Time to say Goodbye for Now....

[cvjw]

“ I don't want to be a slave to my phone on vacation, so this trend completely baffles me. Why are they doing this?”

Click OP’s link. Very interesting video about controlling where people go.

I don’t get the slave to your phone. We used genie + and LL last month. You only had to look at your phone every 2 hours. Wasn’t hard at all and didn’t distract from any fun during the day.

 

[nycdisneygal]

We feel the same. We are happy we got to go back for a couple days after 2 years but dont plan to even go for 1 day when we head down in november. The magic is gone. Only the resort had some magic for me but not the parks.

 

[Arielfan98]

Interesting - the armed force salute discount is what kept us from canceling our trip. It's an awesome deal.

It's a great deal for people who can afford more than 2 days there. I used it in October 2021, and it was a good deal. If you're short on time and change, it's not ideal.

 

[Arielfan98]

We feel your pain! We collectively arrived at this decision a few months ago and it was heartbreaking for us too. We're glad that we have so many happy memories of trips to Disney when our children were young and the rules were different. We snuck away every chance we could to get to our happy place, and always had a wonderful time.

We had a great trip to Universal this past December and will continue to visit the Orlando area, but, sadly, not the Disney parks.

Yes, I was fortunate to have such memorable trips as a kid. I'm just sad I most likely cannot pass it onto my kids.

 

[tikilyn]

We've also put Disney on hold for a couple of years and then we'll re-evaluate the situation. The bad thing for us is we own DVC. My dh says we can go and use our room and visit Universal and other attractions until Disney gets it together and that's a hard one to process. Being at Disney without going to Disney.

Last December I went on a 4 day cruise and then 5 days later left for a week at Disney. I had more fun on that 4 day cruise than I did at Disney. So instead of Disney we're going to do more cruises and visit other locations in the U.S.

 

[Arielfan98]

I don’t get the slave to your phone. We used genie + and LL last month. You only had to look at your phone every 2 hours. Wasn’t hard at all and didn’t distract from any fun during the day.

I'm glad it works for you. For me personally, I was consistently checking it for other things too like mobile food ordering. I felt like a slave.

 

[Princesca]

We do have a DCL/parks trip planned for next year, but after that, we don't have plans to do Disney again until at least 2026, and we're talking about doing that trip to Universal. It would be our first time. Universal never interested me before. I'm not a thrill rides person, really, and they don't seem to have much for the pre-K crowd. Also people say they aren't size inclusive, and I have a booty, so that's a little offputting. One thing I could always rely on at Disney is that the rides would accommodate me.

But the new Epic park at Universal has us checking out the competition. We love HTTYD, and my wife is digging the Nintendo stuff she's seeing at the other parks and excited about the idea of doing that part. And we both enjoy Harry Potter and suspect our kid will as well when he's a bit older.

And the hotel prices... I mean, the hotels that get you free line skipping at Universal are not that much more than Art of Animation. It's kind of a no brainer.

 

[redboat45]

If you're going to be visiting your parents check out Sea World. They often give free tickets to military.

 

[Arielfan98]

We've also put Disney on hold for a couple of years and then we'll re-evaluate the situation. The bad thing for us is we own DVC. My dh says we can go and use our room and visit Universal and other attractions until Disney gets it together and that's a hard one to process. Being at Disney without going to Disney.

Last December I went on a 4 day cruise and then 5 days later left for a week at Disney. I had more fun on that 4 day cruise than I did at Disney. So instead of Disney we're going to do more cruises and visit other locations in the U.S.

Yes, my parents have been getting spectacular deals by cruising with Norwegian Cruiseline. They have an excellent rewards program. I like the all-inclusive, relaxation feel to cruises. Good luck to you!

 

[Arielfan98]

If you're going to be visiting your parents check out Sea World. They often give free tickets to military.

Thanks for letting me know, I will check it out for sure!

 

[bakerworld]

In the Circle of Life, WDW is on one of it's downward spirals. It was great in the 70's and then it spiraled downward thru the early 90's. During the early part of the century it resurged and now it's on a downward trend. I firmly believe it will rebound but it will take time. We are at a time in our lives where we're just going with the flow because I don't know whether we'll be travel worthy when it pulls itself from the backside of the sun into the light.

 

[Arielfan98]

In the Circle of Life, WDW is on one of it's downward spirals. It was great in the 70's and then it spiraled downward thru the early 90's. During the early part of the century it resurged and now it's on a downward trend. I firmly believe it will rebound but it will take time. We are at a time in our lives where we're just going with the flow because I don't know whether we'll be travel worthy when it pulls itself from the backside of the sun into the light.

This is true and I am hoping it spikes up again with better value.

 

[Arielfan98]

We do have a DCL/parks trip planned for next year, but after that, we don't have plans to do Disney again until at least 2026, and we're talking about doing that trip to Universal. It would be our first time. Universal never interested me before. I'm not a thrill rides person, really, and they don't seem to have much for the pre-K crowd. Also people say they aren't size inclusive, and I have a booty, so that's a little offputting. One thing I could always rely on at Disney is that the rides would accommodate me.

But the new Epic park at Universal has us checking out the competition. We love HTTYD, and my wife is digging the Nintendo stuff she's seeing at the other parks and excited about the idea of doing that part. And we both enjoy Harry Potter and suspect our kid will as well when he's a bit older.

