I'm feeling so sad ...

[kmoore7]

But do we need to be constantly entertained by something? It feels as though nothing will ever be enough. Some of the best moments with my family have been when we were being sucked into yet another form of entertainment. Sometimes just having a quiet moment is just what is needed. To me it feels like the folks who complain will argue that there is never enough stuff. When does the line get drawn?

Constantly entertained? This goes along the train of thought of those who ask "how do you keep your kids entertained while waiting in line?" That never made sense to me.

I agree with you completely about the quiet times. Like the saying goes, you have to stop and smell the roses. Expensive roses, yes, but still. We don't expect every minute of every day to be packed with things to do. Maybe that's just me

 

[BuckeyeBama]

You know what they say about assuming ... LOL. It was not our first trip....
Please take me at my word that we've spent loads of time at DHS, but we've not found many experiences we care to repeat.

And you keep going back to that park KNOWING that you are going to hate it? Definition of insanity, and all that...

 

[MKMomma]

Ok. Everybody just relax and take a deep breath. That's better. Obviously, original poster needs a break from WDW. No worries, there are plenty of other places to see.

For us, a family of seven, we love WDW and all the craziness of planning that goes with it. When I grow up, I'm 54 now, maybe I will think differently. I never went as a child, and we have made as many trips as possible with our kids.

We go other places for vacation, but, WDW is the place for us. It's a small fortune to do, but, that's the name of the game when it comes to vacation.

We can take a nice vacation to other spots without spending a small fortune.

 

[itchin2go]

And you keep going back to that park KNOWING that you are going to hate it? Definition of insanity, and all that...

No. We never hated it. We enjoyed it the first few times.

I am the trip planner, and I get precious little input from my family. So, I planned a day at DHS, thinking we'd enjoyed it in the past, we'd enjoy it again. They got there, looked around and realized there wasn't much they cared to do again. Again, maybe poor planning on my part, but I can't read their minds, and as I said, I get very little guidance before a trip.

Thanks for calling me insane though. I'm sure I did something to deserve that. To that point, I haven't planned a day there since. Can I rejoin the sane now?

Let me also state that every time we go back, there's less and less to do there. And we find we don't care to repeat shows as often as we care to repeat rides. It has to be a really good show for us to want to see it again. Many of the shows at DHS were enjoyable the first time, but not so much that we care to repeat them.

 

[Crystal824]

Form OP:
What I was trying to say in my original post is that a WDW vacation is becoming more like a structured cruise vacation. It is presented as being a boon for travelers but in the end it serves the corporation by:
1. Keeping people on property longer by limiting what you can accomplish in a day, i.e., tiering FP+ in Epcot and limiting availability of FP+. It also favors people with smart phones ...
2. Allowing the corporation to predict the distribution of guests at the parks, hotels and restaurants so that staffing can be maximized or minimized.
3. I don't have children traveling with us so there are only so many experiences that we are interested in, under FP- we could maximize our favorite rides and restaurants
4. I don't fly so we are committing to 4 days driving for 3-4 days at WDW, so I am just as committed to getting my money and time's worth as people who invest in airline tickets and a week at the parks.
5. I used to love the planning but changes such as the notice needed for canceling a dining reservation mean that if you feel sick or end up at a different park, you will pay.

The corporation wants our behavior to be more predictable, I want to be more spontaneous so I will explore different vacations for awhile.

1. What I can accomplish in a day is limited with two little kids and a handicapped mom. For me, FP+ allows us to accomplish a bit more. I can see why others would be disenchanted with it. Most people do have smartphones these days. I'm not sure it really favors those people because you can't add the 4th with your phone. The only way it really favors them is they can make changes day of that someone without a smartphone can't.
2. I think this is actually a good thing. As I have heard members of the podcast say before, you always planned now you are just telling Disney your plans, which I don't think it is really a bad thing. Isn't it better to have more CMs around if the park will be more crowded- that should lead to efficiency.
3. I get that FP+ might be bad for those without kids. I think back to my days when we would do commando style touring, riding various thrill ride several times. Yes, I probably would have hated FP+ back then.
4. Good Luck with that drive. I think everyone wants to get as much as they can out of WDW. That is part of the problem; it is so big that everyone runs around trying to do everything, which is impossible. For me, when I do that, I tend to miss out on some of the details that make WDW so special.
5. I just wanted to point out that I canceled an ADR while at WDW this past trip. My kids were just too wiped out to attend a 7:30 meal that night. I called a three hours in advance and cancelled. I told the CM on the phone why I was canceling. I also told her that if the fee wouldn't be waived, I would push my kids to go. The fee was waived. I did this on a trip a few years ago too when DD got sick. The fee was also waived. If you have a legitimate reason for canceling and call Disney dining, it is my experience that they are reasonable. I wouldn't abuse this but sometimes especially with little kids, things happen, and you have to be flexible. I think they understand that.

