Breaking up with Disney?

[TinkB278]

COVID had some affect but that was expected. Now I feel like Disney is using COVID as an excuse to rebrand the “magic”. It’s a mess.

I completely agree. At this point they use Covid as an excuse for any poor policy or money gouging thinking it will protect them from criticism.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

My DVC is like a marriage. There are always going to be ups and downs but I am not giving up. As to the magic being gone, I make my own and take it with me. YMMV
Honestly after the last two years, we can't wait.

Here is where the analogy breaks.

I love Disney. I am frustrated right now by the company - and particularly by the activism the company has chosen to engage in with politics that have nothing to do with Disney's business. That's different from the normal complaints on here about G+, Prices, and CM's. It's still a valid reason however (in my book) to be frustrated with the company.

You can't just walk away from decades of marriage. So I can't just easily give up and leave. Any relationship - even one with a company like Disney takes work. The problem is that usually a marriage takes investment on both sides. You both have to be willing to work at it. Disney isn't willing to work at it. I have written them and asked them to come to counseling with me so we can work on our problems together. I didn't even get so much as a "I'm busy right now, but maybe we can talk about it over dinner?" from Chapek. I sent flowers, but I don't think Disney even put them in a vase. :-(

All kidding aside, I am in a bit of a bind. On the one hand, I want to speak with my wallet and let Disney know I am unhappy by withdrawing my funding from the company. On the other, that's going to hurt me more than them since it would mean selling a long term investment that I won't get back. I can't change my mind in 2 years and just bring things back to normal (just like if you get a divorce).

I don't want to give up on Disney. But I want them to hear my concerns and at least take them seriously. If they listen and ultimately decide to move in a different direction than I support, then I can move forward with my life and be comfortable with my decision. But right now it's really hard to know where their minds are and where they see themselves in 5 years.

 

[Splashboat]

Here is where the analogy breaks.

I love Disney. I am frustrated right now by the company - and particularly by the activism the company has chosen to engage in with politics that have nothing to do with Disney's business. That's different from the normal complaints on here about G+, Prices, and CM's. It's still a valid reason however (in my book) to be frustrated with the company.

You can't just walk away from decades of marriage. So I can't just easily give up and leave. Any relationship - even one with a company like Disney takes work. The problem is that usually a marriage takes investment on both sides. You both have to be willing to work at it. Disney isn't willing to work at it. I have written them and asked them to come to counseling with me so we can work on our problems together. I didn't even get so much as a "I'm busy right now, but maybe we can talk about it over dinner?" from Chapek. I sent flowers, but I don't think Disney even put them in a vase. :-(

All kidding aside, I am in a bit of a bind. On the one hand, I want to speak with my wallet and let Disney know I am unhappy by withdrawing my funding from the company. On the other, that's going to hurt me more than them since it would mean selling a long term investment that I won't get back.

I don't want to give up on Disney. But I want them to hear my concerns and at least take them seriously. If they listen and ultimately decide to move in a different direction than I support, then I can move forward with my life and be comfortable with my decision. But right now it's really hard to know where their minds are and where they see themselves in 5 years.

Completely relate. We have spent a lot of time in Disney lately and I do not think we will ever step in the parks again. (APs just expired) It went from not being fun anymore with all the ridiculous changes to anger over everything going on now.

We bought in because it was a place we found ourselves always going to for fun and relaxation. Now it is like the bad marriage that we are staying in because we invested so much into it. We just keep trying to make it work but the other side has just changed too much and it's only getting worse. (As a side note, as much as I am in the boat of ousting Chapek, I think it's bigger than him so I am not optimistic)

Having said that, we stayed at AKL last month and I kept thinking: We could really come here, never step into a park and not even feel we are in Disney. We just put up one of our contracts for sale and assuming it sells, we probably will keep selling but the resorts are the hard part to give up right now.

 

[Nappy1380]

I think people in general have been unfair in their evaluation of how COVID has affected things. Obviously there are concrete policy changes that many people don't like they have nothing to do with COVID, but in terms of general "vibe/atmosphere," I do think COVID and the aftermath thereof plays a huge part.

Personally, I disagree with this. We went in Feb 2021, Aug 2021 and March 2022.

