What they've taken away

[imbelle]

Package delivery from the parks and Downtown Disney to your resort...although this one has saved me money since I don't buy as much!

 

[NightFury326]

The last time I was in the parks was before everything shutdown in Feb 2020. The last restaurant meal I had was the character breakfast at Trattoria al Forno

I wasn't planning any trips down to Orlando for the near future or anything, but this just cements the fact that I'll probably look into the competition next time I'm back in the area.

 

[MrBellatrixLestrange]

As a list person myself I get the inclination to make such a list but I think most would say what they've taken away is so much of the joy (or magic as others have posited) of a Disney vacation. Will that come back to bite them in the long term? Nobody can really answer that.

 

[reylas]

Yee-Haw Bob. I don't know of he will be back.

The Luau at the Poly.

Grand Floridian Society Orchestra

Jellyrolls...still closed with no reopening date

I still miss Pleasure Island

Yee-Haw Bob was hired back according to reports. His contract stated that he was a rehire priority. I will look for proof, but I am pretty sure he will be back

 

[Suzabella]

We used to say that Disney just did things better. Not the case any longer.

They've taken away so many things - and I agree with every one I've seen posted here - but the ticket prices continue to rise or they add on fees for things that used to be included in that ticket price.

If Disney was unable to offer the quality experience that they have in the past then they shouldn't have opened the parks to capacity before they had to staff to do so. The Disney brand has taken a hit as a result of Chapek era decisions and they're on a downward trend. And while Disney slept...Universal grew itself into a true competitor.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

It was not that long ago that whatever price you paid for the first day of your vacation was the daily price for the whole vacation. So you could start during low season and your vacation continued into higher season but you still paid that low season rate. That's gone too.
We have a January trip booked, family of six, so that's a big chunk of money if we're adding $15 per day per person for seven days. This is likely to be our last trip for a long time.

 

[Ursula_Fan]

This all just prompted us to change our January trip to Universal instead, which we've never visited as a family. End of an era but looking forward to comparing the experiences.

Yep, same here. Was looking at a quick trip mid-January, going to Universal instead. Having not priced it out before, I'm genuinely surprised at how much less Universal costs.

 

[serenitygr]

Speaking from the campground: the Hoop De Doo dinner show, Trails End buffet, the chip and dale singalong, and even our beach in order to build the new resort Reflections, which thankfully has been put on indefinite hold, but we still lost our beach and our biking/ walking trail to Wilderness Lodge

As far as everything else: Cape May buffet, Indiana Jones show, the parking lot trams, and so many of the other things already mentioned.

 

[easyas123]

For us, along with the above mentioned points, they've taken away our ability to have a laid back, relaxing trip that allowed us to be spontaneous with our daily plans. I do not want to be on my phone all day trying to figure out what's next & watching the clock to see if we can park hop yet.

 

[MikeOhio]

Park Hours have been reduced dramatically over the last 10 years.
All of the World Showcase entertainment.

 

[MischaOz]

Another thing taken away that I don’t think was mentioned is Sorcerers of the MK. We used to not mind if wait times got too long bc we could fill our time with SOTMK.

All of these things taken away and not being replaced really makes it less of a magical experience.

 

[rootbeerkid]

• Boat service between OKW/SSR and Disney Springs
• Weekly fun runs at various resorts

 

[DL1WDW2]

Don’t forget the parking lot shuttle tram.
It gets really hot walking in the TTC parking lot especially knowing those trams have just been sitting in the parking lot to view but not use.
Seems really mean and dangerous in the Florida heat.

 

[mikerobrewer]

I agree with the criticism but to be fair some of these came to an end when Covid hit and could return when/if the pandemic finally is over and then can hire enough people to do them

 

[Ursula J]

I agree with the criticism but to be fair some of these came to an end when Covid hit and could return when/if the pandemic finally is over and then can hire enough people to do them

I truly hope so. I want to be happy with WDW and get excited about a future trip. But so far they seem to be just using Covid as an excuse to take away offerings. I'm afraid some will never return while others will come back only with a fee.

