Former president of Disneyland resort says WDW doesn't feel magical

[Minnie1222]

He's right. so many of us wont admit because we love disney so much, but he's right.

I agree the booking and traveling parts are not fun, but it's so magical when you're there.

 

[TikiRob]

I don't get how buying tickets is complicated. And this is off topic, but I'll also note that Cedar Fair can't even get their Cedar Point app to properly display a wait time.

 

[Smugpugmug]

I find it funny that putting names on a ticket is complicated when even parks like Busch Gardens required that.

Just wait until he gets into the Magic Kingdom and sees just how many rides require some serious refurbishment/TLC. To me, that is not magical.

 

[BrianL]

I find it funny that putting names on a ticket is complicated when even parks like Busch Gardens required that.

Just wait until he gets into the Magic Kingdom and sees just how many rides require some serious refurbishment/TLC. To me, that is not magical.

I agree. Sure, the system is bit complicated, but once you get through all that and setup, it's not that bad. I don't think that takes away from teh Magic once you are there. There are certainly a few things that need some attention, and that's what I think has more impact. Overall though, I think there is plenty of magic to be found.

 

[juxtapose]

Has he traveled since COVID anywhere? I can't even go to my local national park without getting online at exactly 6am 30 days in advance (or maybe 60, I can't really remember), or the night before at 5pm, and fighting for a park reservation time which they charge money for. I have better luck getting Disney virtual queues than I do the national park reservation in the summer. The hotels near the park are also $300 in the summer for a motel that hasn't been updated since the 1980's lol.

 

[disneyseniors]

WDW was the most enjoyable it’s been in decades during COVID.

No FastPass+, no Genie+, no Lightning Lane.

You just got in line and waited with everyone else, without hundreds walking past you in the express line. It was sooo much more relaxing, knowing you just had to wait your turn rather than stressing over whether you should pay more for a “better” experience, or constantly second guessing yourself if you had picked the “right” attraction using Genie+.

And not having to worry about return windows!

This is the way it used to be, before they started the fast passes and pay to ride!
It was wonderful to just get in line, move along pretty quickly, and ride the attraction with everyone else. No one was "better" than anyone else as far as getting priority for attractions. No one got mad over waiting in line with everyone else either. Most people visited with others if they wanted to. It could still be done today, even with the increased crowds. It would be much more pleasant and not cost extra just to be able to ride a few rides. IMO

 

[Smugpugmug]

I agree. Sure, the system is bit complicated, but once you get through all that and setup, it's not that bad. I don't think that takes away from teh Magic once you are there. There are certainly a few things that need some attention, and that's what I think has more impact. Overall though, I think there is plenty of magic to be found.

Every theme park I've ever been to required you to put your name on tickets. I don't see how that contributes to the process being complicated but whatever I guess.

I was at MK yesterday for MVMCP (which IMO was oversold. I saw zero difference in daytime crowds vs. party crowds) and I noticed that a lot of rides just look.......dirty. Buzz, Space and Peoplemover stand out in that department. I also rode Big Thunder and I noticed that most of the little interactive queue elements were broken. That bothers me more than making a park reservation.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

This is the way it used to be, before they started the fast passes and pay to ride!
It was wonderful to just get in line, move along pretty quickly, and ride the attraction with everyone else. No one was "better" than anyone else as far as getting priority for attractions. No one got mad over waiting in line with everyone else either. Most people visited with others if they wanted to. It could still be done today, even with the increased crowds. It would be much more pleasant and not cost extra just to be able to ride a few rides. IMO

I don't think there's an actual comparison between Disney reopening with very small crowds during Covid, and the pre-FP Disney of nearly 25 years ago. You make it sound like it was all fun and dancing in the long lines at Disney World prior to FP, and that's not anything like I remember it. The lines were long back then, too - be it a single line. But many trips we would skip attractions before FP/FP+/LL because we weren't willing to wait 2 hours in line. But just like G+/LL is a choice today, waiting or not waiting in line back in the 90s was a choice - and still is today.

And FP/FP+/LL doesn't make someone "better" than those waiting in standby - it just makes them planners. And I don't think they could go back to it today - customers would balk. You might not like it, but the pay-to-ride aspect is part of the theme park industry now. And it's part of so many other things in our lives, as well. You pay extra, you can ride in express lanes on the highway in big cities.... pay extra, you can qualify for pre-TSA at airports and get through security faster.... you can pay extra for parking and get a space much closer to an entrance - it's everywhere, not just Disney.

 

[BrianL]

Every theme park I've ever been to required you to put your name on tickets. I don't see how that contributes to the process being complicated but whatever I guess.

I was at MK yesterday for MVMCP (which IMO was oversold. I saw zero difference in daytime crowds vs. party crowds) and I noticed that a lot of rides just look.......dirty. Buzz, Space and Peoplemover stand out in that department. I also rode Big Thunder and I noticed that most of the little interactive queue elements were broken. That bothers me more than making a park reservation.

Well, it's not the naming of tickets that I meant was "complicated" but just the whole digital ecosystem that one has to navigate, which includes reservations, VQs, Genie+, etc. It's not all that easy to use. Fortunately, at least reservations are for the most part going away soon, so that's one less layer.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Well, it's not the naming of tickets that I meant was "complicated" but just the whole digital ecosystem that one has to navigate, which includes reservations, VQs, Genie+, etc. It's not all that easy to use. Fortunately, at least reservations are for the most part going away soon, so that's one less layer.

