Is it Even Worth it Anymore?

[smallworldnh]

To be fair I sorta experience things like that just going out and about. I don't think it's a Disney thing or a vacation thing. We're all a little more short-tempered/less sociable bunch during this pandemic. I know many of us try not to be but even the most mild-tempered of us can need some social interaction brushing up. I also think right or wrong many of us are more hygiene-oriented than before. I may not have thought too much about someone sneezing and now it's like geez cover your mouth..ya know?

So I don't think I would go in thinking guests are just behaving poorly but rather that just because it's Disney doesn't mean that the types of people I encounter every now and then at restaurants or grocery stores aren't going to exist just because it's Disney. I still think many people are behaved well enough but we also may be a bit more hyper-focused on behaviors more than in the past.

Good points, it's just a shame that the media is focused more on the negative news. Way too much doom scrolling going on these days.

 

[loves to dive]

That is something you have to decide for yourself but I would take anything you read, good or bad, with a grain of salt. Having said that, yes, the magic is still there and it is still worth it for me and my family. I've been 3 times since the pandemic, April 2021, Sept. 2021, Dec. 2021 and I'm leaving this Sunday for 6 days. Two of the previous trips were solo, the one in Sept. was with my son (who has been going since he was 3, he is 41 now) his SO and their 5 month old daughter. His SO had only been once, years ago for two days and had never stepped foot in Epcot. Even with the heat, the crowds, the walls at Epcot, she loved it. They (and I) will be back the last week in August.

Is it crowded, I guess but to tell the truth I really can't remember going within the last 5 or so years when it wasn't. Is it expensive, you bet ya and we stay on site. I didn't buy Genie + last time I was there and don't plan on buying it next week. I'm not sure if they are going to want to get it in Aug but I don't think it will make sense with the baby since even with child swap rides aren't a huge factor. As a matter of fact, in the upcoming August trip my son and his family are staying at one of the All Stars while I'm doing a split 2 nights at Swan and 4 nights at YC. My son has only stayed at All Stars a night or two with a split stay so staying an entire trip will be new for him. It was just what made sense budget wise for them and I'm sure they will still enjoy it. The baby will be 16 months old by then so will probably enjoy it more, it will be hot, it will be rainy, it will be crowded. They know all that and, for once, Mama is not paying for it. They are still going.

 

[dk413]

We just came back from a dual Universal/ Disney trip. We had the unlimited express pass at Universal and a Genie plus/ paid for ILLs at Disney. We will not be going back to Universal. Our hotel was beautiful (Royal Pacific), the express pass was great, the rides were awesome, there was minimal stress, but it was just as crowded and the crowd was…..very different than the Disney crowd. Whereas at Disney we felt like we were surrounded by super organized families/ Disney lovers/ generally kind people…Universal… let’s just say my kids learned the F word there and my 8 year old daughter came home wanting to wear fishnet stockings. And not in the cute-1983 Madonna kind of way. I almost got projectile vomited on by two drunk people. I thought the guests were a million times better at Disney IMHO and did not see any bad/ nasty behavior the entire time I was there. In fact it was the opposite. I saw strangers helping each other figure out the Genie plus system in line. The cast members were so nice (both at our hotel and in the parks). We had a great time at Disney. Universal was a one and done for us.

 

[_19disnA]

Over the years we probably went to Disney about every 5 years since the rides/shows never changed that much. I guess others who go more often must enjoy doing the same things over and over. We last went in 2019 (before covid) after not going for a number of years. We have several other places we like to vacation and Disney was just another one in the rotation.

We are amazed at how crowded everything had become. Back then they were using FastPass and even if you reserved 3 rides ahead of time, none of us wanted to wait in 90+ minute lines for other popular rides. Many of the narrow walkways at various parks were jammed with wall-to-wall people making it nearly impossible to even walk around. Over the years, it seems Disney hasn't really done anything to align park ride capacity with attendance. It seems to us they let far too many people into the park which just jams up walkways and makes ride lines too long.

