Today at the MK: Broken, Broken, Broken, and Closed.

[Linkura]

We were there Friday (2/16J - MK was totally packed like during Christmas, it was very difficult to even walk.
Splash mountain was down for 2 hours.... our FP was a 60 minute wait, walk up was 130 wait.
BTM was down for 2 hours but we used our FP right as it came up and got right on.
Space mountain FP was 55 minute wait as they were down during the day also.

We stayed past Happily Ever After to see if things loosened up bot waited 45 minutes for Haunted Mansion and Pirates .... called it a night.

One hour FP waits....

 

[William Ades]

We were there Friday (2/16J - MK was totally packed like during Christmas, it was very difficult to even walk.
Splash mountain was down for 2 hours.... our FP was a 60 minute wait, walk up was 130 wait.
BTM was down for 2 hours but we used our FP right as it came up and got right on.
Space mountain FP was 55 minute wait as they were down during the day also.

We stayed past Happily Ever After to see if things loosened up bot waited 45 minutes for Haunted Mansion and Pirates .... called it a night.

We got to the park at 930p on 2/16. Between then and 1130p we had FP for Peter Pan and Space Mountain, but we either waited 5-10 minutes or walked right on to Tea Cups, Dumbo, Barnstormer, Small World, Pirates, Jungle Cruise, and finished with Splash. We decided to get ahead start on the crowds leaving at 1130p so we left. Guess you left a little too early...

 

[GillianP1301]

Sounds like a good day to park hop out of MK, that's a lot of bad luck/malfunctions on one day.

 

[LSUmiss]

I know its frustrating but you could be in 20 degree weather and at work!! I will gladly trade you.

Everyone is different. I’m at work after a madhouse week at WDW last week & I’m actually ok with it after last week’s mess! At work, I make $ not spend $$$ for disappointing experiences. OP could also be on a more fulfilling vacation where things go as expected & seem worth the price paid so...

 

[Getoutyall]

We went to magic kingdom 2/16 from 8pm-11pm and I agree that was the one time I thought lines were decent in our four day trip (2/13-2/16) we rode buzz, people mover, did monsters inc., it's a small world, splash mountain (fp) and haunted mansion before the kids were just worn out. However, we had friends there all day and they waited an hour a piece for both their splash mountain and space mountain fastpasses. In seven hours with their fastpasses they accomplished 5 rides and gave up and left.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

We are still having a great time. Splash came up for the first time today about 11:30 and we got in a long fastpasses line, but it went by quickly. Spoke with a family from California who were first time visitors. They were unimpressed and said they had gone to guest services because so many rides were down. I talked up the great things about Disney and they said it was nice to talk with someone so enthusiastic. They ended up loving Splash and saying they were feeling much better after that ride. I hate for first timers to have a bad experience. As much as I wish for low crowds, I want people to love it.

We are headed back to Beach Club for a fun pool afternoon and a nap, then back to Mk for dinner at BOG and fireworks and EMH.

It’s really hard to kill my Disney fun- even with break downs and crowds and closures. We make the best of it.

 

[Getoutyall]

Everyone is different. I’m at work after a madhouse week at WDW last week & I’m actually ok with it after last week’s mess! At work, I make $ not spend $$$ for disappointing experiences. OP could also be on a more fulfilling vacation where things go as expected & seem worth the price paid so...

It's my first day back at work as well and I'm also glad to not be waiting in huge lines or stressing about how to do something the kids are asking for without waiting in the huge lines. My kids had a ball so in the end I am happy but it wasn't what I was hoping it would be and we will not be back anytime soon... To me it's just sad that we get off big thunder mountain or some other ride and the kids are begging to go on it again and you have to tell them flat out that you can't because the lines prohibit it.

 

[Skywise]

One hour FP waits....

Would you call that a "fast" pass?

 

[LSUmiss]

It's my first day back at work as well and I'm also glad to not be waiting in huge lines or stressing about how to do something the kids are asking for without waiting in the huge lines. My kids had a ball so in the end I am happy but it wasn't what I was hoping it would be and we will not be back anytime soon... To me it's just sad that we get off big thunder mountain or some other ride and the kids are begging to go on it again and you have to tell them flat out that you can't because the lines prohibit it.

