Feedback about todays show :)

[Tahlzy]

Hey
As someone from Australia, I find it quite disheartening to listen to the criticism and complaining about everything?
I used to watch and listen religiously, even met Ryno and Pete in Disneyland years ago. I have done all the parks but France and a Disney cruise. I read Disney history and a lot of back stage, behind the scenes info, etc. I’m not just a casual Disney fan.

We have just had our borders opened in Australia after being unable to travel for 2 years. We are just so excited to get back to Disney, and the first thing we start is catching up on the podcasts, boards and ‘what’s changed’ (um… everything!??) - and as someone who is coming back and remember how amazing the podcasts were, I hate to give this feedback but please note, it’s trying to be constructive!


I’m feeling like the majority of the team are seeming slightly jaded. I’m not jealous of the fact you can pay for your trips because of your work, my husband pays for mine too. I used to love the fact you would never review on a comp or discounted event. I feel like there are some team members that are missing the point and the joy in the parks? You guys honestly have no idea how good you have it and how lucky you are to be there! 10 hours to Hawaii? Try 22 from Australian with a stop over. The back end of the company is going through turmoil? Most companies in the world are worse!! They just aren’t on display or talked about to the extent of Disney. The cancel culture is so strong around the world! It’s absolutely ridiculous.
For me, I just want to go to the happiest place on earth to check out and enjoy my first vacation in over 2 yearI love the little things, the trash cans, the smells, the foods, the magic. And I’m sorry but I feel like the majority of team has lost that spark and love.

 

[DduzDis]

I am not sure which show you are referencing (or all of them as of late), but the sentiment runs throughout the Dis community re: the direction of the experience in the parks. Things are very different. If you are used to riding the headliners without having to pay (Genie+ or Lightening Lanes) or wait in a 120+ min line standby, you may want to monitor wait times prior to your trip. Lowering expectations has been the theme. There is certainly magic to be seen, but one does seem to have to look for it harder than ever. I hope you have the best trip, but just don't want you to be blindsided by this new customer experience. Also, shout out to Canberra. We bought our Boardwalk DVC contract from a sweet couple from there several years ago.

 

[Lee Matthews]

Hey
As someone from Australia, I find it quite disheartening to listen to the criticism and complaining about everything?
I used to watch and listen religiously, even met Ryno and Pete in Disneyland years ago. I have done all the parks but France and a Disney cruise. I read Disney history and a lot of back stage, behind the scenes info, etc. I’m not just a casual Disney fan.

We have just had our borders opened in Australia after being unable to travel for 2 years. We are just so excited to get back to Disney, and the first thing we start is catching up on the podcasts, boards and ‘what’s changed’ (um… everything!??) - and as someone who is coming back and remember how amazing the podcasts were, I hate to give this feedback but please note, it’s trying to be constructive!


I’m feeling like the majority of the team are seeming slightly jaded. I’m not jealous of the fact you can pay for your trips because of your work, my husband pays for mine too. I used to love the fact you would never review on a comp or discounted event. I feel like there are some team members that are missing the point and the joy in the parks? You guys honestly have no idea how good you have it and how lucky you are to be there! 10 hours to Hawaii? Try 22 from Australian with a stop over. The back end of the company is going through turmoil? Most companies in the world are worse!! They just aren’t on display or talked about to the extent of Disney. The cancel culture is so strong around the world! It’s absolutely ridiculous.
For me, I just want to go to the happiest place on earth to check out and enjoy my first vacation in over 2 yearI love the little things, the trash cans, the smells, the foods, the magic. And I’m sorry but I feel like the majority of team has lost that spark and love.

agreed. They’ve really started to be more negative. While I agree about the price hikes aren’t welcome but at least these people are able to go and visit when they want.

 

[BadPinkTink]

I’m feeling like the majority of the team are seeming slightly jaded. I’m not jealous of the fact you can pay for your trips because of your work, my husband pays for mine too. I used to love the fact you would never review on a comp or discounted event. I feel like there are some team members that are missing the point and the joy in the parks? You guys honestly have no idea how good you have it and how lucky you are to be there! 10 hours to Hawaii? Try 22 from Australian with a stop over. The back end of the company is going through turmoil? Most companies in the world are worse!! They just aren’t on display or talked about to the extent of Disney. The cancel culture is so strong around the world! It’s absolutely ridiculous.
For me, I just want to go to the happiest place on earth to check out and enjoy my first vacation in over 2 yearI love the little things, the trash cans, the smells, the foods, the magic. And I’m sorry but I feel like the majority of team has lost that spark and love.