 

[kamik86]

1. What I can accomplish in a day is limited with two little kids and a handicapped mom. For me, FP+ allows us to accomplish a bit more. I can see why others would be disenchanted with it. Most people do have smartphones these days. I'm not sure it really favors those people because you can't add the 4th with your phone. The only way it really favors them is they can make changes day of that someone without a smartphone can't.

I think you having little kids is one of the big reasons you like FP+. DH and I hated it. For our first trip we probably would have loved it but after we have gone a few times we wanted to be more flexible and do what we want to that day. old FP allowed that better. With kids it makes sense that in some ways you want have to plan more up front and would want to ride a larger variety of the rides and do some of the other things as well.

Then on top of that being a childless couple we started finding other vacations we also enjoyed. Both of our first real vacation ever was WDW when I was 22 and he was 25. We liked how all inclusive it was at the time. But after doing San Diego in January (with a stop at DL since they still are FP-) and a cruise (not disney) last week we are finding we have just as much fun as we used to have at WDW pre FP+ at other places.

 

[Angel Ariel]

This isn't something we've ever going to all agree upon. It's entirely subjective.

I agree. Our experiences at Disney vary widely just based on who is all in our party on a given trip. I would think it would go without saying that on a message board with over 400,000 members, there will be a wide variety of experiences as well.

 

[momimouse27]

In the end any vacation should be something that excites you before you go, makes you happy while you are there, and makes you miss it once you've left.

They are simply too priceless to vacation somewhere that does not do that for you. Whether it Disney, a cruise, the beach, city touring, camping .... everyone should spend their vacation at their happy place. It sounds like Disney is not that for you anymore, and that is okay.

I agree with this statement. However, the OP hasn't actually been disappointed by something experienced, just a lot of stuff that she's heard from people who felt negatively about it on this board.

I went being very unsure of how I'd feel about FP+ and ended up being okay with it. I don't love the preplanning aspect of it, but it worked well for my husband and girls who do. I do think its a bit dramatic to cancel 2 whole trips over something you are merely reading about and haven't experienced first hand. And the comment about the tiered ticket pricing, that is something that's only being discussed. It doesn't even exist yet! We just came back and had a great trip. I don't understand cancelling trips based on perceptions and others negative opinions.

 

[itchin2go]

I agree with this statement. However, the OP hasn't actually been disappointed by something experienced, just a lot of stuff that she's heard from people who felt negatively about it on this board.

I went being very unsure of how I'd feel about FP+ and ended up being okay with it. I don't love the preplanning aspect of it, but it worked well for my husband and girls who do. I do think its a bit dramatic to cancel 2 whole trips over something you are merely reading about and haven't experienced first hand. And the comment about the tiered ticket pricing, that is something that's only being discussed. It doesn't even exist yet! We just came back and had a great trip. I don't understand cancelling trips based on perceptions and others negative opinions.

I have to agree with all of this ... these were my thoughts as well.

However, playing devil's advocate, if you read about changes and are put off by them, I don't think you're duty bound to spend a couple thousand bucks to find out if you are right or wrong.

FP+ is not perfect, but it honestly didn't change our vacation much at all. I would hate to have written off DisneyWorld altogether based on my suppositions of how it would affect us. My suppositions were wrong. But I felt as though I were taking a gamble.

The tiering might bug me IF it's ever implemented. Might never come to pass, so I'm not getting myself worked up over it.

I don't stay onsite anymore, so resort booking changes don't affect me.

I have no trouble with ADRs. I book what I want, but we've had no trouble changing them on the fly.

 

[MomForFrozenAddicts]

WDW vacation is actually the best for my family money-wise. I've looking for a non WDW vacation and the price tag is always more for my family of 5. I've taking advantage with the bounce back free dining offer--my 8-10 days vacation to WDW at a moderate resort with airfare from JFK costs me a little less than $5000. To take any cruise out from NY is 6000+ during the same time period for a 7 days cruise. Cheaper cruises in FL, but the same or more price tag with airfare added. Forget about Beaches or other inclusive resorts, the price tag was scaring to look at. Also, I need to book excursions with those type of vacations--more or less an average 5 days WDW ticket price. I would love to take my girls to Europe, the airfare itself is $5000.

I did a few trips to Busch Gardens Williamsburg, it is cheaper than WDW overall because we drove and the admission was cheaper. However, the stay at Residence Inn cost as much as POR, if not more. The food at the park is the same if not more. Honestly, although we love BG but it is just not the same as WDW.

