lebeau
Well-Known Member
Disagree. Disney set up a system that requires a high level of planning. It didn't used to be that way.
-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
Why amateurs shouldn't go during spring break then complain about it
- Thread starter DznyGrlSD
- Start date
Disagree. Disney set up a system that requires a high level of planning. It didn't used to be that way.
Club Cooloholic
Well-Known Member
Totally agree with you superplanning caused by ADRs Magic Bands...also the guy had limited time for a trip. His kids are in school, so he might not be able to work around it. It may be hard for some to fathom, but maybe he was underwhelmed by the experience. To borrow from someone earlier, who said you dont go to Europe without planning...ok so you plan a trip to Paris, are you going to be able to avoid crowds at the Louvre?
slappy magoo
Well-Known Member
Opinion pieces like this one are meant to be spectacle. In other words, he writes that crap so people will respond, which proves people read his crap.
His contract is probably up, he wants to prove people read what he writes so he's worth what his bosses pay.
His contract is probably up, he wants to prove people read what he writes so he's worth what his bosses pay.
Matt_Black
Well-Known Member
Kennywood? Feh! If you're going to talk up any PA park, it's Hershey Park, because there you can gorge on candy and then ride the coasters.
Chef Mickey
Well-Known Member
Totally disagree. That was just one of his issues.
Despite the failures of that system, a little planning goes a long way to set your own expectations and increase your probability of having a good time.
Even prior to the system, you still needed to do some due diligence to use time wisely and understand what to expect...including food and hotel amenities.
A lot do his complaints had nothing to do with the new system. Crowd level during spring break is easily known and Disney has never been known for thrilling roller coasters. There are a wide array of food and lodging options that he would have found acceptable with more planning, I'm sure. He was upset about not getting a free bagel...entitlement mentality for paying "a lot" to be at Disney. His expectations weren't aligned with reality...lack of planning.
Last edited:
lebeau
Well-Known Member
I haven't read the article. I'm just responding to your comment that it is not Disney's fault. You could not be more wrong because Disney created the system that requires a massive level of planning. There was a time when you could go to Disney World with no planning whatsoever and have a great experience. That is not true any more and it is totally Disney's fault.
mcurtiss
Well-Known Member
very true. i'm not sure what the tipping point was (perhaps the re invigoration of the Eisner years) but a Disney vacation requires the planning level of a small army campaign.
SyracuseDisneyFan
Well-Known Member
Even though I've been to Disney several times, I always do research. So does my brother.
harveyt0206
Well-Known Member
Don't many newspapers get paid advertisement fees to have an opinion piece mention their product? Maybe Kennywood is trying to drum up business for their summer season. What better way than to have someone write a piece saying " Come to Kennywood! You will have more fun and spend less money than at Disney World!!".
One of the reasons I love Disney is for one of the reasons he didn't like it...it isn't a thrill ride every 2 feet. I live 45 minutes from an amazing amusement park - Kings Island near Cincinnati, Ohio. Unfortunately for me, most of the attractions there are out of my threshold because of their intensity. I just can't do those type of roller coasters anymore. And believe me, in my younger years I would spend hours at KI waiting in very long lines just to ride "The Beast", the world's best wooden roller coaster, IMO. That doesn't make KI bad and WDW perfect. It just means that for where I am in my life, WDW is preferred...by a wide margin. My point is this - everyone has their own personal reasons for loving/hating a product. Don't let someone else's dislike of something you love upset you. Wish them well at their choice park and then have fun on your next WDW trip.
One of the reasons I love Disney is for one of the reasons he didn't like it...it isn't a thrill ride every 2 feet. I live 45 minutes from an amazing amusement park - Kings Island near Cincinnati, Ohio. Unfortunately for me, most of the attractions there are out of my threshold because of their intensity. I just can't do those type of roller coasters anymore. And believe me, in my younger years I would spend hours at KI waiting in very long lines just to ride "The Beast", the world's best wooden roller coaster, IMO. That doesn't make KI bad and WDW perfect. It just means that for where I am in my life, WDW is preferred...by a wide margin. My point is this - everyone has their own personal reasons for loving/hating a product. Don't let someone else's dislike of something you love upset you. Wish them well at their choice park and then have fun on your next WDW trip.
Chef Mickey
Well-Known Member
You are arguing a separate issue. My comment about "not Disney's fault" was purely based on most of his complaints in the article.