February was definitely different as the COVID impact will still very present with the lack of things in the parks. It was still as magical as pre-COVID however as at that time things we loved were still possibly coming back and the missing parts were thought to be temporary. The lack of massive crowds and casual, spontaneous nature of no FP system made the attraction aspect of the parks considerably less stressful and more enjoyable. The empty entertainment was very noticeable but again, was thought to be temporary.

August was not as magical as we knew that the cash grabs were starting and many of the "temporary" cuts due to COVID were going to turn into permanent cuts; DME, Magic Bands, FP System, entertain in hotels and park, etc. This trip almost felt like a last hurrah and a goodbye to the Disney we knew pre-COVID as multiple announcements about the future had been made since our last trip; HEA ending, Genie+, more cuts in entertainment being permanent, etc.

A few weeks ago we experienced the "new" Disney. It cemented that it's time to break up with the commitment to Disney Parks and just enjoy the hotels. The cost of the parks vs. the enjoy-ability of the parks has evaporated. We have a week booked in July and even with a new ride opening, are skipping the parks entirely.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

Completely relate. We have spent a lot of time in Disney lately and I do not think we will ever step in the parks again. (APs just expired) It went from not being fun anymore with all the ridiculous changes to anger over everything going on now.

We bought in because it was a place we found ourselves always going to for fun and relaxation. Now it is like the bad marriage that we are staying in because we invested so much into it. We just keep trying to make it work but the other side has just changed too much and it's only getting worse. (As a side note, as much as I am in the boat of ousting Chapek, I think it's bigger than him so I am not optimistic)

Having said that, we stayed at AKL last month and I kept thinking: We could really come here, never step into a park and not even feel we are in Disney. We just put up one of our contracts for sale and assuming it sells, we probably will keep selling but the resorts are the hard part to give up right now.

And this is where I am stuck. I agree it's bigger than Chapek. I don't think him leaving will turn the company into one I agree with. On the other hand, even Disney must bow to what's good for business and I personally believe they are on a course for disaster. I also believe the company is very large, and although it takes a lot of effort to steer a ship that large, a course change will INEVITABLLY happen. The board will eventually demand it.

The only question is how long will it take and do I have the strength to wait it out.

 

[Splashboat]

Just adding my 2 cents on the Covid effect: For us, it has zero to do with it. We have been to Disney World several times, for several weeks, since Covid, starting right after the reopening. Personally I think it was actually better right when they reopened because there was a definite lack of crowds.

I know they are saying the crowd levels are limited now but I seriously don't believe it based on our experiences during several trips over several different months.

This park reservation system has been insane.
You have to reserve a specific park and go to that park but you can hop to any other after 2:00.

If you are crazy enough to decide you don't want to go to a park until after 2:00 on any given day, you still have to go to the park you reserved first.

You can literally scan yourself into the park, leave immediately and go to another park but you can't just go to a different park after 2:00.
You HAVE to go to the park you reserved first. We had inquired about this on different days in different parks and this is the required procedure now.

The only way around it is to cancel your park passes and pick a different park. The problem with that is that there have been a lot of issues with no park availability so if you cancel you risk getting in at all.
We have verified with a number of CMs who warned us to be careful because if we cancel we might not get in park. (Now keep in mind, if it is after 2:00 you can go to any park once you have access to the park you are registered to enter)

If you haven't experienced it yet, think about that.
Can anyone give an explanation as to how this makes an ounce of sense? I am serious. Is there something we haven't thought of that would justify this inconvenience?

 

[TinkB278]

Just adding my 2 cents on the Covid effect: For us, it has zero to do with it. We have been to Disney World several times, for several weeks, since Covid, starting right after the reopening. Personally I think it was actually better right when they reopened because there was a definite lack of crowds.

I know they are saying the crowd levels are limited now but I seriously don't believe it based on our experiences during several trips over several different months.

This park reservation system has been insane.
You have to reserve a specific park and go to that park but you can hop to any other after 2:00.

If you are crazy enough to decide you don't want to go to a park until after 2:00 on any given day, you still have to go to the park you reserved first.

