Never thought I'd do it- Cancelled.

[Jrb1979]

I'm not sure I get this.

Are you suggesting that these people aren't really upset or outraged, but are just pretending to be? (As is sometimes suggested of political commentators who seem to feign outrage at the most mild of transgressions?) If so, I strongly disagree. People aren't posting for their health. They are posting to vent genuine feelings of anger or frustration at a place for which they have long felt affection.

Or are you suggesting that, unless people are actually willing to vote with their wallets, they can't really be all that upset? That strikes me as unfair as well. For many people, sunk costs make it very difficult to cancel. And for others, the fact that they aren't willing to pull the plug altogether does not mean that they aren't deeply concerned. My favorite baseball team sucks now, and I am pretty upset with some of the decisions that the general manager has made. Will I stop going to games or watching them on television? No. I'm a fan, and I still derive pleasure from watching, even if it's less pleasure than I used to get when the team was good. But that shouldn't prevent me from griping about bad decisions on message boards and commiserating with other fans who feel the same way. And it doesn't make my feelings less valid.

Or are you suggesting that the only way to actually bring about change, rather than just griping about it, is to put our money where our mouths are? If that's it, then I think you have a valid point. But, given that attendance is skyrocketing even as the quality of the product deteriorates, it seems unlikely that cancelling will make any difference --- at least not in the current environment. Refusal to make a futile gesture is not proof of fake outrage.

I agree with most of what you said. IMO the spike in attendance is still due to people who had to previously cancel trips. I won't be surprised when after the holidays bookings are low. It's telling when Disney fans are opting for Universal now

 

[notatallmagic]

Sad, isn't it?

Annual passholder family, also from Ohio. No intention to renew our passes (which makes me super sad); and very little of the old excitement with our December trip less than a week away. We are setting our expectations super low, plan to enjoy our resort (Yacht Club), and will opt out of LL and Genie - no way I want to be on my phone (or have my kids on theirs) as we walk around Disney.

We shortened our final March trip from 9 days to 6; split stayed our resort (so we can get a clean room after three day - that REALLY shouldn't be a thing), and will hope to have one last memorable Disney trip. It's all the little things - paying MORE for less, that others have mentioned. I don't know what our replacement trips will be, but Disney feels to me like the grouchy family member that shows up late to dinner, creates drama, makes people miserable, and leaves with the good leftovers...lol. I don't like feeling resentful or taken advantage of - and that's how I feel with Disney these days.

Hoping it will be better again someday.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I completely understand. It's been a much talked about topic in our house lately. Going forward, no need for 7 plus day stays, 3 or 4 will do it. Less park time, no park hopping and probably jump over to Universal instead. I've read a lot of chatter that the road Disney appears to be going down is for the "rich" and how it will help to decrease park capacity. Perhaps it's true.

 

[Jrb1979]

Sad, isn't it?

Annual passholder family, also from Ohio. No intention to renew our passes (which makes me super sad); and very little of the old excitement with our December trip less than a week away. We are setting our expectations super low, plan to enjoy our resort (Yacht Club), and will opt out of LL and Genie - no way I want to be on my phone (or have my kids on theirs) as we walk around Disney.

We shortened our final March trip from 9 days to 6; split stayed our resort (so we can get a clean room after three day - that REALLY shouldn't be a thing), and will hope to have one last memorable Disney trip. It's all the little things - paying MORE for less, that others have mentioned. I don't know what our replacement trips will be, but Disney feels to me like the grouchy family member that shows up late to dinner, creates drama, makes people miserable, and leaves with the good leftovers...lol. I don't like feeling resentful or taken advantage of - and that's how I feel with Disney these days.

Hoping it will be better again someday.

Give Universal a chance as a replacement. In summer do a weekend at Cedar Point and stay on site since you're in Ohio.

 

[notatallmagic]

Give Universal a chance as a replacement. In summer do a weekend at Cedar Point and stay on site since you're in Ohio.

We are considering Universal We also just booked Discovery Cove, a lovely nearby resort, and we get the 14 days at the Seaworld Parks "free" - two week park tickets and the Dolphin package for LESS than one day worth of tickets at Disney.