I totally get what you mean. I'm from Ireland and The US Government banned us from entering America from March 2020 to November 2021. Most Americans have no idea about this travel ban and just though oh Covid , people are to afraid to fly and thats why internationals are not going to Disney parks.

American domestic travel and especially to Disney parks has hugely increased. Americans have a huge nostalgic emotion tied to Disney parks and its hard for them to reconcile the Disney experience they knew with the Disney experience now.

The Dis Unplugged has kept me going through the long months of the travel ban. But they and most people here on Disboards have a very one sided view. Walt Disney World was only closed for 4 months, a big deal yes, but at the same time, no where near the big deal as Disneyland California being closed for 13 months, or the US Government banning international tourists for 18 months.

Don't let the jaded Americans get you down. I went back to Disneyland California in January 2022, my last visit was June 2019. I cried when the pilot announced welcome to LA, I was holding back the tears and trying not to cry in the taxi from the airport to my hotel when I saw familiar sights, I cried when I got to Esplanade and Downtown Disney and saw the gates and heard the music.

Despite what the jaded Americans say on podcasts or here on Disboards, the magic is still there, its still my happy place. I love Genie + I loved using the App, and I had an amazing time in Disneyland. And I'm planning to go back in June.

Use the podcasts and Disboards for your planning, but dont let their jaded negativity get to you. Americans have no idea how much it means to internationals to be able to visit Disney parks, especially after being banned by various Governments from travel.

 

[DeeBee3]

I am an American and I completely agree with your sentiments! I'm just happy to be able to go out and enjoy life. It's still not the same as it used to be because so many have been affected by the pandemic in so many different ways. I am grateful that we were not treated as intensely as you have been in Australia. Mindblowing.

However, it was and still is pretty icky depending on what state you live in. I traveled from Northeast to Florida and it was just like a different country. People walking around as if nothing had changed (meaning it was like pre-covid). Totally different experience where I live. Kids have been affected so much too.

So, even though things are more expensive and the parks aren't offering exactly the same things, I'm still happy to go and enjoy what I can, especially with my family.

 

[Rickat96]

Jaded Americans-Wow.

There is nothing wrong with anyone trying to express their opinion about what they like and don't like, this is a Disney discussion board, having dissatisfaction in the changes Disney has made is not being jaded, it's an opinion.

Don't blame the US Government travel ban here, go complain on the State Department website.

The Dis team does an exceptional job providing discussions and reviews of thing we enjoy about Disney. If you no longer enjoy the podcast or information on the discussion forums, don't view them.

 

[DLgal]

I understand how you feel. Trust me, us Americans were VERY WELL aware of the travel bans. It's been a point of contention internally here as well. We had state travel bans as well. Very frustrating and unfair the way this whole thing was handled, but I won't get into that.

What I will tell you is that if you want to maintain your sunny outlook and attempt to have an enjoyable vacation, STEP AWAY FROM THE SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE YOU TUBE VIDEOS. I cannot emphasize this enough. Go, have YOUR OWN experience, and form your own conclusions about the state of the parks right now.

However, what is being said by the DIS team is not inaccurate. They are not wrong. Things have changed SIGNIFICANTLY, but if you go in with a positive attitude and you are willing to roll with the new punches, you can still have a very enjoyable vacation. It's all about your attitude, honestly. And I say this as a Disnyeland die hard, local, who was shut out of "my park" for 13 months. I bought the most expensive annual pass the day they went on sale and I have visited over 30 times since. If I wasn't having a good time, I would not be going as often, simple as that. I still have fun every time. My family makes amazing memories every weekend. But there are things I absolutely HATE about the new park experience. There are things that make me sad, angry, frustrated, and that make me question renewing those $1400 passes EVERY SINGLE VISIT. I will likely keep renewing our passes in perpetuity, however, because the mental health benefits of having this place we can escape to when life gets SO heavy still outweighs all the annoying negatives that I am SURE are temporary. Disney will right itself. They always have. I believe the company is in another period of transition, so there will be bumps for now, but I know it will be worth sticking it out, and I suspect the DIS team feels the same way.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

I used to feel like you did, about the jaded attitude, until we experienced ourselves last summer. Needless to say we are at Aulani right now and having a much better vacation. We won’t go back to WDW until 2024 at the earliest.