You can literally scan yourself into the park, leave immediately and go to another park but you can't just go to a different park after 2:00.
You HAVE to go to the park you reserved first. We had inquired about this on different days in different parks and this is the required procedure now.

The only way around it is to cancel your park passes and pick a different park. The problem with that is that there have been a lot of issues with no park availability so if you cancel you risk getting in at all.
We have verified with a number of CMs who warned us to be careful because if we cancel we might not get in park. (Now keep in mind, if it is after 2:00 you can go to any park once you have access to the park you are registered to enter)

If you haven't experienced it yet, think about that.
Can anyone give an explanation as to how this makes an ounce of sense? I am serious. Is there something we haven't thought of that would justify this inconvenience?

Completely agree that this system is a mess. On my last September trip the 2pm park hopping rule drove me crazy. Certain parks, we ran out of things to do fairly early so just sat at a table with a Starbucks waiting for hours to hop. It ruined so much of the fun of being spontaneous like in the past.

They definitely aren’t limiting capacity so how could these rules have to do with Covid??

 

[Dizzydizney]

So agree with the marriage/divorce analogy. I was okay with some of the new changes, but these last couple of months have just disgusted me. I too have too much invested right now and am not ready to move on. Was seriously thinking of adding on direct at Riviera but not now. Next trip there will be no merchandise purchases and the bare minimum of meals on site. Maybe shout out my own Magic Kingdom opening. I feel so let down.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

They definitely aren’t limiting capacity so how could these rules have to do with Covid??

We don't know that they're not limiting capacity due to Covid, even at this time. We were there 3 times in the past 5 months, and it's absolutely crowded in the parks and around the resorts/DS. But staffing is still off (definitely as a result of Covid) and not everything is open yet. There are things that need to reopen (and have been reopening) that eat up some of the crowds for an hour or 2 here and there to make it at least feel less crowded. We're getting there. But there are still underlying issues from the pandemic that are being worked through - at Disney and with businesses all around the world. Disney's not the only place crazy expensive right now.

As for the park hopping, I'm concerned Disney has found a way to better monitor the park attendance for the entire day- they now know when a park-hopper or AP has scanned into the original park and might hop to another park later. They also know how many people in the parks can't hop - I hope it goes away at some point, but they're not just doing it for the sake of doing it.

 

[TinkB278]

We don't know that they're not limiting capacity due to Covid, even at this time. We were there 3 times in the past 5 months, and it's absolutely crowded in the parks and around the resorts/DS. But staffing is still off (definitely as a result of Covid) and not everything is open yet. There are things that need to reopen (and have been reopening) that eat up some of the crowds for an hour or 2 here and there to make it at least feel less crowded. We're getting there. But there are still underlying issues from the pandemic that are being worked through - at Disney and with businesses all around the world. Disney's not the only place crazy expensive right now.

As for the park hopping, I'm concerned Disney has found a way to better monitor the park attendance for the entire day- they now know when a park-hopper or AP has scanned into the original park and might hop to another park later. They also know how many people in the parks can't hop - I hope it goes away at some point, but they're not just doing it for the sake of doing it.

The crowds are so massive in the parks where if they were concerned for health reasons, they would definitely be limiting capacity to a much more noticeable degree. It’s not just high rise times, difficult to get adrs, etc, it is literally physical crowds as you walk.

 

[Splashboat]

We don't know that they're not limiting capacity due to Covid, even at this time.

I seriously do not believe capacity is limited now. It is too bad they won't ever make the numbers public.

 

[mattburmeister]

Completely agree that this system is a mess. On my last September trip the 2pm park hopping rule drove me crazy. Certain parks, we ran out of things to do fairly early so just sat at a table with a Starbucks waiting for hours to hop. It ruined so much of the fun of being spontaneous like in the past.

They definitely aren’t limiting capacity so how could these rules have to do with Covid??

So assuming 2 hours of waiting and 30 minutes to move from park to park you were done by 11:30?

Tell me your secret of how you run out of things to do within, at best, 3.5 hours of park opening.

 

[TinkB278]

So assuming 2 hours of waiting and 30 minutes to move from park to park you were done by 11:30?

Tell me your secret of how you run out of things to do within, at best, 3.5 hours of park opening.