I think Orlando is the more convenient and more budget friendly vacation spot for my family. There are so many places for kids and adults within a short driving distance.
A trip to Orlando without WDW seems incomplete to me. I wouldn't help but to add 2 days of Disney with my last trip to Universal Studios last year.

With the topic of FP+ and 180 days ADR, it reminds me of NetFlix. I was so mad at them when the pricing structure changed with the streaming service. I cancelled my account and swore not to go back. Guess what, that is the way things go now. I embraced the new reality of home entertainment. NetFlix is one of the many streaming service our family used.

Please don't be sad just because WDW is no longer the right option for you. Hope you enjoy your next vacation no matter who you decided to go.

 

[WillAustin]

However, playing devil's advocate, if you read about changes and are put off by them, I don't think you're duty bound to spend a couple thousand bucks to find out if you are right or wrong.

That's why there were so many people upset being guinea pigs for the testing phases.

 

[kmoore7]

WDW vacation is actually the best for my family money-wise. I've looking for a non WDW vacation and the price tag is always more for my family of 5. I've taking advantage with the bounce back free dining offer--my 8-10 days vacation to WDW at a moderate resort with airfare from JFK costs me a little less than $5000. To take any cruise out from NY is 6000+ during the same time period for a 7 days cruise. Cheaper cruises in FL, but the same or more price tag with airfare added. Forget about Beaches or other inclusive resorts, the price tag was scaring to look at. Also, I need to book excursions with those type of vacations--more or less an average 5 days WDW ticket price. I would love to take my girls to Europe, the airfare itself is $5000.

I did a few trips to Busch Gardens Williamsburg, it is cheaper than WDW overall because we drove and the admission was cheaper. However, the stay at Residence Inn cost as much as POR, if not more. The food at the park is the same if not more. Honestly, although we love BG but it is just not the same as WDW.

I think Orlando is the more convenient and more budget friendly vacation spot for my family. There are so many places for kids and adults within a short driving distance.
A trip to Orlando without WDW seems incomplete to me. I wouldn't help but to add 2 days of Disney with my last trip to Universal Studios last year.

With the topic of FP+ and 180 days ADR, it reminds me of NetFlix. I was so mad at them when the pricing structure changed with the streaming service. I cancelled my account and swore not to go back. Guess what, that is the way things go now. I embraced the new reality of home entertainment. NetFlix is one of the many streaming service our family used.

Please don't be sad just because WDW is no longer the right option for you. Hope you enjoy your next vacation no matter who you decided to go.

This has been my opinion for a long time. Our family of seven vacations at WDW for less than a stay at the Jersey shore. Everything is included at Disney, package deals wise, but all the extras involved at the beach! Yikes! Plus, I'm not a big beach fan. The key is you have to ENJOY where you go to make it worth the money

 

[JimmyBean42]

This has been my opinion for a long time. Our family of seven vacations at WDW for less than a stay at the Jersey shore. Everything is included at Disney, package deals wise, but all the extras involved at the beach! Yikes! Plus, I'm not a big beach fan. The key is you have to ENJOY where you go to make it worth the money

Agree with you completely. You rent a house that you end up cleaning almost everyday, then you cook at some meals every day, setup and cleanup beach chair / umbrellas / etc., and typically spend more. You an do it cheaper at Disney if you do it smart. And your best point - you have to enjoy where you go to make it worth the money. I don't care if you are going to Hawaii or your local campground at $25/night. If you don't make it so you enjoy it, then the money you spend will never be worth it whether it was $5,000 or $500.

 

[sharadoc]

We've had to deal with the change from the GAC to the DAS with an autistic son who has limited communication skills and doesn't understand abstract concepts at all. The change to FP+ made it much better for him to handle, so for us it's a huge plus. We can FP+ the important can't miss rides for him without the stress of getting a return time or causing a problem that could lead to a serious anxiety attack. And we can do a FP+ for things like Toy Story Mania in the afternoon or evening for gosh sakes!!!

Last year, we went Thanksgiving week and didn't make FP+ reservations until we were onsite. Got everything we wanted, other than 7DMT, so we didn't ride it. We'll get it next time. The year before, we had ticket/cards for FP and did about the same amount.

I think the issue with the change is that folks felt the old system gave them their definition of their "money's worth", so doing less while paying more feels bad. Not for us, we're going as scheduled, got all our ADRs (even BOG for lunch on Thanksgiving week), and will have a wonderful family time.