We have ZERO interest in going back anytime soon. It probably takes 2x as long to do the same number of rides as in prior years. Prices for Disney hotels have risen far faster then the rate of inflation and seem way out line with other comparable hotels in the area. None of our views have anything to do with what some are seeing in the media. We are making our own decision based on actual experience.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

let’s just say my kids learned the F word there and my 8 year old daughter came home wanting to wear fishnet stockings.

Not to be a realist but I'm guessing they've heard language elsewhere before suddenly finding it out at a theme park. Language is also something that happens over at WDW whether you've heard it or not plenty of threads show otherwise. I remember a particular thread about a bus ride over at Disney..

Also for attire I actually see more in social media and blogs about Disney guests. Haven't you seen the posts about so and so wore an an unacceptable outfit and was made to do something about it and it being written about as a "hack" to get free merch at WDW since they do do that when you have unacceptable attire.

I almost got projectile vomited on by two drunk people.

OMG did you ever read the threads about Food&Wine with Epcot?? Yeah....trust me drunken people don't just congregate at Universal.

Interestingly I think I saw more people imbibe at Epcot back in 2017 than I did at Universal especially in the Simpson's area with the Duff Beer stuff where I thought surely there would be a lot of people drinking. Neither area though were filled with drunkards. But there certainly are many threads about drunken guests at WDW for reals.

 

[k5xs]

"Worth it" is a value judgement pretty much everyone makes for themselves, and you'll see on this board a broad range of views, and I am glad. I fundamentally but respectfully disagree with implications that only Disney positivity should be posted here. I think visitors should be able to read good and bad opinions as they form their own.

I think a lot of the negativity is from some of us who reflect on how much value (goods/services received vs. price) has been lost in a relatively short time. While WDW prices for lodging, food, admission, and ancillary events have soared insanely at well past the rate of inflation, the level/amount of services have been visibly reduced. FastPass+ was free; Genie+ is expensive. Resort parking was free; now it's not. Disney's Magical Express was complimentary; now guests are left to find their own transportation at a cost. Extra-hours park admission was available to all resort guests, now evening hours are restricted to deluxe-level resort guests. Housekeeping services are reduced, and that's attributed to staffing shortages (but it's still a reduction in service).

So the value for a lot of us has been driven down by price increases compounded by lower service levels. (And what's particularly galling is that all this is happening while Disney Parks recorded their most profitable quarter IN HISTORY. )

 

[kidshop]

We just came back from a dual Universal/ Disney trip. We had the unlimited express pass at Universal and a Genie plus/ paid for ILLs at Disney. We will not be going back to Universal. Our hotel was beautiful (Royal Pacific), the express pass was great, the rides were awesome, there was minimal stress, but it was just as crowded and the crowd was…..very different than the Disney crowd. Whereas at Disney we felt like we were surrounded by super organized families/ Disney lovers/ generally kind people…Universal… let’s just say my kids learned the F word there and my 8 year old daughter came home wanting to wear fishnet stockings. And not in the cute-1983 Madonna kind of way. I almost got projectile vomited on by two drunk people. I thought the guests were a million times better at Disney IMHO and did not see any bad/ nasty behavior the entire time I was there. In fact it was the opposite. I saw strangers helping each other figure out the Genie plus system in line. The cast members were so nice (both at our hotel and in the parks). We had a great time at Disney. Universal was a one and done for us.

I was actually impressed with Universal. Just got back last week from our first time ever there. We did spring break with no express passes since it was kind of last minute. We did get their military unlimited passes which are an incredible deal and we will be back!

we went mostly after 4 pm, and I do not have little kids…adults and a 15 year old. Yes I waited in a 2 hour line for hagrid, and I was struck by the patience and good cheer of everyone in the line. There were young kids in the line and while I had a bit of a bad attitude about the wait, I heard no screaming, no crying and no angry words from all hordes of people in the line. It was pleasant! It seemed they wanted to be there and were happy to wait. It was a fun ride!