I agree the new system creates unnecessary planning, but he still would have been happier if he had done some research to mitigate the other issues he experienced. It's not Disney's fault it rained, he didn't get a free bagel, he didn't like the hotel he chose, he didn't go to a restaurant he his kid would like, or the park was too crowded spring break.
My point is, he would have had a bad experience before the new fast pass system was invented and that's not Disney's fault. Fix that issue and he's still whining about a free bagel and park crowds.
Figmentation
Well-Known Member
Meh.
How I see it, the more you go, the less planning you have to do. Now... taking into consideration you should NEVER go without planning something out at Disney. But it becomes so much easier the more you have been to the parks.
For the longest time, my family ONLY went during Spring Break. It was because we never had time to go until then.
It wasn't until me and my siblings got out of high school and went to college when we started to try and go during the off season.
We have never looked back.
Now our trips are planned either in Early May, or Late September/Early October. Lines are never too long, and the weather is nearly perfect in most cases. Not too hot, not too cold.
But Spring Break, and never been before, with limited planning time. I could see why the article would be rough. Of course.. this goes back to full circle at the beginning. If you don't know what your getting into, you won't have as much fun for obvious reasons. Disney is, I guess what you would call a 'Research Park', hell.. the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World is nearly 1000 pages long with research material for the newbie Disney Tripper. Stuff is updated every year.. so Vets still gotta look into some research.. though much less of it
How I see it, the more you go, the less planning you have to do. Now... taking into consideration you should NEVER go without planning something out at Disney. But it becomes so much easier the more you have been to the parks.
For the longest time, my family ONLY went during Spring Break. It was because we never had time to go until then.
It wasn't until me and my siblings got out of high school and went to college when we started to try and go during the off season.
We have never looked back.
Now our trips are planned either in Early May, or Late September/Early October. Lines are never too long, and the weather is nearly perfect in most cases. Not too hot, not too cold.
But Spring Break, and never been before, with limited planning time. I could see why the article would be rough. Of course.. this goes back to full circle at the beginning. If you don't know what your getting into, you won't have as much fun for obvious reasons. Disney is, I guess what you would call a 'Research Park', hell.. the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World is nearly 1000 pages long with research material for the newbie Disney Tripper. Stuff is updated every year.. so Vets still gotta look into some research.. though much less of it
Chef Mickey
Well-Known Member
Totally agree. This guy just had never been and would have been upset with or without new fast pass. Experience matters...it mattered 20 years ago. I just disagree with the notion that your trip is ruined by the new fast pass system. Clearly, that wasn't his only issue.Meh.
How I see it, the more you go, the less planning you have to do. Now... taking into consideration you should NEVER go without planning something out at Disney. But it becomes so much easier the more you have been to the parks.
For the longest time, my family ONLY went during Spring Break. It was because we never had time to go until then.
It wasn't until me and my siblings got out of high school and went to college when we started to try and go during the off season.
We have never looked back.
Now our trips are planned either in Early May, or Late September/Early October. Lines are never too long, and the weather is nearly perfect in most cases. Not too hot, not too cold.
But Spring Break, and never been before, with limited planning time. I could see why the article would be rough. Of course.. this goes back to full circle at the beginning. If you don't know what your getting into, you won't have as much fun for obvious reasons. Disney is, I guess what you would call a 'Research Park', hell.. the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World is nearly 1000 pages long with research material for the newbie Disney Tripper. Stuff is updated every year.. so Vets still gotta look into some research.. though much less of it
It looks as though some people in this thread didn't comprehend the article or its purpose and only saw someone who was unsatisfied with his Disney trip and treated it as if the author killed their favorite pet.
Nowehere in the column does it indicate there was no research or advance planning. This was clearly not a "how-to" guide. Clearly, lots of people go at Spring Break. The fact the author went with his daughters during spring break does not mean he didn't know it would be crowded. His article simply said to avoid going at spring break, something almost everyone in this thread has said. Is he not allowed to have that opinion simply because he chose to go during that time?
His daughters preferred the coasters at Kennywood. Why is this a point of contention? He even states in the article that the two aren't comparable: "OK, maybe that's Pittsburgh bias. Disney is not just about roller coasters anyway." It isn't even implied that he hadn't researched what these rides were. He simply offered his opinion. He likes the coasters at Kennywood better. Research or not, he is entitled to think Disney's coaster's aren't thrilling. Just because they have extensive themeing compared to other parks does not mean people have to like them, or that the ride experience can't be compared to other coasters. It's ridiculous to think that.
