Most Overrated things people rave about at WDW

[siskaren]

Safari at AK...it was pretty boring to me. Yay animals.

What would you suggest to make it more interesting? Have the animals attack the tram?

We felt very isolated way in the back, but one positive was our room was close to the south depot.

Just to nitpick, if you were way in the back, you were close to either the north or the west depot - the south depot is the one by the main building.

 

[SaintsManiac]

What would you suggest to make it more interesting? Have the animals attack the tram?



Just to nitpick, if you were way in the back, you were close to either the north or the west depot - the south depot is the one by the main building.

LOL if that was close to the main building I wouldn't want to be even further back! Like I said...never again Of course, I could have my depots mixed up.

 

[jrmasm]

I know this will seem odd, but our last trip we all 4 agreed (DH, myself, DS11 and DS6) that Magic Kingdom was kind of overrated.
I know, I know, please don't slam me
It might be because it was so much more crowded that trip than the other parks. Also the lack of good places to eat. And that new dance party thing was just so annoying and seemed to be going on every time we went near that area.
Maybe overrated is strong, but we did agree it was our least favorite of all the parks and disney springs.

I'm with you. MK is my least favorite park by far.

 

[5kidsmommy]

What would you suggest to make it more interesting? Have the animals attack the tram?

There is nothing they can do to make it more interesting, it is what it is, I just don't find looking at animals very exciting but people seem to love it. I just don't get the appeal.

 

[okilydokily]

Mine are pretty broad complaints. I don't understand the hype around Disney dining. Most TS restaurants are Applebee's quality food. Having to book 6 months in advance and the love any Disney place get is beyond me. In no way am I saying they are bad, just overhyped for what they are. I still go and have my favorite places, it's just overblown to me.

The other thing is any resort. Again, they are nice enough but I can't see how much love they get for the price over off site places. Service is maybe better than some places off site, but everyone goes gaga for "themeing". Sorry but I don't need to pay $150 more a night for comparable rooms because the carpet has a hidden Mickey. And to me, overall the rooms are poorly laid out and not as spectacular as the hype makes it.

My thought is would I pay that much for the same hotel or food if it wasn't at Disney? And to me the answer is no. Other than it is at Disney, they quality is not better than many other places.

 

[siskaren]

The other thing is any resort. Again, they are nice enough but I can't see how much love they get for the price over off site places. Service is maybe better than some places off site, but everyone goes gaga for "themeing". Sorry but I don't need to pay $150 more a night for comparable rooms because the carpet has a hidden Mickey. And to me, overall the rooms are poorly laid out and not as spectacular as the hype makes it.

For me the appeal of staying on property is not needing a car, and the theming (at least in the moderate and deluxe resorts) isn't just in the rooms - it's throughout the resort.

And I'm curious what you mean by the rooms being poorly laid out. I'll admit to not having a lot of experience with staying at hotels, but I don't think I've stayed at one that was laid out differently than the Disney ones.

 

[thegajone]

I've seen a few I've agreed with and a few I disagree with, but most things listed aren't actually "raved" about so I don't necessarily know that they should be mentioned.

I have 2 that are controversial, but at the same time aren't even WDW complaints at all so I'm not sure they should be mentioned either but I think they somewhat apply nonetheless.

First is planned resort/rest days and afternoon breaks. Everyone is different so I guess I can understand why they're good for some people, but I'd never actually PLAN any breaks I'd take. And as cool as some of the resorts are, planning an entire day to stay on WDW property but not go into a park is a waste to me personally. It's not cheap to stay at WDW, so I'm certainly not going to pay to stay there on a day where I'm not even going to a park.

Second, and far more controversial, is the original Journey into Imagination ride. I'm not saying it's better now (it's definitely not -- it's worse), but the original ride did nothing for me. It carries a nostalgia factor I guess, but that's about it. It just wasn't a memorable experience for me when I was a kid.

 

[okilydokily]

And I'm curious what you mean by the rooms being poorly laid out. I'll admit to not having a lot of experience with staying at hotels, but I don't think I've stayed at one that was laid out differently than the Disney ones.

At GF the couch is against the same wall as the tv. So in the morning if I have coffe and a snack and watch the news in the morning, I have to sit in the bed. Seems counter productive to paying for the extra space.

The Murphy bed at POR is under the tv and small. If I'm putting a small child there I can't watch tv if they are sleeping and it looked dangerous to me. And then there are drawers off in the corner. Just put the drawers under the tv and the Murphy bed in the corner seems better to me.

AoA was just odd. The eating table to bed seems silly. Boardwalk DVC studio I didn't like either, too boxy and not conductive to being there for a longer stay. The treehouse villas felt cramped to me considering the price. If you are paying a premium for staying onsite it seems they could make the rooms worth the extra cost.

But that's just me, plenty of people like it. I know I have been happier in other resorts offsite that were a lot less money. There is some "magic" I didn't get off site but I prefer to drive, so transportation wasn't a factor for me.

 

[okilydokily]

First is planned resort/rest days and afternoon breaks. Everyone is different so I guess I can understand why they're good for some people, but I'd never actually PLAN any breaks I'd take. And as cool as some of the resorts are, planning an entire day to stay on WDW property but not go into a park is a waste to me personally. It's not cheap to stay at WDW, so I'm certainly not going to pay to stay there on a day where I'm not even going to a park.

Despite what I just wrote about the resorts I have the complete opposite thought as you. If I am paying to stay on site, I should take advantage of what the resort offers. If not, just find a junk motel on 192 and save the money.

I think that is one of the biggest mistakes people make when planning a Disney vacation. Not taking time to enjoy what they offer other than the parks. So much to do and see. Some of my best memories are going to Ft Wilderness and just having fun. Campfires and movies. Yeehaw Bob. Bike and boat rentals. Disney is So much more than the parks.