I think people are people wherever you go, but I saw no bad behavior on my trip. We went 3 times over the week and it was packed. I hope to go back at a less busy time.

 

[katmigordon]

I've seen a couple of folks talking about it still being worth it because of the children in their lives, but what if you don't have any? It's just my wife and I, but I have always been a Disney fan. That said, the last time I was at Universal (also the first time) it felt like they were the park Walt would have built today. I know a lot of folks don't like the simulators but they do offer a level of immersion I personally don't think dark rides can provide.

We are planning a surprise trip for my nephews in December 2022 and I am excited about it. We have been twice since pandemic (May 2021, Nov 2021) and we did have a good time regardless of all the complaints. Do I like Genie+? No. As the planner, it's very stressful to make sure everyone has a good time now. BUT the Disney magic is still there, the fun is still there, and there is something for everyone. I would give it a shot and make up your own mind before saying it's not worth it anymore.

 

[katmigordon]

Funny you should mention this. That's one of the things that had been worrying me - the number of scary reports coming out in the media. It feels like there's something new in my feed every other day.

Good points, it's just a shame that the media is focused more on the negative news. Way too much doom scrolling going on these days.

 

[LiveLikeJack&Sally]

We thought it was still worth it for us. Our trip was 3/27-4/2, after being postponed twice since 2020. We knew going in it would be crowded and expensive, more so than in the past if we wanted to purchase Genie +, Individual Attractions, etc. We set our expectations lower then we needed to based on all the negative reports we were reading ahead of time. We had a wonderful time and made great memories. Cast members we interacted with were awesome. We are rope drop people so we were always up to make reservations at 7am anyway, and still took a break each day and returned to the parks in evening. We had a plan ahead of time and adjusted when necessary. Have a great time if you go!

 

[Gabby01]

Second, there's a reason they call it "the good old days" - everyone remembers the past fondly. But back in the "good old days" people queued for hours to see Country Bear Jamboree (really). Now, rides and attractions are so superior to CBJ that it sits empty all day. How much of the great "new" stuff would you give up to go back? Would you axe Rise of the Resistance and Cosmic Rewind to get paper fastpass? What about all of Animal Kingdom? Sure, much has been lost over the years, but other things have been gained. There is always a push and pull, give and take, grow and contract. The parks will go through down times and up times, but all and all, the last 20 years have show stunning growth and amazing new things.

I love your perspective here. I’m not typically a theme park person but things like Galaxy’s Edge and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter are must-do’s for me regardless. They are really unique, cutting-edge, world-class attractions. It’s fun to experience what the Imagineers & co. dream up and manage to create. They’ve used their talents to make something that gives us a sense of awe, surprise and delight—that’s the magic!

 

[Specter]

I would agree with some others that part of it is managing expectations, but we just got back a few weeks ago and had some real concerns about the trip, but we had a great time.

Yes, it was busy, but DW is a teacher and we both dislike the heat so we have always gone over spring break or Christmas break, and are going to try Thanksgiving break for the first time this year.

Given that we were already familiar with normal spring break crowds, we actually found it a bit lighter than usual. This is because of the undisclosed but reduced overall capacity. We are even more excited for our trip over Thanksgiving because we are familiar with historic Christmas time crowds and so we are imagining that, since they have stated park capacity will never go back to what it was, that even our holiday trip will be less crowded than before.

As for price, Disney has always been expensive and this was no exception. I do find the whole genie + thing unfortunate as an added cost and the individual lightning lanes on top of that are even more frustrating, but it is what it is and while there are a ton of fans on these forums and others, I doubt if Disney heard from literally every last one of us that this would go away. We did use genie + on a few days, particularly MK because we have an almost 3 year old and that's where there is the most for her to do. It worked well enough and we would be willing to do it again on our upcoming trip. Was it a better or more streamlined experience like they were claiming prior to rolling it out? I would say no, but it wasn't terrible either. But while this trip was more expensive than past trips, it wasn't that much more, especially taking general inflation into account.

