Anyone ever had a less than magical trip to WDW and felt a bit lost afterwards?

I only had one trip like that... My mom offered to keep the kids for DH and I to go on a weekend getaway. Disney happened to have free dining *and* Southwest was running a fare sale and we got a great flight to Orlando. Meant to be, huh? Not quite. We got assigned a great room at the resort, but when we came back after our first day, there was water dripping from the ceiling. They moved us to a different room but it wasn't nearly as good as the original (originally a great location with a king bed. Moved to a less-desireable location with 2 beds.) I'm sure it would have been fine if we hadn't seen the other room first. Also, it was hot as Hades while we were there. I think the heat exacerbated a health issue that DH has intermittently and he didn't feel like doing or eating much. So the "free dining plan" was not enjoyed to its fullest (and it was the first time we'd ever gotten the dining plan, so I was excited for it). Overall, just a "blah" kind of trip.

It didn't really sour me on Disney, but DH and I haven't taken any more just-him-and-me trips. My mom has offered a couple of other times. (She watches my sister's kids while they go on long weekends pretty frequently.) I joke that I'm saving up all my long weekends and I'm planning to cash them all in for a month-long trip to Europe. She chuckles nervously. ;-)

On the other hand, our last whole-family trip was perfect. So perfect that I'm almost afraid to go back. How can the next trip live up to the memories?
 
LOL. I haven't been to Disneyland in 2 years, HOWEVER, a co-worker who is a former WDW Character and Florida native said in her opinion, this announcement IS an east coast thing!:flower1:

Either the announcement is only in WDW (and not DL) or it isn't. It isn't a matter of opinion.
 
We made our first trip to WDW last week (June 4-9) after dozens of trips to Disneyland. Rained everyday but the last.
I think all of my disappointments were actually just not being familiar with the Florida parks.

Are you going to do a TR? I love hearing the views of first timers!
 


Like others, I think maybe being Mom and feeling pressured to make sure everyone had a good time just got to you. I'm a bit of a pollyanna and manage to find fun no matter what and despite going at least twice a year for the last 3 or 4 years and at least every other year for 30 years before that, it's still my favorite vacation place. I've watched my son grow up there, he was just shy of 3 when we started going and is 36 now and still goes with me. I was a single mom most of his life and after my honey and I got together, it was still our thing to do. We go other places, my honey and I get to go to some pretty exotic places diving and my son dives as well, just doesn't get to go on all the trips with us. We take long weekends to places within a 3 or 4 hour drive as well so maybe that might be why we don't burn out on WDW. We also do not plan, I'm talking we rarely even know what park we are going to until we get up in the morning and since we go often, we don't worry about running around and trying to get everything done or getting disappointed if we don't do something. We did a last minute trip the week before Christmas last year, decided 2 weeks before we went that we wanted to go. There were 3 things I wanted to accomplish - see the decorations at all the deluxe resorts, listen to the story tellers in each country at Epcot and maybe hear a bit of the Candlelight Processional. We did get to all the resorts and that was it. Didn't hear nary a storyteller, didn't hear a word from the Processional. But boy did we have a good trip. We are very go with the flow type people no matter where we go, it makes life easier.
 


LOL. I haven't been to Disneyland in 2 years, HOWEVER, a co-worker who is a former WDW Character and Florida native said in her opinion, this announcement IS an east coast thing!:flower1:

So what was the excuse of the bad behavior of the high school band from the west coast that was at our gate as we were getting ready to fly home from Honolulu? Were they east coast transplants?
 
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Was this part of the recorded announcements or a cast member actually said it? I've never heard that on the announcements. I have heard the usual "assist small children...". Nothing like "control your children".
Live announcements except on the Monorail.
 
So what was the excuse of the bad behavior of the high school band from the west coast that was at our gate as we were getting ready to fly home from Honolulu? Were they east coast transplants?
I was speaking to the announcement being new to me, not behavior
 
I only had one trip like that... My mom offered to keep the kids for DH and I to go on a weekend getaway. Disney happened to have free dining *and* Southwest was running a fare sale and we got a great flight to Orlando. Meant to be, huh? Not quite. We got assigned a great room at the resort, but when we came back after our first day, there was water dripping from the ceiling. They moved us to a different room but it wasn't nearly as good as the original (originally a great location with a king bed. Moved to a less-desireable location with 2 beds.) I'm sure it would have been fine if we hadn't seen the other room first. Also, it was hot as Hades while we were there. I think the heat exacerbated a health issue that DH has intermittently and he didn't feel like doing or eating much. So the "free dining plan" was not enjoyed to its fullest (and it was the first time we'd ever gotten the dining plan, so I was excited for it). Overall, just a "blah" kind of trip.

It didn't really sour me on Disney, but DH and I haven't taken any more just-him-and-me trips. My mom has offered a couple of other times. (She watches my sister's kids while they go on long weekends pretty frequently.) I joke that I'm saving up all my long weekends and I'm planning to cash them all in for a month-long trip to Europe. She chuckles nervously. ;-)

On the other hand, our last whole-family trip was perfect. So perfect that I'm almost afraid to go back. How can the next trip live up to the memories?

Can I borrow your mom?!?! ...it seemed like it took an act of congress to get my mom to watch my kids for two nights with help from my sister and grandma while I was in the hospital having our 4th (and our kids are really, really well behaved and the older two can practically take care of themselves and helped a lot with #3), so I can't imagine being able to get a long weekend getaway! But, that would be something that would worry me, that I would be so excited to have a break finally, only to be disappointed. Glad it didn't sour you and I would keep pushing for storing up your days for that Europe trip:D
 
Wondered if it was the norm at WDW and if it was also at DLR.


There's a difference between wondering if the announcement is the norm at WDW and saying things like .

"We found out why, because I have never seen more out of control children. DW and I both think we will pay closer attention on our next Disneyland trip to see if this is a national trend or just an east coast issue."

"a co-worker who is a former WDW Character and Florida native said in her opinion, this announcement IS an east coast thing!"


When did your co-worker work there? I've never heard it so I'm confused why she would say it's an east coast thing.
 
Never been to WDW but I cannot imagine Disney sanctioning the phrase "control your children." "Guests please remember that everyone must be seated" or "Please remember for the safety of all guests all isles must be clear." But a blunt "control your children," I'm not buying it. It's absurd to think a claim like that would fly with a bunch of WDW regulars or anyone with experience at Disney Parks.
 
There's a difference between wondering if the announcement is the norm at WDW and saying things like .

"We found out why, because I have never seen more out of control children. DW and I both think we will pay closer attention on our next Disneyland trip to see if this is a national trend or just an east coast issue."

"a co-worker who is a former WDW Character and Florida native said in her opinion, this announcement IS an east coast thing!"


When did your co-worker work there? I've never heard it so I'm confused why she would say it's an east coast thing.

I'll ask her tomorrow.
 
Never been to WDW but I cannot imagine Disney sanctioning the phrase "control your children." "Guests please remember that everyone must be seated" or "Please remember for the safety of all guests all isles must be clear." But a blunt "control your children," I'm not buying it. It's absurd to think a claim like that would fly with a bunch of WDW regulars or anyone with experience at Disney Parks.

Given that the announcements were identical, and that the spiel was the same, I suspect it was handed down by someone in management. Maybe someone who is there this week riding the boats from the MK to the resorts, or the Kilimanjaro Safari, attending the Bugs Life Show, or Muppets 3 D, or Carousel of Progress, Jungle Cruise , Bear Country Jamboree or the Monorail and comment.
 

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