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What's deflated your WDW enthusiasm the most: Pandemic or Genie+
- Thread starter BHF
- Start date
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
And for someone like me traveling solo. It doesn't affect me except for deciding ahead of time what park I want to go too, it really isn't a big problem. I don't go to the extra events, never have and I can easily afford the Lightening Lane for myself. Those that it does affect are larger family groups. And that is sad. It is sad for them and for Disney because it is from those larger groups that they can get those present and future spenders. I don't spend much there and never have, so it doesn't really do much to me or affect them. I can make the best of it. I've seen everything forty gazillion times and can afford to spend time in longer stand-by lines of new ones or even pay the extra for the ones that are premium.
They should, however, not be seeing as many of those that stayed onsite, ate all their meals there and consisted of large 4,5 or 6 members. I'd look at that as a huge hit in the wallet. But, I guess if you have that much extra money or that much available credit, it will not stop anyone. I cannot see how it won't affect future business, but they are probably smarter than I am, so they either figure it will be OK or they have calculated that by the time the decline hits they will have retired, banked their golden parachutes and are pounding down Margaritas on some tropic island they own in the Caribbean where the rest of the pirates live, aye!
PolynesianPrincess
Well-Known Member
For me it's a combo of both. COVID took away a lot of things at the parks and to be honest, I'm wondering if some of that entertainment won't be gone forever. If fans are still coming to Disney now, despite so many things not happening, why spend more money to bring them back? Why bring back a 3 o'clock parade that probably costs more to operate than the few cavalcades they're doing now? COVID also trimmed down menus at a lot of restaurants, offering far fewer choices than before. If people are still eating there, why not keep the smaller menu? I think Disney is going to use COVID as a reason to make some changes to things and not in a good way.
And Genie+ is just ridiculous. Yes, other theme parks do it, but Disney was never like other theme parks. The free resort parking, transportation to and from the airport, free faspasses.. Disney was always above other theme parks for reasons like that. Now, they're just like every other theme park. Their resorts are already INSANELY expensive and now they're trying to nickel and dime us even more with Genie+. You already pay SO much to go there and its like they're trying to squeeze every last cent out of you.
And Genie+ is just ridiculous. Yes, other theme parks do it, but Disney was never like other theme parks. The free resort parking, transportation to and from the airport, free faspasses.. Disney was always above other theme parks for reasons like that. Now, they're just like every other theme park. Their resorts are already INSANELY expensive and now they're trying to nickel and dime us even more with Genie+. You already pay SO much to go there and its like they're trying to squeeze every last cent out of you.
John park hopper
Well-Known Member
As my mom used to say just because Bobby down the street can do it doesn't mean you can or should. Disney was always the bench mark for a cut above all the rest. Now they are just like all the rest what they do now Disney does. Case in point resort parking fees was told by Disney customer relations "we are just doing what others in the industry do"
PolynesianPrincess
Well-Known Member
The service between DCL and the parks is like night and day. DCL is what Disney once was. For us, DCL was always just a bit too pricey for us once you add in all the excursions, transportation to and from port, etc.. But now with all the extras we will have to add to our WDW vacation (Genie+, photopass which isn't included with our APs anymore, AP price increase, transpo to and from airport...) DCL is actually not that much more expensive any longer. We're headed to Disneyland in the spring and then I think we're done with the parks for awhile. DCL gives you more bang for your buck I feel.
Totally agree. Add in the fact that we don't have to fly for the European itineraries and it's a no brainer for us.
PolynesianPrincess
Well-Known Member
BINGO! Disney used to pride themselves on being a cut above the rest. Offering things other vacations destinations didn't. Then they started to cut back. "Why bother to offer things that make us better? People are still coming so let's cut back some more, make some things that were once free, cost money. People still coming? Great, let's add some more fees and take away perks. People still coming? Great! Let's cut... and cut and cut and cut!" I think this is the tipping point for people. Disney upcharged and cut a little too much and now people are saying enough is enough. It's truly sad.