I agree. Normally I have luck with 4th FPs & more & feel I get my money’s worth. But this time the availability just wasn’t there. I have been during Mardi Gras week 4 different times since 2009 & it’s always the most crowded I’ve experienced & I have been during a New Year’s Eve long weekend, the summer, Memorial Day...etc. Nye day was worse but that’s it. So no more Mardi Gras for us for sure! Also, this time we brought a first timer (an adult) & seeing the madhouse through her eyes made me realize how much a lot of this is just ridiculous. She missed a lot of the detail that makes WDW special b/c we spent so much time rushing from thing to thing on our schedule & dodging the mass crowds. BUT, she did notice the mass crowds & broken down rides. So, she is one who now feels WDW is a one & done for her. She doesn’t get the hype which is sad to me b/c she loves Disney. I agree with a pp that WDW has over marketed itself.

 

[Linkura]

We are still having a great time. Splash came up for the first time today about 11:30 and we got in a long fastpasses line, but it went by quickly. Spoke with a family from California who were first time visitors. They were unimpressed and said they had gone to guest services because so many rides were down. I talked up the great things about Disney and they said it was nice to talk with someone so enthusiastic. They ended up loving Splash and saying they were feeling much better after that ride. I hate for first timers to have a bad experience. As much as I wish for low crowds, I want people to love it.

It's impossible to be sad after going on Splash Mountain!!

 

[mshanson3121]

I'm sure the rate increases and cost cutting measures over the past 2 years will soon generate enough income to begin providing a level of service that Disney used to provide.

 

[wdw4rfam]

Everyone is different. I’m at work after a madhouse week at WDW last week & I’m actually ok with it after last week’s mess! At work, I make $ not spend $$$ for disappointing experiences. OP could also be on a more fulfilling vacation where things go as expected & seem worth the price paid so...

This is exactly what I was thinking. I am sitting here nervous because we have a big trip coming up in April. Our last one for a while. My DD is going with us for the first time in years, as well as my parents who are in their 70’s. We have a lot of $$$ invested in this one. These reports over the past couple months have me stressed. But on the other hand maybe it will make me not so sad that we will be taking a break after it. We are letting our APs go, and taking a couple year break. Going back to universal in between. I just can’t keep up anymore with the price increases, and do half of what we used to.

 

[Davey Jones II]

We were more fortunate during our October visit, not too many breakdowns. But, in general, from what I'm reading on these boards, Disney needs to rethink the way they ruthlessly use the parks as a cash cow. Their goal seems to be to pack them to capacity all year long, and that's just unsustainable. Rides just can't take that much wear and tear, and guests can only take so much of being packed in like sardines. The more people in the parks, the more the guest experience goes downhill. Even if the majority of breakdowns/shutdowns occur because of dumb things guests do, even those incidents are more likely to occur when a lot more people are going through every hour.

The parks are busy all year long now, so why the relentless advertising from Disney 365 days a year, as if the parks were hurting? Why add a zillion special events to draw more and more people, marathons, cheerleader events, tour groups (God help us), festivals, more and more Halloween/Christmas parties, etc. etc. (Halloween in August? Really??).

Wait, I can hear them already, the "Disney is a business" crowd is about to jump into the fray. Yes, Disney is a business. Does that mean they should treat their guests with contempt, in the pursuit of ever more outrageous profits? Where does it end? Some people on these boards talk as if the only thing that matters is that Disney makes as much money as humanly possible. Well then, if that's true, then they should hire big burly guys to hold us by the ankles and shake us over a barrel until all the money pours out of our pockets. Why not? I mean, the guest experience matters squat, the only thing that matters is Disney maximizing its profits, right? That won't happen as long as we have a nickel left on our persons.

More short term cash, at the risk of alienating your guests, is that really a good long-term business model? Seems they never heard the story of the goose that laid the golden egg. Keep overworking that poor goose, guys, I'm sure it'll just keep going forever. "Let's keep packin' em in like sardines, boys, let them fight it out over the attractions. Money, money, money!"