It's not how many rides we do, it's how much time we spend together having fun, enjoying the Disney atmosphere, and doing our fave things - warm sake at Japan, multiple rides on Spaceship Earth at night, mini golf at Winter/Summerland singing and dancing along with the Beach Boys and other silly Christma music. Things change, we all get older, it's the Circle of Life (just saw Lion King musical last night lol).

As far as cost goes, we stay where we can afford that year, and we feel it's a good deal. We're looking at 4 days in August in Washington DC to see the free Smithsonian museums. Our room will be approx. $250 a night, plus $28 for parking plus tax, so at least $300 a night. Food costs are around $200 a day, DC restaurants are expensive. So for 5 days, 4 nights in DC, we'll be spending almost $2,000. Not sure if there's enough value for us to do that. But a week in Disney for $3,000 - far worth it to us!

 

[HopperFan]

I agree with this statement. However, the OP hasn't actually been disappointed by something experienced, just a lot of stuff that she's heard from people who felt negatively about it on this board.

I went being very unsure of how I'd feel about FP+ and ended up being okay with it. I don't love the preplanning aspect of it, but it worked well for my husband and girls who do. I do think its a bit dramatic to cancel 2 whole trips over something you are merely reading about and haven't experienced first hand. And the comment about the tiered ticket pricing, that is something that's only being discussed. It doesn't even exist yet! We just came back and had a great trip. I don't understand cancelling trips based on perceptions and others negative opinions.

Don't get me wrong, I live 8 hours away, spend 5-6 weeks at WDW each year (about 60% on/40% off property), and I love FP+, I don't book what I don't plan to stay, no issue with ADRs and if tiered tickets come to be, based on charts I saw that won't bother me either. BUT it's not for everyone anymore. The economy has improved and the parks are packed and Disney is adjusting business accordingly. No one should spent thousands of dollars on a vacation that might or might not turn out okay. If you feel it's not for you, then it's okay to try something else. While I am a hardcore fan I appreciate that some do not like the changes and choose not to return for now, especially those who may not have the luxury of as much vacation time as others.

I have to agree with all of this ... these were my thoughts as well.

However, playing devil's advocate, if you read about changes and are put off by them, I don't think you're duty bound to spend a couple thousand bucks to find out if you are right or wrong.

FP+ is not perfect, but it honestly didn't change our vacation much at all. I would hate to have written off DisneyWorld altogether based on my suppositions of how it would affect us. My suppositions were wrong. But I felt as though I were taking a gamble.

The tiering might bug me IF it's ever implemented. Might never come to pass, so I'm not getting myself worked up over it.

I don't stay onsite anymore, so resort booking changes don't affect me.

I have no trouble with ADRs. I book what I want, but we've had no trouble changing them on the fly.

Agree. We have to remember that while I am sure my opinion is correct others would argue the naysayers are correct. Not everyone can risk that much money on others opinions.

 

[Angel Ariel]

As far as cost goes, we stay where we can afford that year, and we feel it's a good deal. We're looking at 4 days in August in Washington DC to see the free Smithsonian museums. Our room will be approx. $250 a night, plus $28 for parking plus tax, so at least $300 a night. Food costs are around $200 a day, DC restaurants are expensive. So for 5 days, 4 nights in DC, we'll be spending almost $2,000. Not sure if there's enough value for us to do that. But a week in Disney for $3,000 - far worth it to us!

I would highly recommend looking at a hotel on the metro line in VA. Hotels out here are much cheaper for the same quality, and it's easy to hop the metro into the city. It's also an easy drive in if you want to do that. It also gives you a lot more options for food and such that aren't as expensive as in the district.

ETA: If you've already looked into this option and ruled it out, I apologize - just trying to help! The district can be very overpriced, and even just going a little outside it can help.

 

[ougrad86]

Just choose a time, and make your reservations. The tiered ticket prices won't be for awhile, so go while the going is good. You cancelled a Feb 15 trip because of uncertainty about FP+? It won't change much more, but it sounds like you are waiting for the perfect time (and always find a reason not to), it will only get more expensive and more complicated. Just set a date and plan it based on that.

You have been there often - it hasn't changed that much for someone who knows their way around. With good planning, you will have a good time. Just choose during a low crowd time - it has been getting more crowded lately.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

dupe

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Thanks for calling me insane though. I'm sure I did something to deserve that. To that point, I haven't planned a day there since. Can I rejoin the sane now?

Really? If I "called" you insane, what did you "call" the PP with your "assume" comment?

 

[pktbMouse]

I'm typing this from my condo on the beach in Sanibel. We are staying a week and will cap it off with ONE ....... count 'em....... ONE ......day in the MK. It's the future of our trips to WDW.

Sounds heavenly!! enjoy