My thoughts about our last Disney world vacation

[disneytraceyl]

Dates. February 13-20,2017
March 22-April 2, 2017

We have been to Disney multiple times and I have always left kicking and screaming. Not this time. The parks seem to have had a different vibe to them. There is a lot under construction. The parks were not open late during spring break. The bathrooms were extremely dirty. One was so bad I went to find a cast member. Many of the rides have things in them that are broken down. The monorail continued to break down. Less flowers in Epcot at the festival. Food also didn't seem up to par. Many things taken away off the Pecks Bills bar in the last year. Tried the Plaza restaurant for the first time. I was not impressed. I can really tell where Disney is pinching there dollars. I think this will be the last time for a while that we will be going to Disney. It is a shame. It has always been my happy place.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Sorry to hear that. It's such a bummer when a trip disappoints

 

[Norton figment]

Think you should email customer service. I do think the more people that complain the better. If we don't complain they think it's okay to keep cutting back and that no one notices.

 

[disneyAndi14]

I have really seen the bathrooms go down hill over the last few visits, so dirty and garbage overflowing. This is a bummer because Disney is my happy place as well.

 

[RavenclawNP]

I am so sorry to hear that. For the past 3 years our family has been hooked on Universal Studios. We are returning to "the world" in the 3 weeks. It will be interesting to compare the two.

 

[TravelDad]

We have definitely felt this for several years now. Over the last 10 years we have probably been AP holders for 6 and gone 20 times. But we haven't been in over a year and don't have any planned until November of this year. We still love Disney, but have felt that they have taken a step back in nearly all areas from service and cleanliness to the quality of employees, food, and merchandise. This also coincides with steady increases in ticket prices and the removal of many of the benefits. We'll still go, but we just haven't felt valued as a guest.

 

[720L]

My daughter & I thought the same thing! We were there over spring break also & the parks definitely had a different vibe but we couldn't put our finger on what it was. Most likely it was all the construction. And now that Rivers of Light is open, AK has changed . Gone are the quiet evenings when most people leave the park & you can ride Everest over & over. And they changed our beloved Tortuga Taverns menu again .

 

[GPC0321]

Ah, that's too bad. It stinks when your expectations for your "happy place" are not met and you are left feeling disappointed.

I guess one of the perks of not visiting very often is that there is still so much new to me that I still don't notice things that frequent visitors notice. But even so, when we returned last March after such a long hiatus (17 years), I had both the memory of that last visit (my absolute favorite visit and first time staying on property) combined with months of build-up and anticipation.

The reality was a little less "magical". I arrived after a 12-hour drive, exhausted and with grumpy traveling companions. The resort that had knocked me off my feet 17 years ago was still nice, but not nearly as jaw-dropping as I had remembered (Coronado Springs). Most of the food we ate was mediocre at best, and some of it was borderline bad (all QS though, so...). The pool was nice, but so crowded we could only find a place one day of our stay. Had to settle for a quiet pool the other day we had time for swimming, and that was...eh, a pool. Hollywood Studios was still underwhelming (as it was 17 years ago when it was MGM). Future World in Epcot was simply sad, there is no other word for it. Epcot had always amazed me since the first time I went as a kid. I just thought it was SO cool! Spaceship Earth, The Land, Living Seas, Figment...all so neat! *sigh* Nemo ruined the Seas. They don't play the catchy little "Listen to the Land" song in The Land anymore, don't get me started on Figment, and Spaceship Earth was much less awe-inspiring than I'd remembered.

But, it was still a fun trip, and I still hated it when we had to leave and couldn't wait to start planning a return. I must admit though, if it weren't for the desire to see Disney at Christmastime with all of the special Christmas offerings, I don't know that I'd be so jazzed to return. I mean I AM excited! Totally excited!

But, yeah, I think if I went year after year the magic might start to wear off for me. Heck, I even worry about how much time I spend planning, chatting on here, watching Youtube videos, etc. It's like I've already taken the dang vacation before I even get there. I've watched videos of the resort, videos of the rides, videos of the restaurants, videos of the fireworks, parades, parties, and shows. Heck, I watched a video of the monorail ride around the resort loop. And the video of the Disney TV channel with the music and the schedule for the day. LOL!

I hate to think of losing the magic. I think we all cherish that "feeling" that only WDW gives, and when that feeling starts to fade (for whatever reason), it's a real bummer.

 

[LizGirl]

That is a serious bummer. I agree that things have started to slip. The part that most impacts my experience most is the sheer volume of the crowds now. Like GPCO, I used to go to WDW a lot 20 years ago. I have great memories of what Epcot used to be (educational). I remember sitting on a bench in Future World to eat ice cream in the middle of the day and there was no one around. The place was cleared out! We had a blast!!

At some point, dealing with the crush everywhere just gets exhausting. We have APs right now and are planning several trips to use them. But we also have family in Florida and break up the trip so we don't get overwhelmed. Unfortunately, those "good ole' days" are probably gone for good.

 

[DOOM1001]

I agree that Disney is pinching pennies everywhere they can,we always used to get the frozen cappuccino at the Epcot Joffreys stands,they were dense and icy and now they're foamy and airy and probably weigh half of what it used it.We returned it and just won't be getting it again unless they change it back.Its minor things like this that you see throughout the parks that make me want to give less of my money to Disney,higher prices with a worse product.I'm a local with APs who's too much of a fan to ever give up my passes but things like food I'm just going to pick and choose what I do and don't spend my money on.I would also agree that park hours just seem short.Magic Kingdom's hours lately just seem short,I think its just Disney execs cutting hours at MK since they have to have AK open later than other years.

 

[Davey Jones II]

If, like the people posting in this thread, you hate the penny pinching, complain to Disney. They have to know that we are noticing and they aren't getting away with it.

I've always said they have no excuse for penny pinching. The parks are jumping, the cash registers are ringing, the billions in profits are rolling in. And what's their response? Cut costs, to further diminish a guest experience already battered by crowds. Shameful, simply shameful. If I didn't know better, I'd think their corporate mascot was Scrooge McDuck, not Mickey Mouse.

 

[DOOM1001]

If, like the people posting in this thread, you hate the penny pinching, complain to Disney. They have to know that we are noticing and they aren't getting away with it.

I've always said they have no excuse for penny pinching. The parks are jumping, the cash registers are ringing, the billions in profits are rolling in. And what's their response? Cut costs, to further diminish a guest experience already battered by crowds. Shameful, simply shameful. If I didn't know better, I'd think their corporate mascot was Scrooge McDuck, not Mickey Mouse.

I've already sent my complaint about the frozen cappuccino about a week ago,got my computerized response saying its been received but have yet to get another more personalized response from someone.

 

[kalc12345]

I can totally relate!!! I started going to Disney as a child in the 80's, then honeymooned at Disney and as we had children we went a lot more. We were a once a year Disney family. Sometimes twice year. We loved Disney. It was our happy place!!! That is until our last trip in 2014. It was a horrible trip. One day at MK the first 3 rides we got on broke. We had to be "rescued" off of one. The bathrooms were horrible. Cast members not friendly. The food....nasty and so expensive. It was a TOTALLY different feel and we did not like it! Also the planning part. Oh my, it is FAR from a vacation. You have to spend months planning. Then once you are there you have to watch the clock to make sure you get to all your fastpasses, dining ressies and such. It takes away from your vacation! My Disney vacations are more planned out than my everyday life with kids. I HATE I have to plan my vacation months in advance. I miss the old days where you could wake up and decide what park you felt like going to. The days when you didn't have plan where to eat 180 day in advance. It is insane!!!!

When I got home from that trip I sent Disney an email and told them how I felt. To my shock they called me back. I again explained how disappointed I was in the way Disney is now. She listened to my concerns and even took notes. Then she offered us free Disney hopper passes. I was shocked!! I didn't call trying to get a freebie. I just want the old Disney back!!!!

We are going to use our free passes in about 2 weeks. I had enough Disney Reward dollars (Chase Visa) to pay for our resort and all but one day of food. So this is pretty much a free trip. Our oldest is graduating high school this year so I figured we better use them before she is in college and not as flexible (we homeschool now). I can say none of us are really that excited. We are going in with very low expectations. This will also be our last trip for a looonnnnggg time. The prices are just getting to be too much along with the decline in what you get.

I SO miss the old Disney. I want it back!! It used to be so magical and wonderful. Not anymore

 

[ArwenMarie]

I can totally relate!!! I started going to Disney as a child in the 80's, then honeymooned at Disney and as we had children we went a lot more. We were a once a year Disney family. Sometimes twice year. We loved Disney. It was our happy place!!! That is until our last trip in 2014. It was a horrible trip. One day at MK the first 3 rides we got on broke. We had to be "rescued" off of one. The bathrooms were horrible. Cast members not friendly. The food....nasty and so expensive. It was a TOTALLY different feel and we did not like it! Also the planning part. Oh my, it is FAR from a vacation. You have to spend months planning. Then once you are there you have to watch the clock to make sure you get to all your fastpasses, dining ressies and such. It takes away from your vacation! My Disney vacations are more planned out than my everyday life with kids. I HATE I have to plan my vacation months in advance. I miss the old days where you could wake up and decide what park you felt like going to. The days when you didn't have plan where to eat 180 day in advance. It is insane!!!!

When I got home from that trip I sent Disney an email and told them how I felt. To my shock they called me back. I again explained how disappointed I was in the way Disney is now. She listened to my concerns and even took notes. Then she offered us free Disney hopper passes. I was shocked!! I didn't call trying to get a freebie. I just want the old Disney back!!!!

We are going to use our free passes in about 2 weeks. I had enough Disney Reward dollars (Chase Visa) to pay for our resort and all but one day of food. So this is pretty much a free trip. Our oldest is graduating high school this year so I figured we better use them before she is in college and not as flexible (we homeschool now). I can say none of us are really that excited. We are going in with very low expectations. This will also be our last trip for a looonnnnggg time. The prices are just getting to be too much along with the decline in what you get.

I SO miss the old Disney. I want it back!! It used to be so magical and wonderful. Not anymore

That's nice you got free passes. I would be much more easygoing about things if the tickets were free! Enjoy your trip

 

[Mom2Stitch]

I hate to hear that you had a bad experience and I hate to say that I know how you feel. You do your part and put in lots of time planning and of course lots of $$ in Disney's pockets, and then it's like they don't hold up their end.

Our last family trip was Sept 2015 and it was suppose to be a low crowd time and it was so packed. There weren't enough CMs to run rides, drive busses, work food stands. It was like they didn't know all of those people were coming and weren't at all prepared. I tried to put on a happy face and go with it, but there were days I just wanted to go home. I emailed and made a complaint, they refunded my MNSSHP tickets and offered a 1 day PH, like @kalc12345 I wasn't looking for something free, I just want them to know they can and should be doing more for their customers.

DH and I went for a few days at the end of a cruise (not Disney) in Feb 2016. I felt it was a little better in the parks, but I think that may have been because I wasn't expecting much and we weren't there for a week dealing with crowds. CSR was a total mess-we had bad timing and was there at the same time as a huge hair dresser's convention, checked in and out on the same days they did.

Last September we took a few days to give Universal a try-it was AMAZING! More than once we said -this is how Disney USE to be. Best part was no planning - just go. We stayed at Royal Pacific-a deluxe there that gets you Express pass for all rides except Harry Potter-and we paid less a night there than we would have at CSR due to the AP discount. The cost to upgrade to an AP was more than covered by the room discount we got. AND because we have the AP we will be doing 3 days at Universal again before moving over to Disney on our upcoming trip.

We will be back to Disney in May-I really want this to be an awesome trip because I know it may be the last we have as a family for a long time, DS is going to be finishing college and moving on in to "real life" working and living. I learned from the last family trip to just prepare for the worst and hope that it's not that bad!

 

[Surgie2]

I SO miss the old Disney. I want it back!! It used to be so magical and wonderful. Not anymore

This whole thread is such a downer I'm so excited to be planning a multi-generation trip for our kids and grandkids next May but reading posts like these make me want to chuck all the plans and head back to Hawaii which was a trip they really enjoyed last year...and would be MUCH cheaper than WDW! Sorry to hear that so many have had disappointing trips.

 

[Klayfish]

Bye bye.

Sorry you were disappointed, and WDW certainly isn't "perfect". However, I'm just as excited about it and love it as much as I did in 1978...in fact probably even more.

EDIT: I also just don't understand the dirty restroom comment. In my experience, WDW has some of the cleanest public restrooms I've ever seen. Far, far, far superior to other amusement parks I've been to, and better than most restaurants/grocery stores, etc... I've seen. And if one gets filthy, that's because of a filthy guest. WDW can't reasonably be expected to have CMs stand in every rest room at all times. If they check a restroom once per hour, and a slob of a guest makes a mess, it could be 55 minutes before it's noticed...unless someone tells them.

 

[BeerMe]

Since 1995 we have made 57 trips to WDW. All except two of those trips we flew. We probably stay onsite about 50% of the time. Since 2015 we have made 6 trips that covered 25 weeks - two of those trips were very long in the winter/spring of 2015 and all of F&W 2016 minus one week. We just came back from a week trip the last week of March for F&G. We stayed offsite in time shares for the long trips and at POFQ, SOG, AS Music, Saratoga Springs, and Art of Animation for the shorter trips. We are planning a trip in December at POFQ and Hard Rock Hotel at Universal. We really like Values because they seem much more vibrant. Music is a particular favorite.

I say this because we have spent a ton of time in the parks and water parks too. I often wonder if people who relate their experiences in threads like this are going to the same places we go. I have never noticed dirty rest rooms or trash in the parks. Disney is still as mystical and magical as it's always been for us. As a matter of fact, so is Universal. We love Harry Potter and really had a blast at the Raptor Encounter! Our recent F&G trip was beautiful. The flowers and decorations were gorgeous. The one thing I have noticed is that the crowds are bigger than I ever remember them, but are manageable with judicious use of FP+. We do not go to RD as a rule but we find other ways to manage. My least favorite park now is MK because of the crowds, but if we have any grand children with us we spend a lot of time there. Two of our recent trips we took 7 of the GC with us. Those are fun trips. We have two more GC since then who we will manage to take sometime.

Our experiences have been really amazing. Maybe we're easier to please or we focus more on the positive, but it is still magical to us. We are probably a little older than most people here (early 70s) but we still have a great time there even though my wive needs an ECV because of major back surgery.

 

[TravelDad]

I can totally relate!!! I started going to Disney as a child in the 80's, then honeymooned at Disney and as we had children we went a lot more. We were a once a year Disney family. Sometimes twice year. We loved Disney. It was our happy place!!! That is until our last trip in 2014. It was a horrible trip. One day at MK the first 3 rides we got on broke. We had to be "rescued" off of one. The bathrooms were horrible. Cast members not friendly. The food....nasty and so expensive. It was a TOTALLY different feel and we did not like it! Also the planning part. Oh my, it is FAR from a vacation. You have to spend months planning. Then once you are there you have to watch the clock to make sure you get to all your fastpasses, dining ressies and such. It takes away from your vacation! My Disney vacations are more planned out than my everyday life with kids. I HATE I have to plan my vacation months in advance. I miss the old days where you could wake up and decide what park you felt like going to. The days when you didn't have plan where to eat 180 day in advance. It is insane!!!!

When I got home from that trip I sent Disney an email and told them how I felt. To my shock they called me back. I again explained how disappointed I was in the way Disney is now. She listened to my concerns and even took notes. Then she offered us free Disney hopper passes. I was shocked!! I didn't call trying to get a freebie. I just want the old Disney back!!!!

We are going to use our free passes in about 2 weeks. I had enough Disney Reward dollars (Chase Visa) to pay for our resort and all but one day of food. So this is pretty much a free trip. Our oldest is graduating high school this year so I figured we better use them before she is in college and not as flexible (we homeschool now). I can say none of us are really that excited. We are going in with very low expectations. This will also be our last trip for a looonnnnggg time. The prices are just getting to be too much along with the decline in what you get.

I SO miss the old Disney. I want it back!! It used to be so magical and wonderful. Not anymore

Great point about the advanced planning, it's another thing that has massively decreased the magic of it. We're too busy chasing our schedule to just take the time to enjoy being there. I hate that we have to plan what we are going to want to do 60-180 days in advance.

 

[TravelDad]

That is a serious bummer. I agree that things have started to slip. The part that most impacts my experience most is the sheer volume of the crowds now. Like GPCO, I used to go to WDW a lot 20 years ago. I have great memories of what Epcot used to be (educational). I remember sitting on a bench in Future World to eat ice cream in the middle of the day and there was no one around. The place was cleared out! We had a blast!!

At some point, dealing with the crush everywhere just gets exhausting. We have APs right now and are planning several trips to use them. But we also have family in Florida and break up the trip so we don't get overwhelmed. Unfortunately, those "good ole' days" are probably gone for good.

I agree that the crowds are a huge part of it. But that is the one thing that I can at least live with, knowing that Disney's ultimate goal is to sell as many entrance tickets as possible. Where I have a problem is that the crowds are much bigger than they have ever been in the past and at all time high prices, yet they continue to find ways to cut corners. The one timers or once every few year people don't notice the cut corners as much because they are removed enough from their previous trip to remember any of the things of yesteryear (outside of attractions). That leave us Disney loyalists, the ones who spend so much money year in and year out and know exactly the Disney Vacation that we want, the only ones feeling like we're being ripped off with each new policy that removes some piece of the magical world that we really loved on our previous trips