 

[CeruleanMoon]

It could just be my mood today, but all these posts we've had since January about how terrible the crowds are and how much the experience has diminished have me feeling really down. I'm concerned that we are about to blow thousands of dollars on what may amount to a huge mistake. I'm afraid to even look forward to the trip. But if I go in expecting it to be miserable, how is that fun either? I mean, one HOUR for a FP line?

 

[MrConbon]

It could just be my mood today, but all these posts we've had since January about how terrible the crowds are and how much the experience has diminished have me feeling really down. I'm concerned that we are about to blow thousands of dollars on what may amount to a huge mistake. I'm afraid to even look forward to the trip. But if I go in expecting it to be miserable, how is that fun either? I mean, one HOUR for a FP line?

Don’t worry. I just got off the fast pass line for Space Mountain and only had to wait 45 minutes.

 

[Princess_Lisa]

Splash is back up per MDE with a 125 minute (2 Hours!!!) wait time.



The picture is my spreadsheet of wait times with data I entered from MDE.

 

[Davey Jones II]

Don’t worry. I just got off the fast pass line for Space Mountain and only had to wait 45 minutes.

 

[Davey Jones II]

Splash is back up per MDE with a 125 minute (2 Hours!!!) wait time.

View attachment 303812

The picture is my spreadsheet of wait times with data I entered from MDE.

Thank goodness they closed it for months while it was still hot outside. The refurb did wonders for this ride.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

The parks are busy all year long now, so why the relentless advertising from Disney 365 days a year, as if the parks were hurting? Why add a zillion special events to draw more and more people, marathons, cheerleader events, tour groups (God help us), festivals, more and more Halloween/Christmas parties, etc. etc. (Halloween in August? Really??).

As a marketing person by trade, you don’t cut back your efforts when you’re doing well. You keep a steady stream of messages out there to keep your brand top of mind. Universal is out there right now with ads that are blatantly ripping Disney. It is in Disney’s best interest to keep their brand top of mind. It would not be smart for them to let Universal go at it without being out there too.

Additionally, I believe there has actually been a decline in total attendance. I know there was in 2016, not sure about 2017 - don’t known if numbers were released. The parks are more crowded during slower times and I think it is because Disney is spreading out the crowds via the festivals, parties, special events etc. that you mention.

People who normally travel in summer have noted lower crowds than in the past. I think Disney is doing a better job of spreading the crowd throughout the whole year rather than having lopsided busy and slow seasons. More people on the hunt for the “slow time” PLUS the festivals, parties, special events you have mentioned spread the crowd out and make historically slower times more crowded.

Sorry, OP. My post has nothing to do with broken rides. I’m sorry you had a bad day at MK. Closures are definitely a big bummer.

 

[Davey Jones II]

As a marketing person by trade, you don’t cut back your efforts when you’re doing well. You keep a steady stream of messages out there to keep your brand top of mind. Universal is out there right now with ads that are blatantly ripping Disney. It is in Disney’s best interest to keep their brand top of mind. It would not be smart for them to let Universal go at it without being out there too.

Additionally, I believe there has actually been a decline in total attendance. I know there was in 2016, not sure about 2017 - don’t known if numbers were released. The parks are more crowded during slower times and I think it is because Disney is spreading out the crowds via the festivals, parties, special events etc. that you mention.

People who normally travel in summer have noted lower crowds than in the past. I think Disney is doing a better job of spreading the crowd throughout the whole year rather than having lopsided busy and slow seasons. More people on the hunt for the “slow time” PLUS the festivals, parties, special events you have mentioned spread the crowd out and make historically slower times more crowded.

Sorry, OP. My post has nothing to do with broken rides. I’m sorry you had a bad day at MK. Closures are definitely a big bummer.

With social media like these boards, Disney could slash their advertising and the message would still get out there. And it it meant less crowds, there would be lots of people talking about what a wonderful trip they had, not complaining about how they spent thousands of dollars and got little for their hard-earned money.

I don't think Disney's goal is to "spread out the crowds". Their goal is to try to keep the parks busy all the time, because that maximizes profits. Who cares if that means miserable guests, overworked and underpaid CMs, frequent ride breakdowns...