I went in January. I still found it magical.
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Maybe you could share what you liked about WDW parks during your recent visit? we had one good day out of five (and it was our last day so I'm suspicious that the computer was trying to leave me with a good impression).
We went in January and it was alright. If you know what you are doing it can still be magical, but for someone who never went before and went in with no research the parks are a complete mess and disaster. Then again I find it hard to fell sympathy for families who are dropping several thousand dollars on a trip and don't look up anything until they get there.
This thread title was SO fitting.
Well, like Petey said we actually look things up instead of showing up expecting magic. We got all of the reservations (food, parks, etc we wanted, all of the cast members were great, we knew how to use Genie+ so that we didn't stand in ridiculous lines. I'm not sure what isn't good about going right now? It was our third trip since 2019 and we've enjoyed all of them.
@TikiMeerkat 
great post. The only person he has to blame is himself.
Who even cares about the G+ $16, the parks are mobbed and truly overdue for a new park OR many, many “people eater” rides and shows. We can blame this on Disney and COVID but I think even without COVID the parks were becoming less fun. I’d say we started noticing around 2015 with it picking up in 2018 even more.
The value to us isn’t there the way it used to be, that’s all. Value is different for everyone! Bought DVC mid 20s, now In our mid 30s and we’re wanting to spend more on new places rather than Disney.
great post. The only person he has to blame is himself.Yes! This! FP+ wasn’t perfect but we’d do the same thing. Pool/relax, 3 FP+ rides then nicer dinner OR 3 rides in AM then pool and nicer dinner at a resort. We’d truly spend 4 hours in the park and typically ride 5 rides and we had an amazing time. With G+ it really requires you to be in the park early and hope you get 3-5 selections. We didn’t do badly with it in march but it was a more stressful day and it actually led us to SPEND LESS overall. No fancy meals for us, we did more QS or doordashed. Probably was good COVID wise too, but this new touring with G+ Just sucks.
Who even cares about the G+ $16, the parks are mobbed and truly overdue for a new park OR many, many “people eater” rides and shows. We can blame this on Disney and COVID but I think even without COVID the parks were becoming less fun. I’d say we started noticing around 2015 with it picking up in 2018 even more.
Wait times are way up. G+ is ok but not as good as FP+ for my touring usage. I do begrudgingly admit G+ can be better for some families. It’s the crowds that get me. Every walkway is mobbed. It isn’t horrific but it isn’t the way it was either. A lot of it is COVID pent up demand but Disney hasn’t done any favors with removing MDE, charging for quicker ride access, raising ticket prices to crazy levels. People are paying so I get why Disney is doing it. We still had a good time but we are considering selling our DVC at some point.
The value to us isn’t there the way it used to be, that’s all. Value is different for everyone! Bought DVC mid 20s, now In our mid 30s and we’re wanting to spend more on new places rather than Disney.
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I knew fatty was going to be there with his four chins.
I honestly think everyone's first trip is a complete loss. You can research until you are blue in the face, but don't really know the magnitude of the intricacies of WDW until you get there and experience it. We are DL experts and after our first trip to WDW we were sure we weren't going back because we were just so completely overwhelmed. The more you go, the better you get at managing.
Well this is a bit of promising news. I booked tix to go next month after 2 years and I feel overwhelmed with the Genie+ wake up at 7 am, one pass every 2 hours, photos of crowds etc. But I plan to give it a shot. I've been watching some videos (not you Michael you stink) & getting some tips along the way.
I bet the employees working in day 1 loved all of the Vloggers swarming all over.
If looks could kill! A new place for michael to take sugar and fat in his ongoing experiment to prematurely age his body. Gotta give michael some props, it's an interesting experiment that would be illegal and immoral to conduct on another human being.omg...the look on the girl dead center
Under the sign "Classic Flavors" I expected to see "vanilla, chocolate, strawberry." Nope. Those are "too" classic I guess. Instead there are Sea Salt with Carmel Ribbons (what is sea salt flavor?), double fold vanilla, chocolate gooey brownie, panther coffee chocolate, etc. I don't trust that shop to provide a quality experience.
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Yups! LOVE THIS!omg...the look on the girl dead center
I cropped it down to capture the "feels."
Yep I'd go back as far as 2012 or so they started to lose their magic. Compared to other disney parks around the world wdw is now more a machine/holiday camp. Its regimented and clearly designed to sell food and merchandise and focuses more on the latest trendy IP than creating genuine magical and clever storytelling. Also not helped by the fact Disney own do much now you end up with tokenism of different IPs@TikiMeerkat
Yes! This! FP+ wasn’t perfect but we’d do the same thing. Pool/relax, 3 FP+ rides then nicer dinner OR 3 rides in AM then pool and nicer dinner at a resort. We’d truly spend 4 hours in the park and typically ride 5 rides and we had an amazing time. With G+ it really requires you to be in the park early and hope you get 3-5 selections. We didn’t do badly with it in march but it was a more stressful day and it actually led us to SPEND LESS overall. No fancy meals for us, we did more QS or doordashed. Probably was good COVID wise too, but this new touring with G+ Just sucks.
Who even cares about the G+ $16, the parks are mobbed and truly overdue for a new park OR many, many “people eater” rides and shows. We can blame this on Disney and COVID but I think even without COVID the parks were becoming less fun. I’d say we started noticing around 2015 with it picking up in 2018 even more.
Wait times are way up. G+ is ok but not as good as FP+ for my touring usage. I do begrudgingly admit G+ can be better for some families. It’s the crowds that get me. Every walkway is mobbed. It isn’t horrific but it isn’t the way it was either. A lot of it is COVID pent up demand but Disney hasn’t done any favors with removing MDE, charging for quicker ride access, raising ticket prices to crazy levels. People are paying so I get why Disney is doing it. We still had a good time but we are considering selling our DVC at some point.