 

[rlk]

I totally get what you mean. I'm from Ireland and The US Government banned us from entering America from March 2020 to November 2021. Most Americans have no idea about this travel ban and just though oh Covid , people are to afraid to fly and thats why internationals are not going to Disney parks.

I am happy that you were finally able to visit Disneyland. But you saying most Americans didn't know about the travel bans is not true and somewhat insulting to broadly use the "jaded" American. Globally, we all have been significantly affected by travel bans and everything else that comes with a pandemic.

edited.

 

[kbelle8995]

I have been to Disney World a couple times since they reopened and it was not pleasant. Long lines even at the so called lightning lanes. I did run into a family who had paid to ride Flight of Passage and then found out that one of their members couldn't ride (measure height of children before hand) Long lines and packed with crowds. Long lines for food, bathrooms everything. Just an unpleasant experience
'
Plus AP prices have gone up exponentially while entertainment and other things disappear. This has nothing to do with being spoiled. I'm grateful that I can go somewhere. Especially since going overseas has been closed to me. It has to do with prices of everything not just Disney going up. I've dropped my Disney AP and taken my business to Universal, due to fact that I feel I get a better experience and bang for my buck. And Universal seems more appreciative of my business. Simple as that.

Come and judge for yourself.

 

[lockets]

I can attest to the part about the U.S. being well aware of travel restrictions. Even through today there are daily news reports updating us on which countries can come here and which we can go to. For the years 2020-2021 there was super frequent and intense coverage about it including the lockdowns in Australia, Ireland, UK, Hong Kong and many other countries.

It has also created an unprecedented pent up travel demand particularly for Disney that we are experiencing firsthand here in real time with wall to wall crowds at the park.

I think on that front we get it. We are experiencing the actual demand and we understand how frustrating it was to be in lockdown. This is certainly a situation where we can/should all be happy just to be able to travel again so I understand that point too.

On the other hand, there’s a balance to everything and a perception of Disney money grabbing every chance they have lately has dampened a lot of folks’ experiences whether they be domestic or international travelers.

Please also keep in mind international visitors are getting wayyyy more robust deals from Disney than we did. I took a peak at the UK deals on a UK travel agent site December 2021 leading up to that country being able to travel here again in January and they were even receiving incentives like hundreds of $$$ on gift cards in lieu of dining plan (which is suspended) to come to Disney on top of strong hotel and packaged air offers. Not to say Disney isn’t expensive no matter what! But we aren’t getting deals like that locally so we might be holding the company to a higher standard. I mean. There are people that paid close to $1K a night here for a hotel and didn’t even get housekeeping. Just as one basic example. All of Disney's excuses aside, I think you’re hearing some extreme options because there’s been some intense stuff coming at us from Disney’s end.

I noticed throughout most of 2021 a lot of the bloggers and vloggers were Disney apologists and I could tell they were really trying to be positive in their messaging. When Genie launched it seemed the tide turned. Even the bloggers have gotten “more real” to the point of negative toward Disney. Hopefully the company is paying attention.

In the meantime all of us that have visited Disney lately have tried to find the silver lining and I sincerely don’t think you’ll need to try. You will be happy just to be there. And that’s great! Don’t let anyone else’s experience ruin yours.

 

[disneyland_is_magic]

I think people cared what others were facing (like travel bans), but we were just so deep in our own problems.

I have been to Disneyland briefly post Covid and the magic is alive and well, please do not worry OP.

As far as the show went, I thought the housekeeping went on waaaaay too long. I do want to say, I thought it was nice that Pete tipped his hat to the audience for allowing him to do what he does. I thought that was nice.

 

[lockets]

I have been to Disneyland briefly post Covid and the magic is alive and well, please do not worry OP.