We live less than 20 minutes from Cedar Point! We've been season passholders there for years too - and their service has now surpassed Disney in many ways. Their DAS is now far superior; and we love the beach. I had commented on another board that you could do 3 days at Cedar Point and their waterpark, on the lake in their resort, walk everywhere (no bus hassles), and enjoy that for less than the price of one day at a Disney moderate resort. Yes, there is Disney "magic", but it's getting harder and harder to find for us.

 

[SLThomas318]

If I have to consider price vs logistics, I think the logistics part is the real deal breaker for me. In Disney's current state, even if you spend thousands and thousands on your vacation, you are still subject to glitchy technology, ride unavailability, long lines, daily 7am scrambles and various other frustrations. And don't try to call to solve your problems, you will wait on the phone for 2 hours, on average.

ALL OF THIS!!!! No doubt Disney vacations are expensive... they always have been, but I don't like the idea of spending extra to "gamble." We had a short 4 night trip right after Thanksgiving as a party of 6 and we are not a fan of Genie+. If I'm going to pay extra I want to know what I'm getting... with Genie+ it is a toss up. Our next trip is June (DVC and AP) and is just our family of 4... we already decided we'll try touring without Genie+ this time since it was way too stressful and we spent the trip tied to our phones trying to make plans work for our group.

 

[MainMom]

So many, “we’re considering” / “I’m considering” / “we plan to” / “we might” cancel our APs.

Not many “we/I did cancel APs”

Funny, right?

I’m not at all happy with Genie+. I’m not canceling because we are taking my brothers last 3 kids (after taking the older 3) on their promised WDW trip. My parents also own DVC and had many points to use. I’m willing to wait and see how this trip goes with minimal use of genie+ to see if or when we return. Overall I’m not excited about the trip. It’s the apprehension about this new system that doesn’t seem worth the $ to me.

 

[Brian Noble]

guess I'm just [...] not feeling the magic this time around.

It happens, especially when going through a major life inflection point---and right now, all of us are going through a major life inflection point.

I went through a major crisis a little over four years ago, and ended up cancelling a planned week at SSR for that upcoming winter. At the time the idea of going to WDW just didn't feel right. I wasn't excited, and it sounded more like a chore than a fun vacation, and the idea of spending time surrounded by saccharine/forced happiness sounded awful. I was looking at how expensive it all was, how painful it was to do all the planning, and how crowded it was. Blech. So, I ended up giving the week to a family member, and stayed home.

I guess I'll just take some of that money, pack up the truck, attach the boat, and head from N.E. Ohio and find a nice cabin on the lake somewhere in Kentucky, NY, Tenn, or somewhere that's a several-hour drive away and enjoy a quiet and relaxing vacation this time around.

This is a great idea. In the next year, I went hiking in a couple different mountain ranges. Getting out in nature was exactly the medicine I needed for where I was at the time.

A year later, I was surprised to find I was ready to go back to WDW, in part to celebrate a significant milestone in my life. Suddenly, it didn't seem so expensive, crowded, painful to plan for etc. etc. Maybe that will happen for you? Maybe it won't. Either way, things will be good. Disney is not the only way to have a great vacation, though sometimes you'd be hard pressed to see that hanging around DISboards all the time!

 

[Beer Me]

2021 was supposed to be a blow out Disney vacation. We cancelled mainly because of covid so immediately began thinking of 2022. But I’m just not feeling it. It’s not one thing but all of changes and what I feel would be a diminished experience and on top of that ridiculous resort rates. So we definitely aren’t going in 2022 either.

As for the future - who know?

That being said I’ll be in Orlando in February and my wife and I plan to visit epcot one day during the festival of arts so it’s not like I’m outraged or boycotting. But the idea of a full week with the state of the parks and what it would cost isn’t very appealing right now.

 

[Darcy03231]

We stopped going to WDW as a primary vacation destination in 2016. Last trip was 2 days added on to a cruise in 2017 so DH could see Pandora. I highly doubt we'll be back until we have grandchildren. Since we burst the bubble we've been on a lot of other trips and had just as much fun (if not more) for less money.

