What is Walt Disney World doing right?

[OKWFan88]

1. Cast members. I often forget I have a button on and someone congratulates me or wishes me happy birthday. Those little things are HUGE to me. The majority of CM's are fantastic and they are the ones that enhance my experience every time. My brother is about to become one in the spring and I cannot wait for him to experience that.
2. The music in the rides/around the park. Brings me back to when I was a child/teenager watching the classic Disney movies. Being at Disney just makes me happy. I don't have to do anything other than just sit on a bench in one of the parks and soak it in. You can't put a price on that.
3. The ease of transportation. Yes, bus service can be annoying many times, but the last thing I want to worry about is a rental. There are so many options to get from one place to another with Disney transportation. Also, being about to experience other hotels without being a guest.
4. The food. Yes, it can be hit or miss. But the theme of the food, and more often times than not, it tastes great.

 

[Brett Wyman]

I have to say Cast Members as well. They continue to be amazing at WDW. My littlest got his head stuck in the rails at the MK boat launch and CMs came out of the woodwork in seconds to assist, and were amazing.

 

[Twitterpaited]

Disney is also my happy place, because I admire all of the details to create a magical experience for guests - from the classics dreamed up by Walt to the new, immersive attractions created by the Imagineers.

What really stood out to me on my recent trip was still the interactions with the Cast Members, trying to keep the experience magical for the guests - taking care of us when my nephew got quite sick, encouraging my other nephew when he was frightened on Haunted Mansion, and giving us Anytime FPS when my sister couldn’t ride FOP.

 

[Spencer Wright]

I think they do an excellent job maintaining overlooked attractions and areas. While spotlessly maintaining every speck of property is to be expected, they do a great job making sure no nook and cranny gets overlooked. For example, the overlooked animal trails in AK still have a lot of Cast Members who are very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. And Disney has not reduced their presence at all in these areas.

And while there have been cuts (i.e. the Muppets in Liberty Square), I think they still do a great job making sure the Parks are busy bustling places with a lot to offer. For example, walking to AK the one day, Kevin was entertaining guests, while the bird show in front of the tree of life was going on. Meanwhile, guests were rushing off to very different activities and attractions (i.e. Lion King Show, FOP). As a childless millennial I can have a great time, while a family with small offspring can as well. Not too many places offer that!

 

[grossmansr]

I'm loving this thread right now because, like many of you, Disney is my happy place. As a long time fan, it's easy to get caught up in complaints and criticism. While I love having the space to voice my concerns - ok, sometimes rants, lol - there is still so much to love.

1. The landscaping, theming, attention to detail, and overall beauty is top notch. This has always been the case and I'm glad it hasn't changed.

2. Magic bands/MDE/FP+. Disney really took a risk here and, despite occasional glitches, I think they got it right. I was a huge skeptic at the beginning, after all but mastering the old Fastpass system. But I gotta say, I think the whole system is pretty cool now.

3. New attractions. Well, this might actually be a half complaint. I mean, it shouldn't be. I LOVE the new attractions. I remember when Soarin first came out! And the "new" Fantasyland with Enchanted Tales with Belle and 7DMT! Now, of course with FoP and even more on the horizon I should be thrilled. And I mostly am, because no one does rides like Disney. I suppose I'm just frustrated by how long it takes for new attractions to come out and how much more I wish they were doing. There is just so much potential for MORE!!! But I will stay positive because this is a positive thread. Ok.... I'm REALLY looking forward to the much needed changes at EPCOT. Let's hope they really go BIG here.

 

[Heather07438]

• #1- Park expansions and updates. Tron, Space220, Guardians, Mickey Railway, Rise of Resistance, Poppins, HarmoniUS, etc are all especially exciting. **Also hope that WDW comes correct with crowd dispersal during these phases.
• Mobile Ordering! It actually works
• Skyliner. Even with the hiccups, I'm very pleased that better modes of transportation are being explored.
• MagicBands have pros/cons. They are great to have all your WDW needs collected into one wristband. I love that but not thrilled with current methods of reservations which can be a nuisance. Needs improvement, the potential is there.
• WDW is keeping up with food trends to offer more options. Appreciated.
• The Magic of atmosphere, grounds, details, and CM interactions. Still there

 

[Jennasis]

Ooh Yes! MOBILE ORDERING! I cannot understand why more people aren't using it (but glad they aren't LOL).

