 2010 was great. I know the crowds started getting bigger but come on, when can you visit the WDW property now without being shoulder to shoulder with guest?
 
AndyS2992

AndyS2992

Well-Known Member
Coaster Lover said:
I'd agree... late 80s to early 90s was certainly a sweet spot... in my opinion, it all started to go down hill right about here... (see image)
Click to expand...
I don't know why people keep going on about that castle. People moan that Disney is too cheap and doesn't do anything to celebrate anniversaries and stuff and the one time they go all out, people still complain.

I like the cake castle, it's fun and something different, yes people on their once in a lifetime visit didn't get to see the 'real' castle but instead they got to see something that was 'limited edition' so that is much better. :)

But to answer the question, the best time to go to WDW was between 1989 and 1995, seemingly based on how good Epcot apparently was back then. Although it is probably down nostalgia and if those rides were built today in the same state as they were, I doubt new comers would be nearly as impressed. :bored:

But I did really enjoy the Year of a Million Dreams which was 2007/2008 :)
 
Last edited:
Figments Friend

Figments Friend

Well-Known Member
Nice to see that others feel the late 1980s, early 1990s were a prime time to visit WDW.
The mid-80s was a great time too...with Discovery Bay and River Country going strong.
I really liked WDW pre- MGM Studios opening.

Regardless, as a entire package, WDW was excellent in the late 80s until the mid 90s.

EPCOT Center had all of it*s original Pavilions sparkling with great experiences that were still exciting and fresh, as well as recent additions of The Living Seas and eventual Wonders of Life.
The Park still had it*s beautiful, well thought out original landscaping design and layout.
No visual *clutter* anywhere....just pure majesty with little character intrusion.
World Showcase was stunning, and the addition of Norway in 1986 raised it up a notch.
Unique merch was in every shop back then which added to the sense you were *traveling the world*.

Magic Kingdom opened the whimsical toon-inspired area called *Mickey*s Birthdayland* in 1988 where Guests could visit Mickey*s house and see a fun stage show featuring their favorite characters.
In the days before scheduled Meet & Greets, this was a huge novelty.
The Subs from *20,000 Leagues Under the Sea* still prowled the watery depths in Fantasyland, as well as the two-tracked version of *Mr. Toad*s Wild Ride*.
Main Street USA was still reminiscent of a idealized small American town, with all the sights, sounds, scents, shops, and novel experiences there.
The Contemp and Poly were in their prime...and actually affordable to stay in.
You could swim in the Lagoon, and sail on catamarans and other water craft at your leisure.

Disney-MGM Studios opened in May of 89*, and was a actual working studio for film and television production.
Many experiences brought this production right in front of Guests in several ways, one of the best being the very involved *Backlot Tour* and the tour through the Animation building.
The Florida Unit of WD Feature Animation was also functioning at full blast...a entity in it*s own right.
Animation was hot again, thanks to the success of *Who Framed Roger Rabbit* and Roger had a major presence in that Park at that time.

This time period also brought a lot of expansion to the WDW Property as a total Resort destination.
It marked the start of a new era to the area, in my opinion.
Many hotels were added, including the first pair of Value Resorts ( Sports and Music ) to lure budget minded visitors away from the offerings on I-Drive.
Disney*s first major water Park opened ( *Typhoon Lagoon* ) during this time block, and it*s popularity led to WDI being tasked with coming up with another one...*Blizzard Beach*.
A refreshing of the previously existing green and lush Disney Village & Marketplace into the more urbanized Downtown Disney area was also a key moment.
The addition of the adult-orientated, nightclub heavy, original festive incarnation of *Pleasure Island* also marked a change in direction.

After the mid-90s, some things that should not have been removed were...particularly at EPCOT.
More development ( some may consider it *over-development*) of the Property led to a different period in WDWs history, and in my opinion a slight tarnishing to what was once known as *The Vacation KIngdom of The World*.
 
Last edited:
disneyflush

disneyflush

Well-Known Member
I went in 1990 as a kid on our big family vacation and it was beyond amazing. My mother had let a travel agent decide everything so we each had a gold key card that I vaguely remember you could use for any meal or any experience on property at the time. We fished each day, ate anywhere we wanted, etc. We stayed at the Polynesian for the week. The parks were never very crowded from what I remember. MGM was pretty new and it blew me away. Epcot was still aligning the vision of the park with its execution and I remember the original Dreamfinder being a huge influence on a lot of park. The Magic Kingdom was awesome with so many unique and wonderful experiences. I didn't visit between 1990 and 2006 but 1990 was an incredible time to visit.
 
mouskateer carrie

mouskateer carrie

Active Member
I think I would say the mid to late 90's. The park hopper ticket came along, ToT at MGM, "New" Tomorrowland, and the original Fastpass was born!!

To me, even though every era has it's cons, there are always tons of wonderful pros that make up for it :)
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom