A little pep talk from a Disneylander if you're feeling discouraged

....... On a temporary basis.
.......

Is this temporary basis 1 month? 3 months? 6 months?? 1 year?? I don't think Disney has the answers which is what is frustrating. They needed to hang a new picture on the wall so they use a sledgehammer to put the nail in and now have a giant hole and mess where there was none before.

There is taking sensible precautions and then there is what Disney is doing. They are redefining the heavy-handed approach. If their goal was the maximize frustrations and anger they knocked the ball out of the park.
 
I did NOT mean to minimize anyone's anger and frustration. I totally get it. Taking away the free dining for all of those visitors who were given the free dining deal as compensation for having their March-June trips cancelled...that is SO frustrating. If I were in those individuals' shoes, you bet I would be frustrated.

And I did NOT mean to communicate a vibe of "DL is better." It's not. DL vs WDW is like different flavors of ice cream. So let's say that DL is vanilla and WDW is chocolate.

Right now, you're used to getting chocolate ice cream every time. But the kitchen changed the recipe on you overnight and now you can't get chocolate...only fudge ripple. On a temporary basis.

My point of my post was to say something like "Hey, consider that fudge ripple might taste good, too, if you're willing to give it a try."

I agree that if this is your once in a lifetime trip, right now with the restrictions is probably not the best time to go.

OP you made some really good points, I myself didn't mean to come across snarky. My worry is that Disneyworld has changed so much in the past few years. Insane crowds, reduced hours, reduced EMH, crazy price hikes, endless hard ticket events. The greed has been hard to swallow but I have. Many times lol. But my worry is that this situation will just amplify all of that. Higher prices for less. And that doesn't even include the issues with masks, worry of being in crowds etc. And while this situation with the virus has been something no one could handle easily or well, Disney's handling of this has been pretty bad over the last 24 hours. Hence the frustration.

I can take fudge ripple, but this feels more like rum raisin lol!

We were Disneyland regulars for years. I think back to the days 15+ years ago of Disneyland Hotel being $150 a night, uncrowded parks. Oh my gosh, the best trips ever. I miss Disneyland, just got spoiled staying on site and can't afford it in California now so we stick to the World. But who knows, if they handle it better, we might venture out, stay offsite and combine it with other things we love in California.

For certain people this all might work out fine. My August trip was a "heck no". My December trip, different season, a different dynamic. So I am waiting a good, long while to decide on that one.
 
Is this temporary basis 1 month? 3 months? 6 months?? 1 year?? I don't think Disney has the answers which is what is frustrating. They needed to hang a new picture on the wall so they use a sledgehammer to put the nail in and now have a giant hole and mess where there was none before.

There is taking sensible precautions and then there is what Disney is doing. They are redefining the heavy-handed approach. If their goal was the maximize frustrations and anger they knocked the ball out of the park.
Honestly, I don't think they know what to do. They're trying things out and probably gauging reaction. That's why I think it is not helpful to limit posts to positive vibes only. Let people complain. Disney needs to hear it.
 


Honestly, I don't think they know what to do. They're trying things out and probably gauging reaction. That's why I think it is not helpful to limit posts to positive vibes only. Let people complain. Disney needs to hear it.

I don't think anyone is preventing people from complaining!! :rotfl: But some of us are still interested in talking to others who are keeping their vacations and want to talk about how some of these changes may actually be good. Everyone's situation is different.
 
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I don't think anyone is preventing people from complaining!! :rotfl: But some of us are still interesting in talking to others who are keeping their vacations and want to talk about how some of these changes may actually be good. Everyone's situation is different.
I've seen several posters referred to as 'whiners' and 'entitled'.
 
I'm betting that by now, a lot of you with upcoming trips have read the latest announcements from WDW, which include:
  • cancellation of any ADRs made 180 days ahead of time
  • no ADRs available for booking until 60 days before hand
  • cancellation of all FP+
  • no EMH at any park even if you're staying on site
You might be thinking, "Why bother? Without FP+ or 180 day ADRs, I don't even want to go!" You might also be thinking, "No EMH? Then forget it! I'm not going back until they go back to how it was before!"

Consider this...perhaps all is not lost.

But but! But what about the dessert parties that your family always does every trip? But what about fireworks? And Fantasmic! And the Epcot night time show?! No character meet & greets?! NO FP+?!

All is not lost. Here's why...
  • Maybe you've felt frustrated over the past few years about how much more pre-planning and strategizing you have to do before your WDW trip.
  • 6 months before you even get there, you have to know what park you are going to be in each day so you can pick THE right restaurants.
  • And 2 months before you even show up, you need to actually SCHEDULE rides.
  • And maybe you were getting a little tired of that, but you continued on with it anyway because, well, it's a Disney vacation so it's worth it.
  • Maybe you've felt frustrated with the crowds of people, with every ride at MK being an hour long just 2 hours after the park opens.
You know what I thought of when I read today's announcements? "This feels more like a Disneyland trip." I know, I know. They're completely different flavors of ice cream and it's not fair to compare them.

But maybe...just maybe...if you're feeling ready to not have to plan the heck out of your Disney trip in order to squeeze every drop of magic out of running the WDW gauntlet, consider that you'll now have opportunities that were hard to take advantage of before. For example:
  • your family changes its mind and you want to go on It's A Small World next instead of Splash Mtn (which you have a FP+ for and the 1-hr return window ends in 5 min and you're all the way over in Tomorrowland).
  • because there's no FP+ and because park capacity is lower, lines are shorter. Shorter wait times.
  • this, in turn, makes it easier to shift and change course during your day.
  • you no longer have to have a strict itinerary.
  • Have you ever experienced going on 5 Fantasyland rides in the 1st hour? That's achievable at Disneyland. Maybe something like that just might be possible at MK with hardly anybody there and no FP+.
  • Remember the days of regular FP before FP+? Go on the Disneyland board and read some people's reports on using Fast Pass with Max Pass (which has an extra cost). All the benefits of FP but you do it all from your phone. No FPs available to you until you've had your tickets scanned in the park that day. Just think of the flexibility available if they do that at WDW when they start FP up again.
  • Have all of your Disney vacations lately felt frantic, busy, etc., like you need a couple extra days off in order to recuperate from your vacation just from navigating the crowds? Well, now you won't have to do that.
You can basically alter course a little bit. Take a little more time to smell the roses like you've always wanted to. Ok, so you won't be able to eat at Chef Mickey's and take photos with characters at meet & greets. But the money you would have spent on that...instead, you could take your entire family horse back riding at Fort Wilderness.

Or do a carriage ride at FQ or Fort Wilderness.
Or rent a boat for an hour and take it out on one of the lakes.
Or have that fancy dinner at California Grill like you've always talked about.
Or rent a kayak.
Or spend a couple of hours exploring Tom Sawyer's Island.
Ride the train all around the park and marvel at how great it is.
Do a day trip to Cape Canaveral.
Spend a day just at your resort. Play in the pool and make tie-dye Mickey t-shirts to take home with you.
After a long day all day at the park, watch a movie outside with other families at your resort.

You might find that you'll still have a lovely time. There's something pretty special about walking through a Disney park either really early in the day or late at night after closing and walking through the empty thoroughfares. Riding on Dumbo and looking out over the park before you and not seeing throngs of people 'walking with purpose' in a giant human stampede. It's lovely and magical, so wonderful and relaxing with the Disney music playing in the background.

When your child says to you, "Can we do that again?" and you're able to say "YES! How about we do it again RIGHT NOW?!" THAT is a pretty magical thing. That's hard to do in pre-corona virus WDW. It's achievable at Disneyland early in the day...yes, you totally could go on Dumbo 3 times in a row easily in under an hour in the first hour the park is open and not have to wait more than 10 min each time.

Everything's going to work out. Everything will be ok. Look at the glass as half full instead of half empty.
After a Spring like this, all I've dreamed about is a Mickey Bar in front of the castle or a ronto roaster at GE. My first ride- It's a Small World. --Linda
 


yeah, the WDW experience will be fine for repeat guests, locals and ap. I would not recommend anyone visiting for the first time or a once in a lifetime trip to come now

we see it as sort as the opposite - over 75 trips and we taking nothing for granted. Each one we make like its once in a lifetime - I don't want my kids to think of this new experience when they think of Disney - hopefully, in a year or two, the experience will be closer to what is used to be
 
After a Spring like this, all I've dreamed about is a Mickey Bar in front of the castle or a ronto roaster at GE. My first ride- It's a Small World. --Linda

I'd be happy with sitting on a park bench on Main Street or going on the Jungle Cruise or in the Tiki Room at this point. I really really miss MK & DL right now. To ride the Peoplemover right now? That would be fantastic. Spending some more time on Tom Sawyer's Island? Pretty fabulous.

On the DL side of things, I'd love to go on POTC 3 times in a row with zero wait like we did about 5 years ago one time during the 2nd showing of Fantasmic.

Or listening to the Dapper Dans sing.

Or hearing the Voices of Liberty in the American Pavilion in Epcot. I got duck spit in my eyes when we saw them on our WDW trip 2 summers ago.

I'd love to eat at the new QS BBQ restaurant in the American Pavilion in Epcot. Eat a pastry in Norway. Go on Living with the Land.
 
I have no idea. The continual uncertainty of changes certainly makes it more like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride than It's A Small World.

For folks like me the frustrating thing is what appears to be a lack of logic applied to some of the decisions. It's like cancelling a ballgame 3 months out cause of weather. Well you don't know what the weather will be like in 3 months so why make such a bone-headed decision today, it makes no sense. Even the opening date of July 11th is so far from now that decisions made today for that date might not make as much sense then. It's funny that Disney has been slow-walking cancellations for a few weeks now and then BOOM!!! Let's just throw the baby out with the bathwater approach. Would LOVE to be in the rooms where these decisions are being made, is anyone speaking up against some of this? I can't imagine these decisions are the compromised variety where there was some give and take on what is best for all concerned parties; guests, cast members, vendors, etc....
 
After a Spring like this, all I've dreamed about is a Mickey Bar in front of the castle or a ronto roaster at GE. My first ride- It's a Small World. --Linda

It's a Small World is my favorite and I don't care who hates it! :jumping1:

I also loved the Ronto Roaster wrap last November and can't wait to get another in September! I look forward to less crowds (which was the point of booking in September) and being able to really soak up the atmosphere.
 

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