While I still think FP+ is a bust, I DO think MAGIC BANDS are amazing!

 

[ArielDreams]

1. To me, Disney is a predictable vacation. I know what I’m getting myself into and can plan accordingly. With ME, bus service, monorail etc the transportation piece isn’t a worry or additional cost unlike other places I might travel. Everything is transparent - wait times, restaurants etc. I actually find planning for Disney vacations easier than other places.

2. I actually like FP+. It’s so much better than running all the way to Space Mountain to book a FP for whatever time it’s available (unknown until you get there) then having to kill time, potentially on the other side of the park, until the window opens. I love starting my day knowing I have guaranteed Space Mountain at 11am - no running around involved.

3. As others have said - the plans for Epcot are exciting and much needed. The construction right now might suck but in the long run it should be wonderful!

 

[clippers6]

1) Cast members are great and I think a big part is the training and empowerment they have. Compared to other places where the most minor of requests are met with “let me check with my manager”, Disney cast members are usually empowered to make things right themselves, often without even having to be asked.

2) Disney makes me feel like a valued customer. Yes, I can pay extra to enhance my experience, but at the very least I have access to transportation, FastPass, etc. More than any other theme park, Universal makes me feel like an ATM machine because they charge for every little thing and they charge so much.

3) Lots of food options and cast members that care about your dietary restrictions.

 

[Heather07438]

1) Cast members are great and I think a big part is the training and empowerment they have.

I agree! It was shocking to hear in the video about 15 'wrong' doings that CM training was reduced from 4 days to 4 hours on 'tradition'. I hope they know what they're doing?

 

[Ellie Webbs]

Wheelchair access, DW is one of the few places I don't have to worry about my mum not being able to get around and the ability for her to go on many of the rides is so appreciated, especially as she is by far the thrill seeker out of our family (DH included!)

Mobile order, brilliant for a slight agoraphobic person with social phobia and generally huge anxiety at any sort of contact at all, who is already 'peopled out' by 9.30am getting into the parks. Don't talk to me lol.

There's always something new to discover. A new cupcake, a secret menu item, a new ride, a tiny nook in a lounge or restaurant that you never knew existed. You are never a true 'Disney expert' because you can never know it all. As a huuuge research / type A / obsessive person this is both a challenge, exciting and frustrating all at once. I like to be kept on my toes!

 

[Boopuff]

Cleanliness - I've been to many theme parks all over, and Disney really does keep things clean!
Service - CM's are great, helpful, friendly
Surprises - Always something new somewhere! I also love some of our fave out-of-the way places to eat and rest.
Immersive - From the second your plane lands at MCO to the Magical express bus starts your trip off on the right foot, on site transportation, sports, food - it's got it all!

 

[TrolleyTrouble2713]

As controversial as they are, I think the projections on the Castle during fireworks shows are really impressive. This most recent one for the Halloween party does a great job of homaging classic Disney animation (their first animation, even), along with NMBC stuff. I'm sure a lot of people disliked them taking Grim Grinning Ghosts out of the show, but considering Haunted Mansion has an amazing multi-float parade unit while Nightmare has nothing in Boo To You, I think it's a fair trade.

(Also, man if the Hallowishes music didn't sound exactly as old it was).

 

[VandVsmama]

The FP system now is more accommodating to guests who park hop yet many DISers don’t know about this info.

Guests don’t have to pre-book 3 FPs...if they only pre-book 1 (or 2 FPs), as soon as they enter the line for FP#1, they can immediately book the remaining ‘initial’ FPs at Park#2 and/or Park#3...including Tier 1 attractions.

From the FP FAQ ADDENDUM STICKY:

When_2 or less FP are booked for Park #1:
If you book fewer than three FP and once you scan the first FP from within the first park, you can at that point make FP selections for a different park, even if you still have a FP remaining in the first park.

This can be especially helpful for Tiered parks – if for example you wish to hit Epcot at rope drop, use only a Tier 1 FP and then still have 2 more FP for another park later in the day.

Additionally, there is no restriction on Tier requirements BETWEEN PARKS during one day. So if you use a Tier 1 at Epcot you can then book a second Tier 1 at HS immediately upon scanning – Also, you can even book your remaining two FP at two different parks if you would like!

NOTE: Splitting FP between parks or booking for another park CANNOT be done until the same day, AFTER you have already scanned your card/MB at the first FP Mickey head to “prove” to the system that you’re in a park.