Well we were there for one week. It was our second day at animal kingdom and the only rides we were interested in that day had waits much higher than what we were willing to stand in, there was no genie plus. On my second day at any given park I’m easily done within 3.5 hours. Pretty sure this isn’t uncommon with dvc members. Not sure why it’s confusing you?

 

[mattburmeister]

Well we were there for one week. It was our second day at animal kingdom and the only rides we were interested in that day had waits much higher than what we were willing to stand in, there was no genie plus. On my second day at any given park I’m easily done within 3.5 hours. Pretty sure this isn’t uncommon with dvc members. Not sure why it’s confusing you?

Waiting at Starbucks > Waiting for rides

 

[kes601]

Well we were there for one week. It was our second day at animal kingdom and the only rides we were interested in that day had waits much higher than what we were willing to stand in, there was no genie plus. On my second day at any given park I’m easily done within 3.5 hours. Pretty sure this isn’t uncommon with dvc members. Not sure why it’s confusing you?

We are the same way. Pre-covid times we would secure a good FP or two in park #1 and then hop to park #2 depending upon where the FPs took us. I remember the Christmas before the shutdown we had a SDD and after scanning into that at like 7a we were able to get a FOP so went to AK after getting off of SDD. Then we went somewhere else. Those were the fun, spontaneous days of Disney for us.

Now, we'll go to early entry and get done 2 or 3 rides + whatever our first G+ is and we are done before lunchtime in park #1.

That being said, we still thoroughly enjoy our times in the parks, we just don't spend as much time in them.

 

[TinkB278]

Waiting at Starbucks > Waiting for rides

Yep. I wanted to sit in the shade with a cold drink rather than standing smooshed in a line surrounded by people. Guess I’m just crazy.

 

[Pooh12863]

So assuming 2 hours of waiting and 30 minutes to move from park to park you were done by 11:30?

Tell me your secret of how you run out of things to do within, at best, 3.5 hours of park opening.

It's rather easy for me to be done with a park by 11:30, I'm not waiting over 70 minutes for any ride, and I'm not buying into what I consider to be the useless Genie+system.

 

[DisWeaver]

Here is where the analogy breaks.

I love Disney. I am frustrated right now by the company - and particularly by the activism the company has chosen to engage in with politics that have nothing to do with Disney's business. That's different from the normal complaints on here about G+, Prices, and CM's. It's still a valid reason however (in my book) to be frustrated with the company.

You can't just walk away from decades of marriage. So I can't just easily give up and leave. Any relationship - even one with a company like Disney takes work. The problem is that usually a marriage takes investment on both sides. You both have to be willing to work at it. Disney isn't willing to work at it. I have written them and asked them to come to counseling with me so we can work on our problems together. I didn't even get so much as a "I'm busy right now, but maybe we can talk about it over dinner?" from Chapek. I sent flowers, but I don't think Disney even put them in a vase. :-(

All kidding aside, I am in a bit of a bind. On the one hand, I want to speak with my wallet and let Disney know I am unhappy by withdrawing my funding from the company. On the other, that's going to hurt me more than them since it would mean selling a long term investment that I won't get back. I can't change my mind in 2 years and just bring things back to normal (just like if you get a divorce).

I don't want to give up on Disney. But I want them to hear my concerns and at least take them seriously. If they listen and ultimately decide to move in a different direction than I support, then I can move forward with my life and be comfortable with my decision. But right now it's really hard to know where their minds are and where they see themselves in 5 years.

This resonates with me a lot.

 

[LPnerd]

@LPnerd where do you get your information from? Agree with what?

I live here. so the papers, cast members, local TV. Going to the parks ( through not since FEB.)

 

[PattiPB]

We left Disney, but it wasn’t so much of a break up on our part.

Disney broke up with us.

We were huge fans of the old Pleasure Island, especially the Adventurers Club and Comedy Warehouse. When those venues closed, there was truly no evening adult entertainment.

THEE single best attraction Disney had, that happened to be a bar, was the Adventurers Club.

That was the beginning of our divorce. If you have never been, you will never understand.

Kungaloosh!!!

Completely agree!!! We still talk about our times at the Adventurers Club.