What is Walt Disney World doing right?

[Wakey]

Landscaping at the resorts I frequent is well kept.

Quiet Pools at the resorts I frequent also are well kept. Cabanas at the Poly are excellent options.

I can get decent salads at lots of restaurants.

Your first one is overlooked including by myself but I had to say I agree.

The gardens and landscaping, especially at the deluxe hotels is phenomenal, some of the best you will see on any hotel anywhere.

 

[billlaurie]

I love that Disney has: Something for ALL ages. Diverse options for food and entertainment and the potential for different experiences with each trip.
Free transportation.
Stepped up the game with new attractions and refurbishments, including resorts.

 

[Uncle Scrooge Fan]

I never knew this.

Thank you for sharing this info.!

 

[DisneyRobin]

I really like the fast pass system compared to the paper fast passes. At 1st, I was skeptical but now I don’t have to rush to fast pass kiosks 1 st thing in the morning just to find out that my ride time isn’t until the late afternoon (soaring, test track, toy story...). It’s a lot more civilized now.

I like the app / website and the ability to see all reservations and plans in one place and make changes as necessary. It used to be such a pain to call all the time and have to write everything down.

I also really like that we can buy extra fast passes if we stay in a club level room. I hope they don’t end that program and hope they expand it so there are other ways to get more fast passes ahead of time without booking a tour guide/walking fast pass.

I love the after hours and early morning magic opportunities to buy some non crowded time in the parks. I just wish they’d offer it more! During the busy Jersey week coming up, there’s nothing! The xmas party is avail 1 night though and we’re excited for that! Just hoping it’s not crowded on the rides. We’ll stay away from Main Street all night.

I think the best thing they do for themselves is get so many people so involved with planning so far ahead of their trips! I feel like the more people think about their upcoming trips, research and work on their plans, the more add on they buy. I know it’s true for me!

 

[jaz0308]

I know this comment is not fit the majority of people but for us the number one thing Disney does right is understanding and accommodating food allergies! As a mom it’s the only place I can go and relax while my daughter enjoys her food!

 

[Buddy40]

1. Amazing theming (parks & resorts)
2. State of the art attraction technology (FOP, RotR, SDMT vehicle)
3. Transportation, resorts, food, shopping, & activities geared to keep you in the Disney bubble.
4. Crowd management.

 

[Starport Seven-Five]

Attention to detail - I grew up going to Disney, took a decade break as I chased roller coasters at various amusement parks, and made a trip to Disney World this year. The amount of money/time they dedicate to insignificant details (like park benches made of popsicle sticks or railing made of KNEX in Toy Story land) doesn't exist in Six Flags and Cedar Fair parks.

Entertainment in lines - Another contrast from the cattle pens that you see in the regional parks is the amount of things to look at in line while at Disney. It completely changes the feeling of waiting as there is always something to look at.

Magic band integration - It's really nice to not have tickets, room keys, etc to keep track of while on property.

 

[Disney Mom 7272]

I had Never been to Disney as a child! I went My first time in 2013 with my husband and 2 girls. We have since been back every year. We already have our 2020 trip booked. For me, Disney is absolutely my happy place. My whole family fell in love when we went. Are the prices high.....sure. Can they make improvements....absolutely. But it seriously makes me so happy to be there. I watch The Dis every single day and are constantly reading about it. I love everything about it. Because the prices are so high, we can only afford to go one time a year. But we save our money and stay for 2 weeks. I have truly never had a horrible experience in the last 8 years. Sometimes my trips didn’t go exactly as planned but I didnt Let that ruin my experience. I do Appreciate the new attractions and restaurants that Disney has added. For my family, it’s our thing and we will continue to go every year if we are able to!

 

[gratefulfred]

Security and safety while on-property. We tell our high-school aged kids what we are doing and leave it up to them - they can join us for rope-drop or sleep in and catch a later bus, or even go to a different resort, or stay later. No matter what, we know they will be safe. I can't imagine staying anywhere else the size of WDW where this would be true.

Please don’t let your guard down, Disney does feel safer to me also, and when my daughter is a teenager I would also be ok with her doing this. I would also tell her to be aware of what’s going on around her because even with the best efforts, bad stuff can still happen. For one example they found a body burning in a car in the Fantasia mini golf parking lot in August of 2018, can’t be that safe if people are dumping bodies there

 

[tinkerjo]

I like that while they are making new and exciting rides and lands, they understand the value of older nostalgic rides. CMs are wonderful!!! Transportation, resort activities. I don’t think there is anywhere in the world that you can go other than Disney, and be made to feel that happy and special. This statement goes for the other parks and DCL also. Top notch!!!!!

 

[Unvoiced_Apollo]

I would say Disney did get some of the paid

The customization of ones vacation. No vacation is the same. You can add on events, tours, etc. you can stay at so many different places. You can dine at places run by famous chefs. Each trip is so different for me which is why I love coming back again and again.