And let's not ignore that many of his complaints about food and resorts amenities have been echoed by members here. Disney absolutely overcharges. No question there. And I pretty much agree with his assessment. Disney's hotels are not actually resorts in and of themselves, despite what they are called. He vaguely mentioned FP+, which requires some planning (and in fact, he specifically mentions it not offering rides or times he necessarily would have liked). That indicates some level of planning.
People complaining about this article are just upset that he didn't like Disney. No, Disney is not a thrill park. But that doesn't mean people aren't allowed to dislike Disney's attractions because they don't find them thrilling, or worth the wait. It's possible that he and his daughters may have enjoyed Disney despite the lack of thrills. They would never have known had they not gone. But they didn't. And that is their right. And that doesn't mean they hadn't done any research beforehand.
Nowehere in the column does it indicate there was no research or advance planning. This was clearly not a "how-to" guide. Clearly, lots of people go at Spring Break. The fact the author went with his daughters during spring break does not mean he didn't know it would be crowded. His article simply said to avoid going at spring break, something almost everyone in this thread has said. Is he not allowed to have that opinion simply because he chose to go during that time?
His daughters preferred the coasters at Kennywood. Why is this a point of contention? He even states in the article that the two aren't comparable: "OK, maybe that's Pittsburgh bias. Disney is not just about roller coasters anyway." It isn't even implied that he hadn't researched what these rides were. He simply offered his opinion. He likes the coasters at Kennywood better. Research or not, he is entitled to think Disney's coaster's aren't thrilling. Just because they have extensive themeing compared to other parks does not mean people have to like them, or that the ride experience can't be compared to other coasters. It's ridiculous to think that.
And let's not ignore that many of his complaints about food and resorts amenities have been echoed by members here. Disney absolutely overcharges. No question there. And I pretty much agree with his assessment. Disney's hotels are not actually resorts in and of themselves, despite what they are called. He vaguely mentioned FP+, which requires some planning (and in fact, he specifically mentions it not offering rides or times he necessarily would have liked). That indicates some level of planning.
People complaining about this article are just upset that he didn't like Disney. No, Disney is not a thrill park. But that doesn't mean people aren't allowed to dislike Disney's attractions because they don't find them thrilling, or worth the wait. It's possible that he and his daughters may have enjoyed Disney despite the lack of thrills. They would never have known had they not gone. But they didn't. And that is their right. And that doesn't mean they hadn't done any research beforehand.
Like Disney.
plaz10
Well-Known Member
I went to Disney the week before Easter last year (my sister is a teacher) and we planned extremely well and were able to hit all attractions with low waits. Now...this was in the day of paper fastpass. So we'd wake up early and hit the parks for rope drop/EMH - grab a FP for a big name ride and continue to ride others (Toy Story, Space/Splash Mountain/Soarin') and we'd do FPs and rides until about 11 each day...then around 12 we would go to Downtown Disney or eat/drink around World Showcase or head to Animal Kingdom to do a show or 2.
Yes MK closed each day to capacity but we left before that happened and spent out afternoons in less busy areas. Then around dinner time we'd head back into the parks and stay until late (usually at MK - open until midnight or 1 am) and we could ride almost everything with no wait.
So yes with proper planning, the use of early mornings/late evenings and at that time - the paper fastpass...it was easy to navigate the heavy crowds. You just have to know there is no reason to ride Backlot Tour first thing when you walk into DHS - save it for when crowds are getting heavy and RnRC/Toy Story are over 120 min.
Totally do-able.
Magenta Panther
Well-Known Member
The author is obviously an adrenaline junkie. If it doesn't move REAL FAST he's bored. He needs stronger ADHD meds.
MikeTaylorSound
Well-Known Member
When my somewhat extended family went to WDW in '97, it was July 4th week, crowded, the tour groups in full force, hot, the Cinderella Birthday Cake Castle, and it rained in bunches. I still wouldn't trade the experience.
momof1princess
Well-Known Member
Two thoughts.
1. That paper has a horrible mobile site.
2. That guy was telling the truth. He should have took his kids elsewhere. A little more research and he would have known that.
1. That paper has a horrible mobile site.
2. That guy was telling the truth. He should have took his kids elsewhere. A little more research and he would have known that.
Minnie1976
Well-Known Member
That's true. You just can't go anymore. Before my husband got his iPhone with the Disney apps, he would do a spread sheet to bring.