The overall state of the parks...I honestly don't know what some people are complaining about, or maybe we just got lucky. We were very worried after seeing all of the posts and articles about overflowing trash, sewage smells, general disrepair and things of that nature that others were reporting that we very nearly cancelled the trip. I am very glad that we didn't. Our last Disney trip ended two days before they shut down for the pandemic and this a few weeks ago was less crowded and just as much fun. It has us even more excited for our November trip since we have always loved Disney at the holidays. That said, after two trips this year it will probably be at least 4 or 5 years before we go back, not because we don't enjoy it but because there are other things that we want to see and do.

Hope you enjoy if you keep the trip.

 

[Canadisney Fly]

it was just as crowded and the crowd was…..very different than the Disney crowd.

That's so interesting that you saw the difference - I felt quite a shift in the overall vibe of the crowds when we were at Universal in 2018 and they just don't control the crowds as well as Disney. There was a throng of people watching the light show on Hogwarts, and despite signs and staff trying to move people along, it was an almost inpenetrable wall on a main thoroughfare. There is less signage and more chaos, and just less... Disney. We are huge HP fans, so it was an incredible experience, but overall, I felt it was missing Walt's "check your problems at the door and enter the Disney bubble" ethos. The employees were polite, but no different than what I would experience at a grocery store - just doing their job.

I don't know what kind of training they get prior to working at Universal - but I doubt it's the same concept or approach that is taken by Disney to ensure that each employee is part of the overall experience. That concept of "cast member" that is integral in Walt's grand plan does make a difference - they are ALL part of the performance that we enter into the moment we step into the park. And the suspension of reality within the bubble is what keeps me coming back to Disney.

 

[Lilsia]

The main complaint that everyone has now is that it is too crowded. But how can we complain about that when we ourselves are contributing to the crowding? The prices are getting out of control, but this is on everything in life now. I am cutting my trip short a few days this fall because of it. I still love being there but I don't tour like most people. I don't go there to "get my money's worth" by how many rides that I can go on. I have an AP and I just like going on a few rides, walking around, snacking, hanging out at the pool, etc. So for me, it is still worth it. But if anyone is expecting low crowds and cheap food, then they will be disappointed. Another thing that is worse about WDW is the other guests' behavior. No need to be a jerk.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

That concept of "cast member" that is integral in Walt's grand plan does make a difference - they are ALL part of the performance that we enter into the moment we step into the park.

If you listen to posters apparently that's slipping. There was a poster here who commented how upset he was that a CM wore a beanie hat because it was I guess too outside world (whereas I wouldn't even notice something like that).

I do think the TMs (Team Members) at Universal are just as fine and dandy as the ones at WDW but they've never been under a level of immersion that Disney built up with CMs for sure. That said there are quite a lot of reports back from WDW where people mentioned feeling CMs were rude, didn't seem engaged, just wanted to talk to their friends, etc and most of that seems to stem from the "back in my day" remembrance (usually a mention of Walt is mentioned too). Before the pandemic the College Program was heavily criticized for lack of individual investment in the company thus the employees either lacked knowledge, engagement, etc. I usually thought that critique was unfair but I do think people forget that while there is a mentality of how CMs are at WDW it isn't as if the employees aren't human as well.

 

[Leight19]

I think a lot of good points but to me just comes to personal decision about what going vs not going means for you and predictions of whether will be better or worse in future. We personally go multiple times a year and have kids who are too young for universal and free for Disney. We have low expectations but will still go in 2 weeks because if we have bad time it’s not end of world for us since we’ll be back.

For friends I have that plan once in lifetime trip I tell them in no uncertain terms I absolutely would not go now. There is risk Disney will continue to increase price so may be more expensive in future but i think the increases were too aggressive and I don’t see this lasting into next year.