John park hopper
Well-Known Member
I hope Disney's day of reckoning has come and they are forced to go back to the Disney of old---- am I delusional
spock8113
Well-Known Member
"What's deflated your WDW enthusiasm the most: Pandemic or Genie+"
That's it, only two choices?This sad news kinda bad: Tommy Kirk passes at age 79
Tommy Kirk, The Fresh-Scrubbed Face Of Disney As A Child Actor, Dies At 79
Generations of children, and more than a few adults, cried along with Kirk when his character Travis Coates tearfully pulled a rifle trigger in Old Yeller.
www.npr.org
John park hopper
Well-Known Member
Tom Kirk passes away OMG I grew up watching all his movies ----so sad RIP
PolynesianPrincess
Well-Known Member
If you're delusional, then I am as well. Every time Disney does something "new" I hope it's the start of something big. But they always fall short of doing something amazing. Every single new thing (mostly) is a disappointment. I long for Disney trips from the 90s, early 2000's. Those were the days....
yankspy
Well-Known Member
As someone who has been going for a while I believe some are being rather nostalgic and remembering what never was. I look back on pictures from trips in the late 70’s and early 80’s and notice how empty the parks were. That was simply because the average family could not afford it. We were the only family on my block to go and that was because my Father worked for the airlines and we got a lot of freebies. Even then went on the cheap. We are at sitdown maybe once or twice for dinner only. The rest of the time we ate pizza or burgers. We stayed at a Marriott or the Dutch Inn. (I’ll be really impressed if someone remembers that one). Just my two cents.
John park hopper
Well-Known Member
I lived in S FL during the 70's going to college. I would do day trips to MK when friends came from up north and the place was great and crowds were nonexistent. through the 80's and 90's and early 2000's with kids we stayed off site and onsite crowds were bigger but not bad.
Hitchens
Active Member
I was blown away by the outstanding service on our Disney Cruise to Alaska. We were frugal with an inside cabin, and we never felt like we were traveling in coach. Best vacation ever! Tokyo Disney also has some great cast members that reminded me of WDW in the 1970s when (I've read) they had far more applicants for each position & were more selective. I was a Disneyland CM in the 1980s & acted as if I were sharing the good news of Walt.
Chip Chipperson
Well-Known Member
Definitely Genie+, although I wouldn't consider my enthusiasm to be diminished to an extent that would make me sell my DVC contracts and stop going. Genie+ is certainly a disappointment, though. I'm willing to see how it all plays out, but there's no excitement in wondering how many days I'll be paying an extra $15/person. There WAS excitement at the 60-day mark when we knew which FP+ choices we would be able to get. To me, that was when really started to feel like the trip was starting to get close.
AdventureHasAName
Well-Known Member
WDW used to be much, much more affordable. From the day the Magic Kingdom opened until EPCOT Center opened, a park ticket (adjusted for today's inflation) was about $25 a day. When EPCOT opened, the price jumped to about $40 a day (in today's prices). It steadily rose through the 80s and was about $65 all through the 1990s. The big greedy increase occurred from 2000 to 2010 when the price (in today's dollars) went from $70 to $100. Ten years later, we're now at $130. If park tickets today were the same value as they were in 1982 (start of EPCOT), they'd be $40, not $130.
And that's just the park tickets. Factor increases in costs for food, hotels, parking, merchandise, after-hours extra ticket celebrations, reduced hours of operation, etc. They are intentionally pricing the middle-class out of the parks.
EDIT: Another example: In 1982, the annual pass was $100. In today's dollars, that would be $280, not $1,300.
Disstevefan1
Well-Known Member
I voted for the pandemic IF the pandemic caused the implementation of the park pass reservation system. I really dislike the requirement for a park pass reservation out of all the changes we have seen and will see.
With the new passes you can purchase the AP with no blackouts, but that does not guarantee you entrance to the park you want that day of even any park that day possibly.
I will truly miss getting up and jumping into the car and deciding on the way there which park we want to go to that day. As for reserving in advance, our family simply doesn’t work that way, I am sure it’s not a problem for most others, I am saying it does not work for us.
In reality, the park pass reservation system was probably coming pandemic or not and it was just implemented in the name of COVID like many changes made at WDW and DLR.
With the new passes you can purchase the AP with no blackouts, but that does not guarantee you entrance to the park you want that day of even any park that day possibly.
I will truly miss getting up and jumping into the car and deciding on the way there which park we want to go to that day. As for reserving in advance, our family simply doesn’t work that way, I am sure it’s not a problem for most others, I am saying it does not work for us.
In reality, the park pass reservation system was probably coming pandemic or not and it was just implemented in the name of COVID like many changes made at WDW and DLR.
vikescaper
Well-Known Member
My enthusiasm for WDW has been diminished but I still love the place. For me, it has probably been a combo platter of the pandemic and Genie+ and the other price increases that have dampened my enthusiasm.
Pandemic changes. I expect them to continue to raise prices and find new ways to screw visitors out of more money... but when they take things away that's when I get annoyed. I was already to start doing a VIP tour on the next trip before the pandemic hit, but at this point until the parks have everything they had pre pandemic without the safety theater, I'll just wait a little longer and spend my vacation money somewhere else.
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