 

[fhtpdw20]

In my opinion only, Disney had/has an emotional bank account with alot of the posters. We spend our money, have feel-good/nostalgic experiences the bank account gets a boost and we are willing to go back. We bring our kids, parents, grandkids instilling a love of Disney parks. Over the years the choices in cuts and upcharges, changes, ect... have depleted that goodwill to where it is totally gone. So instead of putting deposits down, people are choosing not to go at all. Sure Disney does not miss us now, but they will. Disney use to be my splurge but no longer. You say so what. My last trips to Disney were 2 cruises, a solo park trip covering Halloween and Christmas with lots of tours, a trip with just my son for us after my husband died and a trip and a cruise to introduce my daughter-in-law to Disney. Just for grins and giggles I figured out all that came to around $56,000.00 in a matter of three years. Remember Disney USE to be my splurge and I had everything paid over time so it did not hit me that I spent that much. What goes up will come down eventually. Where Disney is missing the boat with me is now a I have a grandson whom I love to spoil. It won't be with Disney trips or dvds or toys. I have bought many books, toys and DVDs for grandson, but not one of these items were Disney related. Grandson will not be spoiled by me as his father was. Disney just lost the next generation of park goers on my dime. As I said in previous post the ONLY possibility I MIGHT consider is a Disney cruise. Just waiting to see if they ruin it like they did the parks.

 

[stinkpickle]

I don't blame you. The dollar-to-enjoyment ratio has been getting pushed for years. If it weren't for the convention rates we got for January, we probably would skip 2022, also.

 

[StageTek]

I wonder how many of the outraged Disney folks are *exclusively* Disney travelers. All travel has gotten dodgy and expensive. Perhaps it’s a matter of perspective.

You may be right.

I'm an avid traveler. A Disney trip was once a vacation away from typical vacation stress. All the now gone perks made a WDW trip easy and I paid the higher prices.

No real need to go down the list because the bullet points have all been repeated over and over. Since Disney has decided to become industry standard and not offer anything extra to stay on site I will spend my money at other destinations.

I suspect WDW will see a drop off of less than 5% due to these decisions. And they will attribute that to anything other than eliminating perks. They won't miss my dollars and I will see some destinations I haven't seen.

 

[disneyseniors]

It seems like there's a group of people not only angry with Disney for what they call a 'money-grab', but also angry with all the people still going to Disney right now and packing the place. Just because you're upset and looking to not return to Disney does not mean everyone is so unhappy as to be part of some sort of perceived boycott. It's very simple. If you're not happy with what Disney is offering at the prices they are charging, don't go. If you don't like G+, don't buy it. If you're not willing to pay an extra $15-$20 per person to ride ROTR, don't buy it.

We were there for 5 nights within the past week. Based on what we saw and discussions we had with other guests, people are very happy to be enjoying the holidays at Disney again - and the crowds were pretty signifcant. The trip was a bit different due to some reduced-capacity restaurants, but for the most part, we were very happy to be there and enjoying Disney at probably 80% of what it was pre-Covid. We didn't rely on Genie+, but did buy it 2 days to kind of tinker with it to better understand how it works and perhaps utilize it better in the future. Things change at WDW, and this is yet another, perhaps more drastic phase. But we still love it there, we're still going, and we're looking forward to the upcoming years of new attractions like Guardians and Tron and EPCOT updates, etc.

If you think Universal is a better value, go for it. If HersheyPark or Dollywood or Busch Gardens is a better value, go for it. It is all a matter of choices with the money and time you spend.

It sounds like you are pretty angry yourself, LOL
People are smart enough and aware enough to "go to Dollywood, don't go to disney", etc, etc, as you stated. They have certainly thought of all that without your seeming outrage at others who find the experience less than great and are discussing it on a discussion board, Imagine that!
For most of us uber fans, we have been going to disney for years with wonderful service and experiences which were way up and above the other parks experiences. Now that has changed. And people are talking about it. It saddens those who love disney but the love is still there somewhere for some. Disney's nostalgia factor is very high with disney fans, me included I think that is what keeps others coming back even though they aren't happy with today's disney. I believe they are hoping the magic will be back and they will find it again at today's disney. Disney has built up the nostalgia over many years starting with Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday nights when I was a kid. Then with many wonderful trips that keep us coming back.
The changes that have been made has made the disney experience, In my mind, not worth it. So, since we have thought it through and have decided to spend our money elsewhere until and if the magic comes back. If others still find that, that's great IMO. People can usually weigh the facts and comes up with what suits them, and I get tired of hearing the old tiresome,"if you don't like it, don't go" It's not that simple.