 

[Lothlórien]

There is nothing they can do to make it more interesting, it is what it is, I just don't find looking at animals very exciting but people seem to love it. I just don't get the appeal.

Over the years I have seen where others share your sentiments. I personally enjoy Creation and it is fun to watch the different behavior from each animal/species. For me it is appreciation.

My sister has an annual pass for her local zoo and she visits often. Her husband hates going more than 2 - 3 times a year. I think it just comes down to what thrills us.

 

[GaryDis]

By definition, calling something "must-do" is overrating it. There's no such thing as a single item or attraction that's guaranteed to make or break your trip.

Mickey Bars. I was really disappointed, it was just bad ice cream in a trademarked shape.

Beaches and Cream. Edy's isn't even good supermarket ice cream.

I enjoyed the pineapple Dole Whip, but it is seriously over-hyped.

Mickey Waffles. I'm lucky to have one of the older Mickey waffle makers, and homemade is so much better.

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. Good coasters don't need loud, harsh music to be good.

Kali River Rapids. Save it for TL/BB. I shouldn't need a change of clothing to visit a theme park.

 

[recmouse]

I noticed Illuminations on several of these posts. I still like it but the older version was much better. What I really enjoy is staying in Epcot as long as I can until Illuminations is over... it's quiet on World Showcase except for background music and a few other people and cast members. Aaaaahhhhh...

 

[kiramay]

What are some of the most overrated things to do at WDW for you guys.. Could be attractions shows retaurants etc
My top 5
1-Fantasmic(blah)
2-Dole Whip
3-Soarin(just ok in my opinion)
4-mickey ice cream bar
5-Carribbean Beach resort

1. Hollywood and Vine character meals. Food was fine, but the dancing and character parades... Blech. We were done eating and trying to get out bill before we'd seen half the characters. Huge waste of time.
2. Ice cream, pretzels, Dole Whip, turkey legs, popcorn.... There are so many other things that are SO MUCH TASTIER! IMHO
3. Deluxe resorts. I spend about 8 hours in my room, sleeping. I just need a clean bed and bathroom.
4. Dining Plan.

 

[sls404]

1. The scent in the Grand Floridian. Aren't Disney resorts supposed to smell great? The scent was suffocating.
2. The jalapeno margarita in EPCOT. I bought one after reading all the rave reviews here and almost spit it out after the first sip. The worst part was forcing myself to drink the rest of it because it was so expensive. On the bright side, that was the most tolerable Gran Fiesta Tour I've been on.

I feel the same way about the scent at AKL... it's just way too much!! But I love that resort!

 

[siskaren]

1. At GF the couch is against the same wall as the tv. So in the morning if I have coffee and a snack and watch the news in the morning, I have to sit in the bed. Seems counter productive to paying for the extra space.

2. The Murphy bed at POR is under the tv and small. If I'm putting a small child there I can't watch tv if they are sleeping and it looked dangerous to me. And then there are drawers off in the corner. Just put the drawers under the tv and the Murphy bed in the corner seems better to me.

3. AoA was just odd. The eating table to bed seems silly. Boardwalk DVC studio I didn't like either, too boxy and not conductive to being there for a longer stay. The treehouse villas felt cramped to me considering the price. If you are paying a premium for staying onsite it seems they could make the rooms worth the extra cost.

But that's just me, plenty of people like it. I know I have been happier in other resorts offsite that were a lot less money. There is some "magic" I didn't get off site but I prefer to drive, so transportation wasn't a factor for me.

1. I've never stayed in a hotel room with a couch.

2. I would think that trying to watch TV in a room while a child is sleeping would be difficult regardless of the layout. And I looked at a picture of the room layout at www.portorleans.org/floorplans.php and it doesn't show there being drawers off in a corner - I'm wondering then if you were in a King room because I don't see where else you could put the Murphy bed in a room with 2 queens.

3. It sounds to me then like you typically stay in suites or villas then, not regular rooms. Because like I said, I've never seen a regular room laid out differently than what I've seen at Disney.

 

[Realgrumpy]

Zebra domes. That is all.

 

[Goofey Drool]

1. Space Mountain....cool 30 years ago
2. Pirates of Carribean....cool 30 years ago
3. Bears Jamboree...really dated too
4. Indiana Jones was awesome show when I first went in 1992...
5. Haunted Mansion...can't they change it a little. It's the same as it was when I was a kid. It's Magic Kingdom not nostalgia land.
6. Crystal Chandellier -everyone raves about it and it feels like an all you can eat buffet at the mall. We were seated and food was still stuck to the table and my chair. It was loud and the food was not very good. For a character meal it would be my last pick.
7. Dole whip

My most underrated would probably be turkey legs (just kidding)

 

[100acreHiker]

1. 'Ohana
2. Dessert Parties
3. The Contemporary and Poly (felt like zoos to me with all the people there for Chef Mickey's and 'Ohana, etc--On the other hand, I LOVE Grand Floridian because it's comparatively quiet, relaxed and pretty).
4. All the cupcakes everywhere in WDW

 

[Parker Clan]

The monorail

 

[Tam&Sam]

1) Be Our Guest
2) Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (I love riding it, it's enjoyable but it gets way too much hype for what it is)
3) Fantasmic - it was really cool when it came out but it's been on for over a decade and it's starting to show its age
4) Deluxe resorts - don't get me wrong I love staying at most of these locations but they're really not a necessity, the value resorts are clean and more than sufficient for any trip to Disney...always better a trip to Disney than no trip at all
5) ADR!!!! I despise ADR