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

[marialexus]

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.

We made reservations last February for Jan 2022 for our 30th anniversary and just cancelled them the first week of December... we were hoping the covid situation would be settled by then. We were not going to pay thousands of dollars to wear a mask and pay extra for rides and food as well as making our own beds and cleaning in a deluxe hotel. They have priced us out for the forseeable future.

 

[Graham9]

We love Disney and were planning to come back to WDW - until we looked at the pricing and this ridiculous Genie app and decided very quickly, that it is no longer value and worth the money. They have priced themselves beyond what we were willing to pay and at this time, we feel like we have said goodbye to WDW. It is unlikely we will be coming back in the foreseeable future.

 

[Sandman85]

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.

I have no desire to go anymore. It was a magical place for us to escape the daily routine, but that is not the case anymore. We were annual pass holders and went several times a year, but increases in passes, hotels, parking, etc., has priced many out of being able to go.

 

[Daddyoh]

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.

EXACTLY ! As for us "If it ain't BROKE DON'T FIX IT "

 

[Daddyoh]

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.

EXACTLY ! As for us "If it ain't BROKE DON'T FIX IT "

 

[Kaelsma]

We were new AP holders when Covid hit - and we chose to cancel our APs when given the opportunity. When things opened up, we were able to reinstate our APs in July 2021. We made our first trip since February 2020 last week and we're thinking we made a mistake rebuying our APs. We were majorly disappointed in a lot of the changes that have been put in place due to Covid. Not being able to visit the resorts to see the holiday decorations? Major disappointment that left a huge hole in our very loose plans. Not being able to get decent Lightning Lane times? Not worth paying for. Park reservations - and having to check in at the reserved park BEFORE hopping AFTER 2:00? MAJOR PITA. We are spontaneous people who make very few plans in advance - which is one of the reasons why we BOUGHT Annual Passes. Currently, there is practically no room for spontaneity at Disney - which made it a less than enjoyable experience for us.

 

[Living the Life]

We went just a few weeks ago and will not be returning until (maybe) July 2022. We normally go twice a year but, after going here recently, I really have no interest in going anytime soon. Disney makes you pay way more for so much less. We did not use the Genie system while there. We don't want to be glued to our phones and of course we didn't pay the ridiculous $15.00 for it either. We rode what we wanted to and enjoyed ourselves. We are DVC so we stayed at the Poly and got to enjoy the extended hours (I think this is so wrong to only offer to deluxe resorts) and of course they didn't include Hollywood Studios so we could enjoy RotR. In my opinion, Bob Paycheck has done his best to nickel & dime us to death while killing the magic. Also, we will NOT be returning until the mask mandate is gone for good. We live in Texas and do not wear masks. Texas has very low numbers and Florida's are even lower. Also, I don't trust the CDC for anything anymore. Too much flip flopping.

 

[Texas84]

I'm going in two weeks.

 

[TheGuyThatMakesSwords]

We love Disney and were planning to come back to WDW - until we looked at the pricing and this ridiculous Genie app and decided very quickly, that it is no longer value and worth the money. They have priced themselves beyond what we were willing to pay and at this time, we feel like we have said goodbye to WDW. It is unlikely we will be coming back in the foreseeable future.

So WDW - if the goal was to reduce crowds? It's working. Be careful what you ask for - you might just get it.

 

[StarshipDisney]

I can't say YES loud enough to properly answer. I am so dismayed at Disney these days. The current Disney business model is "pay more to get less". We have not been to Disney since 2018 now and we'll see about our next trip planned for December 2022.

It is interesting that Disney recently sent me a vacation survey. I was not kind.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Define "recent". The price increases over the last 5 years in particular, along with cuts to things like Magical Express, are such that I no longer see the value in a multi-night, on-site WDW vacation.

I still like going to MK for a day or two. I use gift cards or points to help reduce the cost tickets and food.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

In my heart, I realised during my Farewell Illuminations trip in September 2019 that it was a goodbye trip. WDW was redefining itself into a sad, cold experience. Little did I realise back then just how sad, what with that raging unstoppable virus, Bob Chapek, soon wreaking havoc on WDW.

 

[spock8113]

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

I won't be going to Disney anytime soon. There's just so much more out there where I don't feel financially violated.

 

[GimpYancIent]

It's been months now since my last trip. I do not see going again. Some serious readjusting needs to happen, a major course correction. The product is not even close to what it was.

 

[tabecker259]

Like mostly everyone else in this thread, yes. We went in July to catch HEA for the last time, which was a last minute trip for us. Then went back in November for 5 days, which was planned much earlier for the 50th. We saw Harmonius twice and Enchantment. Unfortunately, I felt no emotional connection to either show despite their technical achievements. All of that, coupled with Genie+ for MK, prices in general, prices for the parties, reduction in parades/street entertainment, and crowds, it‘s just not worth it to us right now, which is a huge shame because we used to go at least twice a year.

On our November trip, we ended up changing reservations and doing AK twice instead of MK twice, which was awesome. (Nomad lounge is a great experience!). But, I feel like I’m out of the target demo that I’ve been in for close to 20 years. I want to walk in and get chills, and I sadly feel like that part of my life is over.

 

[bigrigross]

My family had a 3 week vacation in orlando in October. Hit disney, universal, the works. Our worst days were at Disney oddly enough. I have been multiple times over the past 15 years and it has always been fun. But so much stuff has been taken away and the price of the tickets just do not justify spending that much again. My wife and I have even contemplated selling our DVC contracts it was that bad. Going to try and rent them out first though and see how that goes. Unless Disney makes some changes more in favor for guest satisfaction, it will probably be awhile before I go back.

 

[RoadiJeff]

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!

Well, if you pop over to Universal's website, the price of a 1-day, 1-park ticket for this week is $159. If you want an Express Pass that is valid for one use per ride it will cost an additional $270-$290. A WDW ticket with Genie+ seems like a decent deal when compared to the neighbor down the road.

 

[dhousedog]

We are booked to go to WDW in May, but I am dreading it. We've had to cancel the past two years and our granddaughters really want to go. I used to go frequently many years ago when fastpass worked. I don't understand much about the Genie+ or any other new programs. Do we still have to pick a park and make reservations? I got an unofficial guide and am going to study it but I'm afraid things will undergo major changes before we get there. Not feeling the magic.

 

[CAV]

Zero desire to return. Im running the marathon next month. However, I cancelled my POR reservations and will be staying at the Rosen Center. Even though we are AP holders, we probably won't set foot on Disney property.

 

[StarshipDisney]

Well, if you pop over to Universal's website, the price of a 1-day, 1-park ticket for this week is $159. If you want an Express Pass that is valid for one use per ride it will cost an additional $270-$290. A WDW ticket with Genie+ seems like a decent deal when compared to the neighbor down the road.

No, it is not cheap to buy it that way. But I find staying at Universal Portofino Bay is great since it includes free Express Pass for the duration.

With Genie+ all you get is the opportunity to book or buy Lightning Lanes for specific times you cannot control. Universal Express Pass lets you get on almost any ride, any time, more quickly without a reservation.