We’re in odd times now with pent up demand and people with excess cash but that won’t last forever. Not to get too far off topic but I don’t see Disney doing this type of business if economy has issues. Can’t speak for all companies but from several large companies I have direct knowledge of trend seems to be nearly universally having issues keeping talent today but proactively planning for layoffs late in this year in response to predicted economy struggles.

 

[Amunet]

I keep hearing so many horrible things about WDW these days and how crowded it is, and how bad the gouging is. I'll only have 3 days and I was thinking of 2 days at Epcot and 1 at Animal Kingdom... but is it even worth it anymore? Or should I just plan for Universal with Unlimited Express Lane built in?

Hey, I'm doing what you're doing but the 1 day is at Magic Kingdom for me. I'm going solo to celebrate getting accepted into a PhD program and, due to said PhD program, I will most likely not be able to visit Disney again for a long while. So for me, it is worth it for a last hurrah. However, things did change due to their price gouging. Normally I stay on site the whole time, but I needed to go off-site for my arrival day. I wanted to do 1 day at each park but I couldn't afford that. The Flower & Garden festival is one of my favorites and, since I have no one to share the food with, I need 2 days to be able to eat at all the booths I want to! Previously, I was going to do 1 day at Epcot, MK, and AK. I'd really love to add an extra park day, but I'd have to add an extra night and I can't afford that either.
So, while I don't get what I ultimately want, I do still get to experience what I enjoy and to me it is worth it because I won't be able to again for a long while.

 

[kathy884]

Do other theme or amusement parks do this? I feel like people have come to expect some sort of freebie when a ride breaks down which yes bites but it's part of the process. I also think that Disney didn't used to have the mentality of giving away things. I remember my 2011 trip Test Track would break down, not like we got some FP (which was legacy back then) to re-ride it later on..you just you know didn't ride it, waited it out, or came back later. Maybe some people did but I guess we just didn't expect it.

We've certainly gotten lots of special treatment in the past. I don't think it's been a ride breakdown though. With the paper fastpass system when we our tickets didn't work (scanning issue), a Disney Cast member gave us a a FP for each person in our party good for any ride any time. Last time we were at Universal, they forgot to put my mom's scooter on the train and we had to wait for three trains to get it (they messed it up a second time). They were so sorry, gave free butterbeers to all in our party, a private tour of the castle with a Wizzard, a front of line pass for Forbidden Journey for all in our party, and a front of line pass for Gringotts for all in our party (this was when there were no EPs for these). That was way more than I would have expected (really above and beyond), but much appreciated and made my mom's day.

 

[kathy884]

Arches National Park in Utah now has a park reservation requirement. To the OP, it's not worth it, especially the last week of Sept and First 2 weeks of October this year.

We were at Arches and Canyonlands last May before the reservation system and they had to turn lots of people away at Arches and then that led to overcrowding at Canyonlands. We on our park days, did Canyonlands early, did a picnic lunch there, would go back and swim and our condo and then headed to Arches at around 4 p.m. wjhich worked well for us. Rocky Mountain national Park is doing the timed entry too. Lots of folks who didn't get passes would go in before 6 a.m. (only way they could visit the popular bear lake area). It's sure not a just show up situation like it used to be.

 

[soniam]

You just won't know until you go and see for yourself. We have been 4 times from 2020 until now and are heading back in a few weeks, again in July, and in Spring Break 2023. We do usually do Universal too though and with unlimited EP. We have enjoyed it. I know people are complaining about horrific crowds. It might be more crowded than the normally less busy times, but we have always gone during busy times. I have not felt that it was more crowded for Thanksgiving 2021 than Thanksgiving 2018. Others will disagree with me, but that's my perspective. Just go. You will only hear the most angry, miserable complaints on here. Not that they are not legitimate for those people though. The people who had a good to great time are not usually coming over here to talk about it. I know we haven't.