Yeah, that's true but I don't think all of the "complexity" will be going away. Other posters have noted that other places do reservation systems and pay to skip ahead systems too. I mean, I just paid the $100 to get Global Entry (with TSA Precheck) which is a skip the line system for the airport lol

 

[starlite_]

Dear everyone that like Cedar Park, Universal, etc etc better. Just go there then, it obviously makes you happier than Disney so I don't understand why some ppl seem to force themselves to do Disney. Not going is a choice that can be made.

I've seen some folks that are even proud of how they aren't going to Disney anymore because XXXX, but remain here to tell us about it every chance they get. Disney lives rent free in their heads.

 

[Jrb1979]

Dear everyone that like Cedar Park, Universal, etc etc better. Just go there then, it obviously makes you happier than Disney so I don't understand why some ppl seem to force themselves to do Disney. Not going is a choice that can be made.

I've seen some folks that are even proud of how they aren't going to Disney anymore because XXXX, but remain here to tell us about it every chance they get. Disney lives rent free in their heads.

First it's Cedar Point and second I do go there instead. I haven't been back to the Mouse since 2019.

I don't doubt the parks are still fun. The cost, the upsells and having to still schedule ride times has made us have no interest. While other parks cost much more to skip lines it's also much simpler and we can ride what we want when we want. IMO I shouldn't need a spreadsheet to plan a theme park vacation

 

[clarker99]

IMO I shouldn't need a spreadsheet to plan a theme park vacation

Lol. Heading in January and I have never planned so little for a WDW trip.

 

[mom2rtk]

Matt Quimet was president of Disneyland from I think 2003-2006. He left and was at to Cedar Parks as their CEO and then left a few years ago, remained on their board until a few months ago. This is not the first time he has made a negative comment about the ease of going to Disney vs a Cedar Fair park. He has several quotes commenting on how much easier or better the Cedar Fair type parks are for families due to needing to plan or money or other reasons. I take his comments with a grain of salt because this really is no different than a former employee of any company proclaiming why their new company is better.

What I hear you saying is that he used to work for Disney and he also used to work for Cedar Parks. Sounds like he has a lot of theme parks experience.

 

[mom2rtk]

The commentary was fine, but him being at Cedar Parks is clarifying about why this was posted in the first place.

But he apparently has left Cedar Parks now as well.

 

[starlite_]

First it's Cedar Point and second I do go there instead. I haven't been back to the Mouse since 2019.

I don't doubt the parks are still fun. The cost, the upsells and having to still schedule ride times has made us have no interest. While other parks cost much more to skip lines it's also much simpler and we can ride what we want when we want. IMO I shouldn't need a spreadsheet to plan a theme park vacation

Absolutely fine! It's everyone's choice to go or not to whatever park. But why be here being miserable ??? Choosing to not go doesn't make anyone better or worse than others. It's the attitude that makes no sense.

 

[ChipnDale79]

Dear everyone that like Cedar Park, Universal, etc etc better. Just go there then, it obviously makes you happier than Disney so I don't understand why some ppl seem to force themselves to do Disney. Not going is a choice that can be made.

I've seen some folks that are even proud of how they aren't going to Disney anymore because XXXX, but remain here to tell us about it every chance they get. Disney lives rent free in their heads.

the vast majority of the people that post here; love disney. even those that say they're going somewhere else, love disney.

I think there are a lot of people that come here to vent about something they love that has upset them. that doesnt really bother me. i too love disney, i do also hate to see that disney has made so many changes over the past 10 years or so that it has upset so many people. if they want to vent, i'm cool with that.

 

[TikiRob]

First it's Cedar Point and second I do go there instead. I haven't been back to the Mouse since 2019.

I don't doubt the parks are still fun. The cost, the upsells and having to still schedule ride times has made us have no interest. While other parks cost much more to skip lines it's also much simpler and we can ride what we want when we want. IMO I shouldn't need a spreadsheet to plan a theme park vacation

As a Cedar Point passholder, I wouldn't consider Cedar Point a theme park. They have great coasters, but they are different experiences, IMO. I wouldn't say it is a better experience either. They have their own share of park management issues.

 

[Jrb1979]

As a Cedar Point passholder, I wouldn't consider Cedar Point a theme park. They have great coasters, but they are different experiences, IMO. I wouldn't say it is a better experience either. They have their own share of park management issues.

I didn't say it was. Yes they both have problems but I find Cedar Point a better experience mainly due to it being much simpler to visit. I don't want to book rides or be told to ride when I can ride. I want to just show up and go about my day. Something Universal does better too.

I go to parks as an escape from my everyday schedule. I have a schedule at home for most days, so it's the last thing I want when on a theme park vacation.

 

[ChipnDale79]

Lol. Heading in January and I have never planned so little for a WDW trip.

i mean, if you know how to do disney, you can wait until the day of, pop your phone out, and get your lighting lane and genie pluses. i have heard people that havent been in 5 years, or havent been at all, about how hard the trip was for them. it was too complex, or they missed out on a ride because they didnt understand the system.

if you're not a causal disney fan, and you do not spend countless hours watching tips and tricks on youtube, you are going to miss out on things.