"Why I gave up on Walt Disney World"

Yeah, the very few times I go over to the Disney forums and on occasion these kind of posts come up sometimes I'll put my two cents in, but depending on the energy there I won't. A lot of times I keep it to myself as people seem to like to put the defense up for Disney. However, the few times I've expressed my reasons for taking a break on them and heading over to Universal I've had people be nice about it.

While it's not as if I'll never go to Disney again and I've expressed that more than once, I do not know if I'll be able to afford being an AP at Disney again with how things are going and might just splurge once in awhile. There's more to it other than the money and it would be one thing if I felt as if it was worth it, but I do not feel that way.
 


I find it silly the author is complaining about being able to use the internet to make dining reservations! Sure there are things that have changed, not all for the better obviously. I still appreciate Disney and go there. I do not have as long a history with WDW as many here, never went as a child, and have no strong attachment to the Disney 'magic' everyone bemoans losing, and have no Disney 'bubble' issues. I stay offsite when there most of the time, it's fine, really!
 
There are definitely pros and cons to having the ability of making reservations and while most people in the other post could see that complaint to be ridiculous I could see his point as well. It's amazingly easy, convenient, and nice to be able to research as well make those reservations. It's also good to have that ability with FP, especially when you stay on property. I've taken advantage of those perks, but rarely.

However, it's insane the amount of time you can do it ahead of time for dining reservations and if you're not on the ball, or not planning that ahead you may not get a chance to get what you want. I do prefer the idea of people having first come, first serve bases on FPs back in the day rather than what we have now, as so many people have the upper hand, especially with now their tier system making it more difficult. Also, while there are consequences of not arriving for your dining reservation which forces people to cancel at least within 24 hours which can free up things, you do not have the same rules for FPs. While some do cancel, I would imagine most people (whether they know ahead of time, or not) do not worry about cancelling it.

I do not like the way they describe it in the fashion that people are being absolutely lazy about it. However, I agree with the unfairness of it all.
 
Oh, I just saw that article and posted about it too! Sounds like it's drinking a chord with many people.
 


Find myself bemused by that sort of post & the typical ‘party’ line many take pro or con. usually avoid as they tend to deteriorate quickly and get ugly. Only read as it popped up in emailed newsletter as featured article.

Not sure why the author felt the need to share his salient points in an essay/defend his decision to segue to another park :confused3but appears it’s struck a nerve in this online community.

Who am I to judge where an individual prefers to vacation? If they post a thread and ask an opinion, then the door is open for personal input.I did wonder why the author felt the need to go into great detail as to ‘their breakup’? Not sure if they are seeking validation or just want to share but they surely don’t need to justify it :scratchin

I enjoy the 3 major parks in the Orlando area for their individual merits and overall vibe, yet I am tied both emotionally and monetarily (DVC) to the mouse. Nobody is twisting my arm, it’s my choice to allocate part of our entertainment budget towards the various APHs we hold.

I realize people love the Orlando theme parks, a rather interesting phenom as to how many tend to identify with them on a such personal level...akin to following a home-town sports team. Not one to bad-mouth however one chooses to spend their entertainment $$$s or which amusement park they choose to visit. I just hope the one I decide to visit on any given day isn’t crowded :)
 
I think for some Disney fans who have been so faithful through the years and spent all their vacation dollars only at Disney, when the bubble is burst for them (for whatever reason), they feel like Disney stabbed them in the back. So they aren’t just making a different decision for their vacation dollars, they are truly hurt on some level.
 
The reason why people feel the need to justify it is due to the fact that when you announce things like that, even breaking up with actual people, people always ask the same question, "Why?"

From there, you feel the need to explain your reasoning, on top of another reasoning. There is always "I did it for this reason." Then on top of that, people say, "But *insert defense, or positive attribute here*". Then you have to defend your reasoning with another reason, or why you may agree, or disagree with the others original comment, then the cycle continues.

Others may not feel the need to ask, defend, or feel as if people do not have to justify their behavior, but some people do and others feel they need to explain. I can understand, as being the fact that I have always been a fan of Disney and while I still love Disney, people still felt the need to be shocked and ask, "Why?!" When I told people I wanted to "take a break" from Disney and get an AP from Universal again.

At the end of the day, a lot of things (in general) have pros and cons. A lot of people discuss the pros, but do not point out the cons, or the flaws and sometimes people need to have that in check. Some people find that enlightening and some people find their bubble has been burst. Which is why these "posts" are controversial, because whether people agree, or disagree, everyone reacts differently.
 
It may sound silly, but I personally feel a need to justify to my old Disney-loving, "Universal-is-the darkside" self why I've fallen in love with Universal and don't really feel a desire to go back to WDW. Disneyland eventually yes, but only after a few more trips to Universal Orlando. I haven't experienced all of the issues mentioned in the article, but the crazy planning aspect is a huge part of it for me. I just decided that I really want a post-holiday escape, so I went online and booked a week at a Universal hotel with express passes for under $250/night, eight weeks out. I don't have to panic about booking Fastpasses too late. I don't have decide which park, which rides, on which days and times. We'll do whatever we feel like, because it's an escape from real life and schedules and stress. I found a nice restaurant in City Walk that I haven't tried, and I don't even have to make a dining reservation, much less worry because it's not six months out.
 
I gave up on it because it made me so sad to see how far it has fallen.

Trash everywhere, peeling paint and worn carpets. You never used to see that.

Cast members no longer like they used to be.

I know times change, but it is just not what I looked forward to or expect at Disney.

I also hate the fastpass system they have now.
 

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