What was the best Year to Visit WDW

[ji4310]

My first trip was in 1987. My husband had been as a teen, even got to stay at the Contemporary for a one night stay! I just wanted to share how magical that trip was to me. I wasn't an experienced traveler (mostly a week at the beach) and this was so incredibly different and special. It was the 2nd week in February and I had packed nothing but summer clothes. Well we shivered through some cold days but it was so worth it. The parks, relative to today, were empty! Characters roamed about freely. I have a picture of my daughter hugging Mickey with no one around! Seriously, those were the days of magical moments. There were no crowds. Epcot was the most wonderful place I'd ever been! And we made many day trips from Daytona after that. We've been DVC members for 10 years now and the most time I will spend in a park is 4 hours. Fastpass or no Fastpass it's too crowded.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

98 - 2k was good.

 

[wwm]

For me the time that stands out would be Dec. 1995. It was our daughters 5th birthday, characters were roaming she could just walk up to them they would stop for pic, signatures, goof around for a few. Weren't the long lines like there are now. Splash rode 4 - 5 times in a row never had to get out of boat, same with peter pan, small world. It was just a fun easy time with not a lot of people.

 

[disney4life2008]

I loved the 25th anniversary. I know the giant cake gets no love but it was a wonderful year of magic and excellent marketing. The other was the year of dreams (?) where cms gave random surprises. Overall, i would say the 90s the magic was there and you really had to afford Disney to go. Now, its anyone and everyone. Im not entitled just saying.

 

[JIMINYCR]

I agree with most of the previous posters that the early 90s were the best. The crowds were not unbearable, I think the parks were in good condition, transportation was running well, the parks could be enjoyed more, we saw Disney growing in a positive manner. But the best thing about that time was that me & DW were younger and our DS was young and we were enjoying WDW together.

 

[brb1006]

The early 90's has to be when Walt Disney World was at it's finishes when it comes to the amount of attractions and shows as seen in this commercial for its 20th Anniversary back in 1991.

 

[brb1006]

August 1994, after Tower of Terror opened, but before 20K Leagues closed.

By then you had three parks, MGM was in its prime, both water parks were open *and* you still had River Country and Discovery Island too. Pleasure Island at Downtown Disney was at its height, there were plenty of brand new resorts with cheap rooms to fill, and Guest service had never been better while prices were yet to steeply climb, making it a generally affordable vacation. Epcot was still EPCOT Center, with all that entailed, and MK had parades that changed frequently, with that years being 'Mickey Mania', one of the best ever.

In short, if you didn't go in 1994, you missed out!

I think Mickey Mania might have been the last parade celebrating a character's birthday/anniversary at any Disney Park since the parade celebrated Mickey's 66th Anniversary when it debuted in 1994.

 

[brb1006]

I would also say somewhere around 1985. The crowds were much smaller as a whole and Epcot had time to establish itself and let the early crowd rush for the new park to die off. Not only were the parks better and less crowded but the resorts were better also. My family started going in 1977 when I was four. We normally stayed at Fort Wilderness. There was a lot more stuff to do at fort then including a real petting zoo unlike now, it still had the train and they actually took care of the swamp trails. The fort hadn't been over run by loud annoying people on golf carts. People weren't there just for the parks. WDW seemed like a real resort vacation not just some parks and hotels.

And characters were still allowed to wander the parks during the 70's - 90's.

 

[rob0519]

Our first family trip to WDW was in 1996, so I'll say the best years were 1997-2003. The first years we were still discovering everything the resort had to offer. The crowds took a significant dip in 2001 - 2003 so there were some good discounts and promotions. Service and quality was much better than today. Was able to afford to stay longer and do more.