And the hotel prices... I mean, the hotels that get you free line skipping at Universal are not that much more than Art of Animation. It's kind of a no brainer.

I had no idea Epic was even a thing....thanks for letting me know. This would definitely help turn Universal into a more valuable lengthy vacation.....may even stay at their hotel to skip the lines lol.

 

[disney-inspired]

At least someone is getting a deal!

We found the hotel discount very disappointing. My BIL is leaving the military in August so we won't be returning for several years due to $$$.

 

[Kimkimba]

I agree. Scheduling everything is work and not a vacation. Especially when you are paying a premium.

 

[XQIXX]

This isn't going to be a rant post or an expression of jealousy to those who can afford wdw. I wish anyone who can afford to visit the magic and still loves it as I had once for decades, nothing but the best.

I came to the heartbreaking decision to decline my trip this year. My parents moved to Kissimee and have AP, so parking/transportation and lodgings are no issue. Even with this, I cannot afford 1 day park hopper with military discount.

One of the major factors in my decision, was decline in quality. On my last trip, I was constantly glued to my phone to make reservations/food orders. My dad even paid for LL, but still some were unavailable. I feel as though wdw has transitioned to Versaille and now the wealthiest are paying just to see King Louis XIV wipe his bum/go to sleep for the night. I miss the days of paying for quality entertainment. I spent days thinking about my decision listening to Horizon and Wonders of Life Pavillion music, realizing this isn't the current reality and I have to let it go. I will also attach a video that sums up my feelings.
Even though Universal is charging about the same for Park 2 Park ticket ($20 cheaper), I feel the value is greater and worth my time from now on. Thanks for coming to my wdw sentimental eulogy.

Summary of my Feelings Towards Disney

It is truly a sad time to see so many people who got pure joy from this magical place now having to face the reality we never thought would happen. We all made memories there. Seen our families grow. Felt a part of a community of people who understood and shared our obsession. Now we are powerless as they have slowly taken away all the magic and replaced it with greed. The reality is that as we decide to go less often or not at all, there are plenty of others taking our spots. Disney lost touch with its core audience years ago and pushed us to see just how much they could take away from us, increase the cost and we still kept coming back. We will also be going to Universal for the first time . I own DVC so I am either going to rent out points to pay for Universal going forward or may decide to sell back to Disney in the end. I don't see Disney failing any time soon but there were lost of companies like Kodak and Sears who were once the leaders in their industry but where are they now? Can Disney turn back the clock a little and support their fan base with basic perks and maybe get the loyalty back? Maybe. But as long as there are full rooms and full parks, they won't. Having to keep track of every detail and no spontaneity does not make for a joyous day or create that magic we once knew. I am sure I am like many of you who are not happy reading these comments of coming to realize the best days of Disney may be behind us. I do still wish for a miracle and would love to see the perks and customer experience we were used to return but sadly know it won't happen. I guess we can all make new memories at Universal though!

 

[Arielfan98]

It is truly a sad time to see so many people who got pure joy from this magical place now having to face the reality we never thought would happen. We all made memories there. Seen our families grow. Felt a part of a community of people who understood and shared our obsession. Now we are powerless as they have slowly taken away all the magic and replaced it with greed. The reality is that as we decide to go less often or not at all, there are plenty of others taking our spots. Disney lost touch with its core audience years ago and pushed us to see just how much they could take away from us, increase the cost and we still kept coming back. We will also be going to Universal for the first time . I own DVC so I am either going to rent out points to pay for Universal going forward or may decide to sell back to Disney in the end. I don't see Disney failing any time soon but there were lost of companies like Kodak and Sears who were once the leaders in their industry but where are they now? Can Disney turn back the clock a little and support their fan base with basic perks and maybe get the loyalty back? Maybe. But as long as there are full rooms and full parks, they won't. Having to keep track of every detail and no spontaneity does not make for a joyous day or create that magic we once knew. I am sure I am like many of you who are not happy reading these comments of coming to realize the best days of Disney may be behind us. I do still wish for a miracle and would love to see the perks and customer experience we were used to return but sadly know it won't happen. I guess we can all make new memories at Universal though!

100% on point. I have to say I was very impressed with Universal's theming last I went. I'm not a big coaster person, but it was still enjoyable to walk around. I also feel the food options are much better there. I had Shepherd's pie in the Harry Potter area. I also loved seeing people dressed as wizards. I guess Universal allows adults to wear costumes.

 

[rangerxenos]

Interesting - the armed force salute discount is what kept us from canceling our trip. It's an awesome deal.

Veteran's should ALWAYS get a discount IMHO.

 

[Arielfan98]

Veteran's should ALWAYS get a discount IMHO.

Agreed and active duty of course.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

In the Circle of Life, WDW is on one of it's downward spirals. It was great in the 70's and then it spiraled downward thru the early 90's. During the early part of the century it resurged and now it's on a downward trend. I firmly believe it will rebound but it will take time. We are at a time in our lives where we're just going with the flow because I don't know whether we'll be travel worthy when it pulls itself from the backside of the sun into the light.

Never has truer words been spoken. I feel the same about universal and Busch gardens Williamsburg. The cycle always happens