I've got to agree with this as well. Third trip coming up and completely different from my first and second. First was a litany of rookie mistakes but we still enjoyed ourselves because of our flexibility (Wild African Trek & Ultimate Day of Thrills helped too...). Second trip was focused on characters. Third trip has a focus on food but we also have a ton of new experiences reserved.

They even have behind-the-scenes tours that are relatively inexpensive (mostly animal related).

 

[Nancyg56]

Magical Express and Internal Transportation! Warts and all, it is REALLY nice to be able to get off the plane in Orlando and forget about rental cars and how to get around for the length of your stay - and it's FREE! The immersive experience would not be the same without it.

This is one of my top choices in what WDW does right. DIsney is one of the only places I can travel to and know that I never need to consider renting a vehicle, or driving while I am vacationing. I can begin my vacation the second my bags are checked in at my airline, and it does not end until I pick them up upon my return.

I know this comment is not fit the majority of people but for us the number one thing Disney does right is understanding and accommodating food allergies! As a mom it’s the only place I can go and relax while my daughter enjoys her food!

This is so important, adn one of the best measures DIsney provides. My DGD was able to dine with us safely for the years her diet was restricted, and that alone was worth the price of the trip. I will never forget her first pancake there. I had beeen trying to make them without success, and the chef not only made them for her, he told me how to make them at home. I will never forget that gift.

I love the WDW CM's. I think they are truly the shining stars of a WDW stay, and they are the reason I return again and again. I can enjoy well manicured resort grounds, good food, and pretty attactions during a vacation, but very few places empower their employees at all levels to interact with guests the way that Disney encourages.

 

[SaintsManiac]

The first thing I will say is Animal Kingdom. Best CMs, outstanding tours, great food, best ride in the entire resort, etc. HS is still my favorite park, but AK is the gold standard in theme to me.

Also, safety and security. I never worry when I am there. I am 100% comfortable. I have no anxiety there and that is something I cannot say when I visit other places.

As others have mentioned, Magical Express. It's the best service out there. Another reason why I am spoiled and only want to go to Disney.

And finally, MDE. I know it's controversial, but what other destination gives you so much in one place?

 

[smiths02]

I am going to disagree with some on the safety and security. I do feel like I am not going to get hurt on rides (as compared to my local carnival). However, I felt that Universal is doing better with safety than Disney. (I prefer the security checks for City Walk and that bags are actually scanned and everyone goes through a metal detector)

I was going to add I appreciate that they have always had great military discounts. We were only able to use them in 2003, but I appreciate them.

 

[PavlovPluto]

Disney has been great with food allergies. On our last trip to Chef Mickey's, there was so much more available that was safe for peanut/tree nut allergic people. My daughter lit up when she saw all of the baked goods that were safe! We're going back next trip

 

[Tonyz]

The detailing of the lands, attractions, restaurants. It's Disney still at the top of its game. The elaborate backstory behind Skipper Canteen. The total immersion of Pandora and the hints of its history. The tributes and references in Toy Story Land. In this aspect, Disney is still the best around.

 

[kylesmile740]

There's a lot they do right, although I agree with the top fifteen things that need to change. Here are my top good things:

-As the mother of a child with a disability, I appreciate the disability pass. I believe it gives access to people who don't wait in lines well while also taking into account typical park visitors.
-The CMs are fantastic pretty much across the board. I've had so many that go above and beyond.
-I've had some glitchy experiences with MDE, but I LOVE the MagicBands. They make our experiences much better. And I love the idea of MDE, it just needs to work right every time.

 

[Leigh L]

The detailing of the lands, attractions, restaurants. It's Disney still at the top of its game. The elaborate backstory behind Skipper Canteen. The total immersion of Pandora and the hints of its history. The tributes and references in Toy Story Land. In this aspect, Disney is still the best around.

I'll second on Disney's attention to details, I didn't comment on that on my earlier post. This can be said about most everything they design, but as one example, I just love the level of detail that went into Navi.
Have never been to Skipper Canteen and now I'm intrigued! We just might have to check it out next time, thank you

-As the mother of a child with a disability, I appreciate the disability pass. I believe it gives access to people who don't wait in lines well while also taking into account typical park visitors.

Ditto!!

 

[Dean Kennedy]

For those of you who watch [or listen to] the Walt Disney World edition of the DIS Unplugged on Tuesdays, the team discussed the top 15 changes that fans would like to see in the parks.

It was a great discussion and on next week's show, we're following it up with what we think Walt Disney World is doing right and we want your input!

If you didn't catch the show, here it is below.

And, if you'd rather read about it, head to the story over on wdwinfo.com.

Don't forget to let us know what you think Walt Disney World is doing right!

You know it’s a simple thing for cast members ( most do) to do but remember the people there are your “guests”. Without them there is nothing. This is a thought that I’m sure was first in Walt’s mind!!

 

[Park Pirate]

This is a good thread. I complain about many of the things at Disney, but we like it enough to still go nearly every year. One thing I really appreciate is that they are generally so efficient at loading and unloading rides. For example, other parks that we have been to seem to take twice as long or longer to unload, load up, and get a single roller coaster vehicle (I don't know what the proper word is) moving.