Disappointing Trip

[tx_rach]

Never have I been to Disney and left feeling like I got ripped off and wish my family had taken another vacation, until last week. We did half day on Wednesday (arrival day), OBB on Thursday and full park day on Friday. We went in knowing it would probably be crowded, but OMG, we did not expect the level of crowds we experienced. We used to be local, were annual passholders for a dozen years and have been to DL probably over 100 times. We know the parks. It wasn't the same place we remember.

Pros
* Mobile ordering food was great. Only time we had an issue was when trying to order Dole Whip. There was not one person picking up or even at the counter, and they wouldn't let me mobile order for anytime sooner than an hour the time the app showed, and were super rude to us. I encountered this last year at the same stand and the guy working said to just order and he will check me in. Just annoying because they were standing around just talking and were rude, and I know could have helped us if they wanted to.
* Residence Inn stay After my deliberation we ended up at the Residence Inn Convention Center. We have 3 older teenagers and needed the space. The hotel was fantastic. Rooms were clean, breakfast was really good, service was top notch (they even let us check in at 1:00). We also enjoyed being close to CVS and dining options. Hubby and I went one night and sat in the hot tub. The pool deck is wonderful and hot tub is huge. Walk to the park is 15 minutes.

Cons
* Genie+ We only bought it on our full park day. We were regretting not buying it on our half day to do more, but now that I've been through a full day with it, I'm glad we saved our money. The day we used it went got a few rides quickly in the late morning, but once I used my 1:00 reservation all other rides were either out of times for the day or weren't until 7pm. Once 7pm came everything else was taken. So we paid $100 for my family of 5 to skip lines for 4 rides. I was at WDW this time last year, 3 days before Genie+ started. We kept commenting on how nice it was because the lines moved so quickly for all of the rides without it. Since we had to wait in a long line for pretty much every ride, even lines that looked short took FOREVER. Felt much worse than Fast Pass, which we found we really missed.
* SO MANY PEOPLE Yes, I'm fully aware I booked a trip during fall break and during Halloween, there will be crowds. I work at a school and my teenagers can't miss school for a late January Disney trip, it's what we have to deal with. But it was just so much more crowded this time than any other trips. Very few lines under 60 minutes. Even Fantasyland rides were 30-60 minutes. Then with lack of availability for Genie+ rides, it was too much waiting. Every inch of the park was wall to wall people.


Has anyone else come back from the parks lately and felt disappointed? I can't believe I'm even saying this about a Disney trip, but ugh.... I'm so sad it wasn't very good. For the amount of money we spent and time I put into planning this isn't how you want to feel coming out of a vacation. I've been reading this more and more on FB Disney groups I belong to. And now they are about to raise prices even more. My family decided we are out and that was probably our last Disney vacation, at least for a long time.

 

[Kuilima]

Never have I been to Disney and left feeling like I got ripped off and wish my family had taken another vacation, until last week. We did half day on Wednesday (arrival day), OBB on Thursday and full park day on Friday. We went in knowing it would probably be crowded, but OMG, we did not expect the level of crowds we experienced. We used to be local, were annual passholders for a dozen years and have been to DL probably over 100 times. We know the parks. It wasn't the same place we remember.

Pros
* Mobile ordering food was great. Only time we had an issue was when trying to order Dole Whip. There was not one person picking up or even at the counter, and they wouldn't let me mobile order for anytime sooner than an hour the time the app showed, and were super rude to us. I encountered this last year at the same stand and the guy working said to just order and he will check me in. Just annoying because they were standing around just talking and were rude, and I know could have helped us if they wanted to.
* Residence Inn stay After my deliberation we ended up at the Residence Inn Convention Center. We have 3 older teenagers and needed the space. The hotel was fantastic. Rooms were clean, breakfast was really good, service was top notch (they even let us check in at 1:00). We also enjoyed being close to CVS and dining options. Hubby and I went one night and sat in the hot tub. The pool deck is wonderful and hot tub is huge. Walk to the park is 15 minutes.

Cons
* Genie+ We only bought it on our full park day. We were regretting not buying it on our half day to do more, but now that I've been through a full day with it, I'm glad we saved our money. The day we used it went got a few rides quickly in the late morning, but once I used my 1:00 reservation all other rides were either out of times for the day or weren't until 7pm. Once 7pm came everything else was taken. So we paid $100 for my family of 5 to skip lines for 4 rides. I was at WDW this time last year, 3 days before Genie+ started. We kept commenting on how nice it was because the lines moved so quickly for all of the rides without it. Since we had to wait in a long line for pretty much every ride, even lines that looked short took FOREVER. Felt much worse than Fast Pass, which we found we really missed.
* SO MANY PEOPLE Yes, I'm fully aware I booked a trip during fall break and during Halloween, there will be crowds. I work at a school and my teenagers can't miss school for a late January Disney trip, it's what we have to deal with. But it was just so much more crowded this time than any other trips. Very few lines under 60 minutes. Even Fantasyland rides were 30-60 minutes. Then with lack of availability for Genie+ rides, it was too much waiting. Every inch of the park was wall to wall people.