The value to us isn’t there the way it used to be, that’s all. Value is different for everyone! Bought DVC mid 20s, now In our mid 30s and we’re wanting to spend more on new places rather than Disney.
Also, how Michael is under 45 years old I don't know
I tested the paid fastpass when I went to Disneyland Paris last year. We usually will never wait more then 20 minutes for any attraction so by using fastpass we got to ride the few attractions that had longer lines. But you don't really need fastpass in Paris if you book the right time of the year unlike in Disneyworld where it's always busy?
I don't understand why Disneyworld is not opening another gate. Universal will take over the theme park market if they keep doing nothing.
I don't think Michaels fall out of love with the parks have that much to do with the overcrowding. I think he just overdid it. He should go to universal or maybe travel to Disneyland. He has not been there in a long time.
I don't understand why Disneyworld is not opening another gate. Universal will take over the theme park market if they keep doing nothing.
I don't think Michaels fall out of love with the parks have that much to do with the overcrowding. I think he just overdid it. He should go to universal or maybe travel to Disneyland. He has not been there in a long time.
Keep in mind, you're going during summer break, which is much different than January. I personally would never go during any school breaks, holidays, or other busy times which might be why we have better luck than others and don't whine that the magic is gone.
Nice. I re cropped to focus on his neck. WTF? I know we all take photos that are not flattering but holy tit.
One more for the ladies.
January is not a non-busy time. I've been going to WDW in January-March since 1999. Very, very busy always. Our trip in January of this year was not a disaster because we knew what was going to be there based on 20+ years of diminishing experience. I posted the experience here real time.
Arrival Day--Arrive MCO and stay at the Airport Hyatt, our usual approach to WDW.
First full day: No parks, spend $$$$ at Wine Bar George, Lyft back to Beach Club, chill, then walk a nice dinner Via Napoli (I know it's in a park!).
Days 2 thru 5--got hosed every morning by Genie+ after paying $60 (for four peeps) each day. Day 6 our last day Genie+ worked, PTL (at Epcot).
No ride times available, app not loading, app not connecting, time reserved app. crashed it doesn't remember where you were in the process, ride times assigned during meals when the program should know our dining schedule, etc.
Great lunches and dinners every day. That's why we go now. To get away, to eat, to drink, to walk around get exercise. It's still a great place, but we long ago stopped going to WDW to "be in the parks."
It's not what it used to be park-wise, it's not even remotely close. There used to be a lot of random interaction with cast members, now it's idiotic programmed times with who-knows-who in a costume. Many non-pay park entertainment features are long gone, like the hoop-dee-do revue type of show that used to be at the Diamond Horseshoe in MK. Not Disney's fault, but I gotta say that getting sniffed for bombs before I enter a park is a severe dose of reality before entering the second happiest place on Earth (Disneyland is the first?). Way too many people, way too few attractions.
This is not the ignorant whining of a novice, these comments are based upon two decades of experience as owners of 2000+ DVC points. Conservatively speaking, I bet overtime we have spent half-million on "the vacation of a lifetime" (the points alone are about 1/4 million). Some years we went three times, one year four times. Most years at least twice. One year we went to Busch Gardens in VA and then scheduled a "cleansing" WDW trip because BG paled in comparison (now it looks pretty good by comparison). A bigger fan of WDW would be hard (not impossible) to find. The pandemic gave WDW and opportunity to reassess. It also gave us an opportunity to reassess and the result was a mutli-year review of the declining experience at our beloved vacation spot. It's sad.
@Claude: Michael has my beer gut on his neck!
Arrival Day--Arrive MCO and stay at the Airport Hyatt, our usual approach to WDW.
First full day: No parks, spend $$$$ at Wine Bar George, Lyft back to Beach Club, chill, then walk a nice dinner Via Napoli (I know it's in a park!).
Days 2 thru 5--got hosed every morning by Genie+ after paying $60 (for four peeps) each day. Day 6 our last day Genie+ worked, PTL (at Epcot).
No ride times available, app not loading, app not connecting, time reserved app. crashed it doesn't remember where you were in the process, ride times assigned during meals when the program should know our dining schedule, etc.
Great lunches and dinners every day. That's why we go now. To get away, to eat, to drink, to walk around get exercise. It's still a great place, but we long ago stopped going to WDW to "be in the parks."
It's not what it used to be park-wise, it's not even remotely close. There used to be a lot of random interaction with cast members, now it's idiotic programmed times with who-knows-who in a costume. Many non-pay park entertainment features are long gone, like the hoop-dee-do revue type of show that used to be at the Diamond Horseshoe in MK. Not Disney's fault, but I gotta say that getting sniffed for bombs before I enter a park is a severe dose of reality before entering the second happiest place on Earth (Disneyland is the first?). Way too many people, way too few attractions.
This is not the ignorant whining of a novice, these comments are based upon two decades of experience as owners of 2000+ DVC points. Conservatively speaking, I bet overtime we have spent half-million on "the vacation of a lifetime" (the points alone are about 1/4 million). Some years we went three times, one year four times. Most years at least twice. One year we went to Busch Gardens in VA and then scheduled a "cleansing" WDW trip because BG paled in comparison (now it looks pretty good by comparison). A bigger fan of WDW would be hard (not impossible) to find. The pandemic gave WDW and opportunity to reassess. It also gave us an opportunity to reassess and the result was a mutli-year review of the declining experience at our beloved vacation spot. It's sad.
@Claude: Michael has my beer gut on his neck!
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