 

[Stratman50th]

I agree with the criticism but to be fair some of these came to an end when Covid hit and could return when/if the pandemic finally is over and then can hire enough people to do them

Covid may have started the ball rolling, but I can't help but think many of things were waiting for a reason to make the cuts. Covid is a great excuse to change stuff, not just at Disney but that's another issue. Pay to park at the resorts started before the Rona is an example that comes to mind.
My end came in 2012 but had been coming before that. That was the point where the nostalgia no longer overpowered reality. I won't go into everything that ended the love of Disney but it was the preponderance of things, not just one.
I came back in 2018 and discovered Fort Wilderness. You could enjoy a stay on property without ever going to the parks. Now, they have removed a lot of the fun from the Fort as well. Lots of other places to go and see that doesn't require an upcharge every time you turn around. Finally, When I go on vacation I want to relax, not start planning six months in advance and need a smartphone the entire time you're there.

 

[Travelgrrl]

Riding in the front of the monorail and getting a free Pilot's License, just by asking nice.

This all just prompted us to change our January trip to Universal instead, which we've never visited as a family. End of an era but looking forward to comparing the experiences.

Yep, same here. Was looking at a quick trip mid-January, going to Universal instead. Having not priced it out before, I'm genuinely surprised at how much less Universal costs.

We're doing Universal instead in December. Went in 2019 with my daughter and had a blast. Hotels MUCH superior than what you'd get at Disney for the same price. Food is less, park tickets are less, and depending on your taste, rides are arguable as good or better. You can leave your hotel and be at Security in 10-15 minutes, even at the not-close hotels. Both parks and Citywalk super close together and handy - like having Magic Kingdom and Epcot and Disney Springs right next door to each other.

Nothing can match the nostalgia and whimsy of WDW for me - but now that's tempered with a real feeling of being taken advantage of. Even when one tries to incorporate Disney into a Universal trip, like getting Christmas party tickets, the $250 per person cost is crazy. Each person on our trip is paying only $425 for 4 day park tickets and 25% of the hotel for 5 nights. And that's not even at Universal's cheapest hotel! As much as I wanted to do Disney again, I couldn't see that price for a brief party, when we went to MNSSHP a couple of years ago for about half the price of what they want this year for the Halloween and Christmas parties!

 

[Pmlocke]

My biggest complaint is the right to determine which park I wish to see in the morning hours without having a reservation. My wife and I are I our 60's and we have been regular visitors since 2009. We never know what park we are attending each morning until after breakfast and we then decide where we feel like going. How in the heck do I make a reservation 6 months out when I couldn't make that decision the day before? How difficult is it to allow us to go to whatever park we wish without the need for a reservation (item 4)? I pay a lot of money staying on-site and I believe I should get preferential treatment as to admission. If I lose that, I can save roughly $100 per night, stay off site and make my reservations just like everyone else. As for the other losses on the list, I agree whole heartedly. We are paying more and more each year and getting less and less.

 

[easyas123]

My biggest complaint is the right to determine which park I wish to see in the morning hours without having a reservation. My wife and I are I our 60's and we have been regular visitors since 2009. We never know what park we are attending each morning until after breakfast and we then decide where we feel like going. How in the heck do I make a reservation 6 months out when I couldn't make that decision the day before? How difficult is it to allow us to go to whatever park we wish without the need for a reservation (item 4)? I pay a lot of money staying on-site and I believe I should get preferential treatment as to admission. If I lose that, I can save roughly $100 per night, stay off site and make my reservations just like everyone else. As for the other losses on the list, I agree whole heartedly. We are paying more and more each year and getting less and less.

Yes! I knew we couldn't be the only ones that looked at the weather, got a gauge on what we felt like doing and headed that direction in the morning! Planning 6 months out?!
My life is regimented enough, it's hard to see how regimented what should be a relaxing bit of time away has become.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

We used to say that Disney just did things better. Not the case any longer.

They've taken away so many things - and I agree with every one I've seen posted here - but the ticket prices continue to rise or they add on fees for things that used to be included in that ticket price.

If Disney was unable to offer the quality experience that they have in the past then they shouldn't have opened the parks to capacity before they had to staff to do so. The Disney brand has taken a hit as a result of Chapek era decisions and they're on a downward trend. And while Disney slept...Universal grew itself into a true competitor.

Exactly! They used to go the extra mile, and while it was always expensive (for us), we felt we got a good value out of the experience. Not so much anymore.

3 out of 4 of our kids are adults now and they say they're so glad we all got to experience Disney before they started nickel and diming everything, because those days will never be back again.

We have always visited the Universal parks alongside the Disney parks but our next trips for the foreseeable future will be Universal only. Their onsite deluxe resorts are amazing and we truly feel like we're on vacation when we visit.