With all the recent changes, have they impacted you wanting to go to Disney any time soon?

[tanc]

Ever since the start of Chapek and the pandemic everything in Disney has obviously had a huge seismic shift. I really have almost no desire to go to Disney because I know of all the monetary changes they have made and just feel like pay more get less is really the new motto for WDW. Hotel prices even have doubled since August 2020 and it's just shocking to see how expensive a even the Pop is. I genuinely plan on not going for quite a long time, and I often think about these recent changes and the future. People who visited Disney in the past regularly now have to deal with so many nickel and diming tactics it is insane. But international visitors who don't know better are going to be bringing in some serious money for them. We all know that seemingly Chapek's plan is to pump as much coal into the engine as possible. But eventually it will likely burn out in the long term.

I was able to go to WDW in August 2020, and that was probably one of the craziest experiences. I don't think I will ever experience that again within my lifetime, how there was virtually no one there. I am sure that the situation is certainly better than those times, but I also have thought about the future and how the experience I had in 2019 likely will never be brought back. All I can do is hope that Genie+ eventually becomes free but I sort of doubt it, and within 10 years if it will still be around. I get that Disney probably just wants to get rid of the magic band system within time, but that was one of the things that separated Disney from other parks. Being able to use a band as your room key, park entry ticket, payment method, ect. was truly a unique experience and got people off their phones.

 

[Weather_Lady]

LOL, yes! As you may have seen in another thread, we recently decided it wasn't worth visiting right now, even for "free." (We have some WDW comp tickets that we were originally going to use for day visits while staying at Universal in February. After reading up on Genie+/ILL, we changed our minds. We're still going to Universal, but we decided that WDW wasn't worth the hassle right now.) Also, coincidentally, we too visited in August 2020, and were so spoiled by the incredibly low crowds and short lines, and the joyful and carefree touring experience they allowed us to have, that I don't think any future WDW trip will ever be able to live up to it. It reminded us of the "old days" -- times when we enjoyed nearly-deserted parks in the days of "real" (frequent and multi-hour) EMH, or in later years, when were able to skip from attraction to attraction making use of the "free" Fastpass system. Gone but not forgotten!

We really do want to go back -- just not with the new Genie+/ILL system still getting its kinks worked out, particularly given that it seems to work particularly poorly when crowds are high (as they would be during our February Orlando stay). The best-case scenario is that we go back in a couple of years, after all the restaurants are back and the Tron and GOTG attractions have opened -- Ratatouille would be new for us as well -- during a less-crowded time of year, by which point the trip planning websites will have updated their advice and algorithms to reflect the new ride/pay system (Genie+/ILL, or whatever the system is at that time). We'll especially need advice about how to tour without using any pay-to-ride add-ons, as my husband and I refuse to purchase them on principle: it's my highest and best hope that Genie+/ILL have been abandoned altogether by the time we go back, but I realize that's not a realistic possibility. I know we can still have a good time even if the good old days are gone, but I feel like if we want to maximize our chances of a good trip, waiting and watching and hoping for improvement is the best strategy right now.

 

[jpinkc]

After our Thanksgiving trip we most certainly are not returning for the foreseeable future. My daughter wanted her HS grad present to go to Disney with a couple of her friends (they saved there own money, actually kinda proud they did). But after all the G+ crap and the ILL's and some minor issues with Mobile ordering, she is not wanting to do that now. I think that says alot about the current state of WDW to me. The fact that she and her younger brother both noticed and commented on how it was not fun with all the G+ and trying to get ILL's plus Mobile ordering things and missing a dinner reservation because G+ would only give us a ROTR time that overlapped our Dinner reservation and were told tough by Disney. WTH

 

[Master Yoda]

Yes.

I love the Disney parks more than any of the parks out there, but the current pricing structure, resort cost, and hoops you have to just through to go to a park and ride a nominal amount of attractions are just too much.

Prior to all of these recent changes, the plan was to get back to going monthly as we did in From the late 90's to around 2010ish. If things remain the way they are it will be several more years before we even consider setting foot in WDW again.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I went in August and November of this year.
I'd go back tomorrow if someone said hey let's go to Disney.
August was probably one of the best times I've ever had a Disney.
November was more back to pre covid crowd levels because it seemed to be the second wave of revenge travel.
It also rained on and off every day.
But overall still a fun trip and I would not hesitate to go back.

 

[Sunni9998]

I would say no. We have been many times and every time has been a great experience for us. Our many trips have been with many different people from parents, in-laws, children, siblings, and lots of friends. Each visit is unique and fun. We make it that way. In recent years we have had the opportunity to visit with different groups of friends and each time it's been so much fun to experience it with them as a group. Most recently we went in Sept 2021 with a couple of friends and plan on returning in Sept 2022 with a bunch of friends that we camp with. Even with all the changes, we are all still looking forward to an amazing trip.

 

[JIMINYCR]

We will be one family going back. I'm not a fan of some of the changes but we can work around them and figure how to make them fit in with how we do Disney. Prices rising will cause us to be more discrimimitory in our plans and how we spend. We may scale back things we normally do or cut out some items like tours or extras. We enjoy Disney as a family enough and will make it work. If you get enjoyment out of something and want it enough you will find a way to make it work.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

We have no plans to go back. IF, and only IF, they return to excellent customer service and experiences, then maybe.
I don't feel we get ROI at this time, for all the reasons that have been discussed before, so I won't bring them up again. YOu all know what they are. Our grown kids and grandkids (teens mostly) aren't even interested in WDW anymore. They would rather go to the beach or to Universal. I think that's a real shift in disney's future when the younger generation doesn't care for it anymore. This is what has kept disney going all these years; ie: the build up of nostalgia for all things disney. It may not show up for them until several years, but it will show up. Meanwhile, all the pent up travel and die hard fans (of which we were once upon a time), and foreign travelers will keep disney running. I wonder about how all of the negative changes will affect them in the future.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I'm afraid that until or unless things change, I had my 46th and last visit to the place in Sept. 2019. I just don't enjoy visiting an Amusement (theme) Park that requires so many hoops to jump through that it practically guarantee's that you will pay much more for a whole lot smaller experience. The chrome is off the bumper at this point and all I can see is the rust underneath.