From what I read on the boards it sounds like people are more satisfied with Disneyland vs. Disney World. Do others agree or am I just imagining that?

 

[DLgal]

From what I read on the boards it sounds like people are more satisfied with Disneyland vs. Disney World. Do others agree or am I just imagining that?

I think this is a fair conclusion to make.

We are DL locals, but we travel to WDW frequently. From what I have heard about WDW over the last year, we have no plans to return anytime soon. Our last trip was May 2019. We have put all our eggs into Disneyland's basket and overall have been enjoying the parks over the last year. WDW honestly sounds miserable right now.

 

[fla4fun]

From what I read on the boards it sounds like people are more satisfied with Disneyland vs. Disney World. Do others agree or am I just imagining that?

I think there are just a lot more pieces to the WDW puzzle as opposed to DL, so more things that have the ability to be cancelled or changed due to a multitude of reasons. People can be resistant to change during the best of times, and it is hitting a lot of people harder after the past two years.

I just renewed my WDW AP today, an expensive proposition for many years now, and I would not be doing that if I did not find it enjoyable. There are some changes I wish had not happened (I miss FP+, for example) but on the whole, I still have a great time. I agree with minimizing your exposure to social media if you haven’t visited for a couple years, focusing on information regarding changes like park reservations and Genie/Lightning Lane instead of opinion based posts. Focus on what you can do instead of what you can’t.

The magic is still there, if you take the time to find it.

 

[ABE4DISNEY]

Regarding the quality of the parks declining:

If people don't speak up, then nothing will change. Additionally, I appreciate these brave people, who make their money off of Disney, for having the guts to tell the truth and not to gaslight us.

 

[disneyland_is_magic]

From what I read on the boards it sounds like people are more satisfied with Disneyland vs. Disney World. Do others agree or am I just imagining that?

Going along with what DLGal said, my travel companion asked me just yesterday if I wanted to go to WDW. I do not feel like I am hearing enough good things. However, I would not hesitate to return to DL, especially once the night time entertainment returns. No question DL has been affected, but DL seems to have held up a bit better under the cuts. DL is about to get a NIGHT TIME parade...again. It's not fair, I know this.

LOL and to be fair my username... I mean, I am definitely not unbiased.

 

[DLgal]

I think there are just a lot more pieces to the WDW puzzle as opposed to DL, so more things that have the ability to be cancelled or changed due to a multitude of reasons. People can be resistant to change during the best of times, and it is hitting a lot of people harder after the past two years.

I just renewed my WDW AP today, an expensive proposition for many years now, and I would not be doing that if I did not find it enjoyable. There are some changes I wish had not happened (I miss FP+, for example) but on the whole, I still have a great time. I agree with minimizing your exposure to social media if you haven’t visited for a couple years, focusing on information regarding changes like park reservations and Genie/Lightning Lane instead of opinion based posts. Focus on what you can do instead of what you can’t.

The magic is still there, if you take the time to find it.

For me, the biggest 2 issues at WDW, which would absolutely negatively impact our vacation there are:

1. Genie+ selections needing to start being made at 7am for any chance at decent times (we are west coasters who do NOT wake up by 7am when we travel east).

At Disneyland, NO ONE can purchase Genie+ or ILL until they pass through the gates, making it much more fair for everyone.

2. No park hopping until 2pm AND the requirement to scan in at your first park before hopping. This is a non starter for us.

At Disneyland, park hopping begins at 1 and as passholders we do not need to first scan in at the starting park once 1pm has hit. And for those day ticket holders who do, it's literally a 50 yard walk between the 2 parks.

Until WDW revises these 2 things, we will not return there.


ETA: As a runner up, the short park hours at WDW are insulting compared to the 8am-midnight park hours practically year round at DL.

 

[lowlight]

I really hope Pete titles the next podcast episode “Jaded Americans”.

Jaded Americans, coming to a theater near you*, Spring of 2022.

*Jaded Americans will not be shown internationally, void where prohibited, especially if it isn’t in America.

 

[RamblingMad]

I balance it out with DFB. Between the Dis and DFB, I feel good about where the parks stand. I'll wait for Disney to work out the issues with Genie+ and for crowd levels to normalize. I wouldn't rush out to a park now to beta test Genie+.