Has anyone else come back from the parks lately and felt disappointed? I can't believe I'm even saying this about a Disney trip, but ugh.... I'm so sad it wasn't very good. For the amount of money we spent and time I put into planning this isn't how you want to feel coming out of a vacation. I've been reading this more and more on FB Disney groups I belong to. And now they are about to raise prices even more. My family decided we are out and that was probably our last Disney vacation, at least for a long time.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/just-back-from-girls-only-trip-10-4-10-7.3898525/

I had a similar experience. I understand your frustration and disappointment. Unfortunately ours is a common tale nowadays. Disney puts $$$ first and customer service last. It saddens me.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

I’m so sorry you had such a disappointing trip. I hope you send an email to do’s at detailing all this. They need to know what the park expedience is like.

I have been telling friends and family not to visit right now honestly. The park experience is really bad. It makes me so sad!

 

[Smugpugmug]

I'm sorry that you had a bad trip. Reading all of these reports (not just yours or anyone on the forums but also on other social media sites) has made me cancel plans for a 2023 trip. I just don't think it's worth the money at the moment especially since I live on the other side of the country. I'm really sad about it because I love Disneyland and prefer it to WDW

 

[GatorChris]

I'll be there next week. I'm already not a Halloween fan. Christmas is so much better. But with October crowds, I'm worried that our final trip to DL as a family (before my oldest graduates) will be rated on the low end. Trying to stay positive.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

This was me in Disney World in 2019. It was so frustrating. And then the pandemic hapoened and we wound uo in the world last fall right before genie plus debuted and it solidified my “parks just need standby and virtual queue” argument. Loved my Disneyland trip back during end of august and early September.

I did have a friend go a couple of days in September and he was very frustrated. So there are people who feel your pain

 

[tx_rach]

I'll be there next week. I'm already not a Halloween fan. Christmas is so much better. But with October crowds, I'm worried that our final trip to DL as a family (before my oldest graduates) will be rated on the low end. Trying to stay positive.

This was exactly why we went, my oldest child graduates HS in May and asked for one more Disney trip before he moves out. He's wishing now he asked for a long weekend in CO or Mexico as this wasn't the experience he remembered.

 

[DLgal]

It's literally the October effect. I'm dead serious. I'm an Inspire Key holder and a local and I absolutely would NOT have renewed my pass last month if the 54 visits I made between Sept 2021 and Sept 2022 had been miserable. I have STILL not experienced a day with the kinds of crowds I have seen this past week on social media, because I DO NOT GO IN OCTOBER ANYMORE. It cannot be understated. October is HORRIBLE. I go on the 1st every year because it's my birthday and then I don't go back until the last Saturday of the month, when all the "fall breaks" are done.

It is not fun. It gets too crowded. It has been this way every October for several years.

I'm sorry you had the experience you did. I don't know why Disney keeps insisting on such high capacity every October when they can't have the staffing and entertainment to serve it. The mobile order only situation at the Tiki Juice Bar could be the poster child for everything they are getting wrong from their offices in Glendale. They are making decisions about park operations without seeing firsthand how those decisions work in practice. The CMs being rude is not okay, I'm not defending it. However, the CMs are the ones who have to stand there and carry out these ridiculous policies and then have to listen to people complain at them ALL DAY long with absolutely no power to override them. It sucks for everyone involved and I'm guessing at some point, they just snap. I would.

Lesson learned. Disneyland is NOT like WDW in October. Go to WDW in October. Do NOT come to Disneyland again.

Your kids are in school, right? Come back to Disneyland in JULY. Seriously. It's the absolute best experience you will have at the parks.

 

[mdmost]

Agree with DLgal. If you are a big Halloween fan then it's maybe worth braving the high crowds. We did it back in October 2017 and it was great. If you aren't a huge Halloween fan, it's not worth fighting the crowds any longer. I saw someone online, maybe Micechat, say Halloween is the new summer now. When we went in early June last summer, we had a fabulous time. It never got too crowded until about 2-3pm. By then we had already gotten most of what we wanted to do accomplished.

It does suck if the crowds drive you to not want to go any longer. I would give it a chance in early summer and see what you think.

 

[starlite_]

You just described my worst disney nightmare. Sister wanted to go in October and I said no for this exact reason. I'm so sorry your trip went badly

 

[tx_rach]

We have been in October probably 15 times since we started taking our kids in 2005, with us going a few times some years. It's never been like this! We were there July 2021 and had a great time, but chalked a lot of that up to being on reduced capacity as we barely waited in any lines. We left CA in 2017, we must have just gotten lucky that it was still ok back then!

I totally agree with you about corporate making decisions that impact operations in the park that they have no clue about. That happens where I work too! LOL But they are putting these young kids in a position to feel the brunt of it from frustrated guests, which isn't ok. I'm sure that's probably why they were rude, but still doesn't make it right.