 

[Rubicon77]

The absolute best time IMO was late 80's early 90's. MK, EPCoT, MGM, & Pleasure Island were open. Arguably the best bar ever the Adventurer's club, a perfect blend of animatronics, live performance, atmosphere oh yeah & booze, was open. Some of my favorite attractions, Horizons, Mr. Toad, World of motion, & original Figment were still open. Norway opened in EPCoT, Port Orleans in '91 Splash mount. in '92. You could go in October & have the parks virtually to yourself, I remember going from attraction to attraction with little or no wait. Drinking your way around the "world". Cast was still friendly & seemed genuinely glad to be working there. Everything was new or looked new. All the parks & resorts were kept immaculately clean. I'm sad that the under 20 crowd will never experience that WDW. The last time we went was 2013, & even though it's larger & more technologically advanced, it has lost some of it's magic IMO. But at least we have our memories & can hope that those days may return. Does anyone remember the Fireworks Factory restaurant?

 

[Disvillain63]

I liked the years during the 90's and the turn of the century. It could be because that's when my kids were young and everything was magical, but service and experiences seemed more positive back then too.

 

[SteveAZee]

The absolute best time IMO was late 80's early 90's. MK, EPCoT, MGM, & Pleasure Island were open. Arguably the best bar ever the Adventurer's club, a perfect blend of animatronics, live performance, atmosphere oh yeah & booze, was open. Some of my favorite attractions, Horizons, Mr. Toad, World of motion, & original Figment were still open. Norway opened in EPCoT, Port Orleans in '91 Splash mount. in '92. You could go in October & have the parks virtually to yourself, I remember going from attraction to attraction with little or no wait. Drinking your way around the "world". Cast was still friendly & seemed genuinely glad to be working there. Everything was new or looked new. All the parks & resorts were kept immaculately clean. I'm sad that the under 20 crowd will never experience that WDW. The last time we went was 2013, & even though it's larger & more technologically advanced, it has lost some of it's magic IMO. But at least we have our memories & can hope that those days may return. Does anyone remember the Fireworks Factory restaurant?

Yes, I do really miss The Adventurer's Club, and meandering through the shops and 'dance clubs' of Pleasure Island.

 

[ItsOn]

1996 for the 25th Anniversary was pretty
Epic

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/3c/f0/8a/3cf08a526c4fc8e711a62fc1b247ed3d.jpg

 

[WondersOfLife]

For me personally.. Definitely between 1998 and 2008....... So basically.. When I was a kid and would get lost in the magic and didn't give a hoot about "quality" and the "changes"..

 

[Bairstow]

@BrerJon totally nailed it.
Late summer of 1994 was the high water mark.

 

[Weather_Lady]

My last, "best visit" was Easter 1993. Since then, going has been increasingly expensive (increasing far above the rate of inflation), increasingly stressful (choose between touring spontaneously or efficiently - you can no longer have both), and it feels like there is less to do (by attraction count) every time we visit, rather than more. Also -- and this is something Disney can't do much to control -- the increasing loss of basic civility and manners among other guests has made visits to any large-scale tourist venue, Disney or otherwise, less pleasant over the years.

 

[Rescue Ranger]

There were many. However, I'd have to say the 25th Anniversary was a wonderful time and we visited multiple times during that period.

 

[trampdog]

September 2001 - December 2002

I was there 6 different times in that period, including the week after 9/11. Somber as it was, the parks were completely empty and very patriotic. I remember CMs fighting for my attention, walking onto every ride, and staying on as long as I wanted. The America Pavilion at Epcot made extra efforts to be proud and there was a sense of "we are going to live our lives anyway, in spite of terrorism".

Disney took a hit that year and it took them three years to recover from it.

 

[disneyflush]

1990. Epcot was incredible, MGM had that new car smell, MK crowds were not insane. Pre-Internet. Plenty of value to be found. Most everything in the parks served the purpose for which it was created. Epcot was about the future. MGM was a working studio. MK brimmed with magic and surprises.

 

[BigRedDad]

There was nothing better than WDW in the 70s and up to about 1985. Don't get me wrong, it is still a lot of fun now with a lot more there. The difference between then and now is the level of service. Back then, CMs bent over backwards for you. Now, it is hit-or-miss. The cutbacks are extreme compared to back then.