 

[GladToBeHear]

Yes. For the first time ever, I cancelled my family's upcoming trip in January. Too expensive, low ROI, mask requirements, etc. We'll keep an eye on things and see if they improve.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Yes.

I love the Disney parks more than any of the parks out there, but the current pricing structure, resort cost, and hoops you have to just through to go to a park and ride a nominal amount of attractions are just too much.

I had gone before the closure in. Jan/Feb 2020 and to me it felt like a final bow of all the good things coming to an end I was able to do 2 after hours events and enjoy the 10 days I had there before I went to Universal and Sea World..If I go back it will be for the other parks in Orlando as you don't need reservations plus all the other problems they are dealing with until they straighten things out..

 

[Master Yoda]

I had gone before the closure in. Jan/Feb 2020 and to me it felt like a final bow of all the good things coming to an end I was able to do 2 after hours events and enjoy the 10 days I had there before I went to Universal and Sea World..If I go back it will be for the other parks in Orlando as you don't need reservations plus all the other problems they are dealing with until they straighten things out..

We wound up getting APs to US/IOA on our trip in October. We went again last weekend and had a great time. Stayed at Aventura for $180 a night (All stars would have been $276 for the same night). We did all of the Xmas stuff and had several great meals on property with reservations made just a few weeks ago.

I'll be booking a Mardi Gras trip in the next week or two.

 

[John park hopper]

My days of going to Disney are over-- Yes I could afford to go but with all their money grubbing changes IMO it is just not worth it.

 

[Raxel7851]

We’re at WDW now for a week. After witnessing the long lines at most of the major attractions, the ridiculous Genie+, we’re going to cancel our February trip. I know this is a busy time of the year, I get that, but I don’t see the lines getting much shorter at other less busy times. It seems people aren’t buying the Genie+ scheme. We’re AP holders and have been for quite a few years. This week the price of a 1-day Non Park Hopper ticket is $149!!!! Then to add on $15 more for the Genie+ is outright ridiculous. We park hooped from Epcot to the MK, when we saw the wait times at our fav attractions was averaging 30 minutes. When we got there, the actual times were over 60!

 

[seascape]

I miss fast pass+. On out after Thanksiving trip we didnt use Genie, Ginie+ or LL. We followed the waiting times and went on the rides we wanted. We did have a dining package for The Christmas Processional and enjoyed the holiday food and beverage. It is easy to have a great time at WDW without planning but I wish they would bring back fast pass+.

 

[Master Yoda]

I miss fast pass+. On out after Thanksiving trip we didnt use Genie, Ginie+ or LL. We followed the waiting times and went on the rides we wanted. We did have a dining package for The Christmas Processional and enjoyed the holiday food and beverage. It is easy to have a great time at WDW without planning but I wish they would bring back fast pass+.

I too liked Fastpass+.

Back in the day of paper Fastpass we always got to the parks at rope drop and it was always my job to run to one side of the park and get fast passes while my group waited for me at another attraction that was typically on the other side of the park. At Epcot it was Soarin to TT. AK was E:E to KS.

All of that was eliminated with Fastpass+. My Fastpasses were set before I even go to the parks. If I wanted to change them I could do it from my phone or through a CM at a kiosk and getting to the parks 1/2 an hour before the park opened was no longer essential.

 

[Pardonmyfrench]

I'm heading there Monday (December 27) and I have to be blunt, this is the first time in years that I am concerned that it won't be as great as year's past. We've been going this week for the past 6 years so I know it's going to be tough but without ride reservations, COVID protocols still in place and other general uncertainties, I am concerned. Last year was great because the capacity was way low so even with protocols and less Disney Magic, it was still fun. However, if things are tougher this year with the changes and returning of crowds, the worst thing that happens is we lounge at the Contemporary pools in the afternoons....

 

[dreday3]

We booked for April 2023, but we have no idea if we will go or not. I will say due to mostly pandemic related issues, I'm not really in a hurry to go back. But it's the year we both turn 50, so we had planned to celebrate it there. But now we may cruise instead or just take an island vacation instead.

I will also say, we booked Wilderness Lodge. We are so excited to stay there, that the issues with Genie + and rides, etc., aren't as big a deal because we're just so darn happy to be trying this resort! (if we go)

 

[Djsfantasi]

I’m going in a few weeks, but with some trepidation. I paid for G+ And unusually added a PH. But I was very comfortable with Fastpass and fear G+ won’t meet my needs. But if nothing else, I’ll try anything. Once.

 

[Marion]

Yes. For the first time ever, I cancelled my family's upcoming trip in January. Too expensive, low ROI, mask requirements, etc. We'll keep an eye on things and see if they improve.

I think you made a wise decision. I was in Epcot last week for one day. Left very disappointed. I hope to return to Magic Kingdom one day. Maybe in about a year for Christmas hopefully. But if things don’t change I won’t be going. That one day What is a reality check.