You cannot book for 2 different parks in advance or even on the same day until you have scanned your first FP (not just entered the park).

This is pretty awesome. I had no idea!

 

[VandVsmama]

Stuff that Disney is doing well at WDW:

1. options for people with various disabilities. This makes it possible to have a pretty hassle-free nice vacation with friends & family members who are disabled in some way. Disney does a wonderful job with this.
2. food allergies - WDW is one of THE best places to travel to if you have any sort of food allergy.
3. landscaping - I'm a plant person. The landscaping at all of the parks and the resorts is really well done. The Jungle Cruise area is 1 of my favorites. It envelopes you, makes you feel like you are on the other side of the world.
4. Hoop Dee Doo Revue - on a DIS Unplugged podcast once, Ryno said that everybody should go to this dinner show at least once in their lifetime. Well, we did exactly that on our 1st WDW family trip in 2018. He was totally spot on with that advice. It was really great. Good food, good atmosphere, good service, great entertainment. And it's at Fort Wilderness, which is just full of atmosphere all on its own.
5. transportation - so waiting for buses can be a royal hassle sometimes at certain times of day, but it's really nice to not have to worry about renting a car and all that.
6. Animal Kingdom Lodge - the theme'ing at this resort is phenomenal. We stayed here 1 night. Showed the pics to my sister who has been on a safari in Africa a couple of times and even she was amazed (she said, "Wow, I need to put that on my bucket list!"). The service at AKL was great. The food options were great. Sitting there on our balcony watching the animals on the savannah? It felt like we had Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom right in front of us. I hardly got any sleep that night because I stayed up so late watching all of the wildlife. Truly an amazing experience.
7. Flight of Passage ride - This is one of THE best theme park attractions I've ever been on. The queue is so well done, too.

 

[Alison S]

1. Performers and floats in the Christmas parade (I assume all the parades are good, but I've only seen that one!)
2. Ease of getting around without needing to rent a car
3. Variety of rides that are appropriate for younger kids and those of us who experience motion sickness
4. Theming- Pandora was REALLY impressive, actually pretty much all of AK was great! Also theming at resorts (like the volcano pool at the poly)
5. Refreshing for more FPs

 

[mamamelody2]

Love all the food options at WDW. We had the QSDP on a 9 day trip and I did not have a burger, pizza, or nuggets the whole time. Lots of varied options available.

We have been very happy with the WDW transportation system.

I really like the FP+ system and magic bands.

 

[mariapounce123]

The feeling I get. I started coming to WDW in 1975. My family would drive down from NJ. I remember looking for the signs to tune in to the radio station and listen for announcements on property. I remember the first time I passed under the welcome sign. I remember seeing the monorail for the first time and the excitement to discover which character lot you would park in. I could write a very long list of “I remember” and the feeling I had which is the same feeling I have to this day. My daughter has caught that “feeling” which tells me Disney still produces the same thoughts with the younger fans. Even though we don’t come as often due to cost, see the over flowing trash cans and deal with the crowds, that “feeling” seems to make the bad stuff seem small. To me, that’s what Disney does well. Thanks Walt!

 

[Imamom2]

Disney does a great job letting us escape from our everyday. We go to Disney to immerse ourselves in the parks, the characters, and the experiences. I wear my ears and we get themed Magic Bands. We get hoppers and do the extras like Savor the Savanna, Keys to the Kingdom, and this year MVMCP. We rope drop and stay late, use Magical Express and Minnie Vans... we go all in and have had wonderful trips. We get photopass and laugh at every picture. We eat great food and try lots of different things. We have been able to rent DVC and stay at deluxe resorts every other year for a while now and when we have considered going somewhere else my DH and I have always opted for Disney. I grew up renting houses at the Jersey shore and then did it with my own family. We spent a fortune and I cooked for all our visitors and cleaned and washed towels and swept sand every day and came home really tired from vacation every time. I don't feel that way after a Disney vacation. I can do the beach every day all summer here and I love it but I never step away from the everyday anywhere but at Disney. I cannot wait to walk into the Beach Club in a few weeks and and hear the cast member says "Welcome home".

 

[CT Yankee]

I second much of what was already posted: refurbishments, putting money into the parks, accessibility and accomodations for people with disabilities and food restrictions. This may be somewhat superficial, but I like that the dining plan includes an alcohol beverage for adults.