 

[popy]

Yep, I threw the towel in the ring, i will never go again.
good for me , I win, Disney loose, I am going to take the money Saved
and buy a new Harley, $2 beer, $2 burgers, ride all day no lines.
thank you Disney you loose, Harley and I win,
next Year i save $8000. take your money and your time else where,
I am elated Disney done to me, a brand new Harley all for me.

 

[Sherlee]

This pains me to write, but we are with you. We are not going in 2022. We have booked a trip to Portugal in May (fingers crossed for calmed down Covid) and will try Universal in November. Our $8000+ trip (for two adults) two months ago was less than magical. We were there the week before Genie launched and crowds and lines were terrible. I am a planner and was a huge FP+ fan and have no desire to get up 7 am to plan each day. with Genie.
I came home so disillusioned with WDW that this is my first return to the DIS. I gave myself a two month "break", after pretty much checking things here daily for the better part of 20+ years.
To end on a positive note...BWI was phenomenal! .and Space 220 was the highlight of the trip.

 

[Skili9111]

We let our two remaning AP's lapse as of October. I figure we will not get the use out of new ones. People do not really 'cancel' APs they just don't renew.

Mine expires in March and our family is not renewing. I can't cancel before my contract is up..I am sure a lot of people are in the same boat.

 

[Ohiostatefan606]

After all these years, and so many great trips, magical moments, and a lifetime of memories, I never thought I would get to the place where I'm just not excited and looking forward to WDW; but that is where I am right now. Yesterday I did the unthinkable and canceled our February reservation and our 8-night stay at the Yacht Club. I'm just having a hard time getting excited about spending 9K for just the room and park tickets. In addition, this Genie, Genie+, iLL$, slave to a smartphone, no Magical Express, more cutbacks, more add ons for extra money, closures, limited experiences, masks, the uncertainty of the near future of this nearly 2-year pandemic, I have just lost interest.

I guess I'm just getting old and not feeling the magic this time around. I'm sure I'll get flamed and there are some who will say, "Good, fewer people for me." I would say, "Your Welcome." To each their own. I'm not attacking Disney, just that I think they are starting to move in a different direction than I am going. I guess I'll just take some of that money, pack up the truck, attach the boat, and head from N.E. Ohio and find a nice cabin on the lake somewhere in Kentucky, NY, Tenn, or somewhere that's a several-hour drive away and enjoy a quiet and relaxing vacation this time around.

Hey there! Also from NE Ohio. We aren't cancelling our January trip, but I feel your uncertainty. If you are looking for cabins, check out the State Parks in West Virginia. We take long weekend trips to southern WVa, off the grid and super relaxing.

 

[Grasshopper2016]

I get tired of hearing the old tiresome,"if you don't like it, don't go" It's not that simple.

Exactly

 

[ZellyB]

I'm still looking forward to our trip in January for Marathon Weekend. We are very fortunate to be able to do things affordably due to military discounts, and I agree that I wouldn't pay the current prices to stay on property if we didn't have that option.

All that said, I do think it's still possible to do a trip in a budget-friendly manner (stay off-site, meals off-site, no PH tix etc, rental car, no free FP but paid G+) but that trip will be different than trips of the past and I understand the frustration of that.

Disney is a business as we all know and right now they are taking advantage of pent-up demand and the built-in excuse of COVID to make changes they've wanted to make for a long time. Ultimately, demand will likely subside and I do think there will be some return to discounts for rooms, maybe things like free dining etc in the future. It's basic supply and demand economics and Disney does a disservice to their share holders if they don't take advantage. While I think we all want to believe that they really care about their customers, they only care in so far as it serves their share holders. I accept that reality and will continue to go as long as I find enjoyment that is worthy of the cost. We shall see if this trip in January holds up. I fully believe and expect that things like park reservations and G+ are here to stay, but as demand drops (if it does) next year, then it's possible some incentives like discounted G+ for on-site visitors and cheaper room rates are likely to return. Disney has always done flexing with costs based on demand and I expect that to continue. Unfortunately, right now, demand is so high, they have no reason to do anything different and while it's possible they are driving some customers away for good, most will likely return if and when the value proposition changes.