WDW was great this time last year, but it was the tail end of parks not being at full capacity. It was my first visit there as an adult and while the 50th had just started, I remember being super disappointed that there were very few Halloween decorations compared to DL. I guess that's why people flock to DL for the spirit?? The Halloween party at WDW even included ice cream, soda and more than just candy. Our next trip will be to WDW March 2024 as my son's band is going and no way I can miss him playing his drum down Main Street, but I'm already scared and now not really looking forward to it like I was.

 

[DLgal]

We have been in October probably 15 times since we started taking our kids in 2005, with us going a few times some years. It's never been like this! We were there July 2021 and had a great time, but chalked a lot of that up to being on reduced capacity as we barely waited in any lines. We left CA in 2017, we must have just gotten lucky that it was still ok back then!

I totally agree with you about corporate making decisions that impact operations in the park that they have no clue about. That happens where I work too! LOL But they are putting these young kids in a position to feel the brunt of it from frustrated guests, which isn't ok. I'm sure that's probably why they were rude, but still doesn't make it right.

WDW was great this time last year, but it was the tail end of parks not being at full capacity. It was my first visit there as an adult and while the 50th had just started, I remember being super disappointed that there were very few Halloween decorations compared to DL. I guess that's why people flock to DL for the spirit?? The Halloween party at WDW even included ice cream, soda and more than just candy. Our next trip will be to WDW March 2024 as my son's band is going and no way I can miss him playing his drum down Main Street, but I'm already scared and now not really looking forward to it like I was.

October has gotten incrementally worse since 2017. It's like all these neighboring states with fall breaks are now requiring families to visit DLR. I don't get it, but it's to the point where, like I said, I don't go anymore in October. We have been passholders since 2001 and it used to be a nice time of year to visit. Not anymore. I blame social media.

And your July 2021 experience was not an anomaly. It's like that every year. It's one of the least crowded times to visit. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. So much so that for the first time EVER, Disneyland put out discounted summer tickets for CA residents this year to try and drum up attendance. It kind of worked, a little bit. But July was still great.

 

[Angel141925]

Same thing here. I have post for our OBB night and our day at DL. It was not a good trip. We have another trip planned next month hoping it’s better if not then we’re done for awhile.

 

[JulesR1212]

I hear you. I'm sorry you had a poor time. We did too.

My husband and arrived on 10/2 for our honeymoon. Disneyland was my favourite place in all the world. I was so excited to share it with him. Our first night we had a wonderful dinner and then went to the Oogie Boogie bash and loved every second.

After that it went down hill. The parks were jammed and I got a cold (not covid!) on the second day. We cut the trip short so that I could be in my own country if I needed health care. I KNOW I caught my cold from someone in the park. I was not impressed, that person was clearly sick and should NOT have been there. I was NOT going to spread my germs like her. Even if it meant sacrificing $$$.

The parks and cast members look SO tired. The rides are tired and broken. I am completely heartbroken.

 

[sophy1996]

I hear you. I'm sorry you had a poor time. We did too.

My husband and arrived on 10/2 for our honeymoon. Disneyland was my favourite place in all the world. I was so excited to share it with him. Our first night we had a wonderful dinner and then went to the Oogie Boogie bash and loved every second.

After that it went down hill. The parks were jammed and I got a cold (not covid!) on the second day. We cut the trip short so that I could be in my own country if I needed health care. I KNOW I caught my cold from someone in the park. I was not impressed, that person was clearly sick and should NOT have been there. I was NOT going to spread my germs like her. Even if it meant sacrificing $$$.

The parks and cast members look SO tired. The rides are tired and broken. I am completely heartbroken.

We were just there for a quick trip this weekend and many times in line there were people coughing and sneezing (and not just one brief cough, but over and over). Not surprised you caught something.

Interestingly, though, this trip the CMs we met seemed happier and more energized than our last few trips.

 

[serendipityaey]

My understanding of genie + is that you do not have to wait until 7pm to get another one, just two hours.

 

[serendipityaey]

 

[starlite_]

My understanding of genie + is that you do not have to wait until 7pm to get another one, just two hours.

Indeed.

 

[Aspencreek]

It's literally the October effect. I'm dead serious. I'm an Inspire Key holder and a local and I absolutely would NOT have renewed my pass last month if the 54 visits I made between Sept 2021 and Sept 2022 had been miserable. I have STILL not experienced a day with the kinds of crowds I have seen this past week on social media, because I DO NOT GO IN OCTOBER ANYMORE. It cannot be understated. October is HORRIBLE. I go on the 1st every year because it's my birthday and then I don't go back until the last Saturday of the month, when all the "fall breaks" are done.

It is not fun. It gets too crowded. It has been this way every October for several years.

Do the crowds tone down a bit near the end of October like around the 23/24th or not until November really?

 

[Angel141925]

The 2 hours is correct however at around 1:30 return time for haunted mansion was already to 630 return time and I was making a 11pm reservation for splash at 4pm. You had no choice but to wait the 2 hours to book. Which makes it a little less convient to me. I feel like genie plus has quite the learning curve to it and not as good of a value especially when the park is packed like it was this weekend. Then once you add in nighttime entertainment to the mix you lose a lot of flexibility.