Possibly my last WDW "park" trip

[Travel60]

When our kids were young, we visited WDW every year or so, buying 5 day passes or whatever iteration they were selling at the time. We showed up, bought our tickets, went to the park, park hopped till we dropped.

Those days were a major reason we bought into DVC. Fast forward 20 years, the kids are grown, DH and I still go to Florida for 4-6 weeks and stay at a DVC one or two bedroom (we call it our seasonal home). We haven't been to a park in years.

Next week, or DD, DSIL and grands are meeting us at WDW for a long weekend in DVC 2 BR. Four days but only one park day. I have sort of kept up with what it takes to go to the parks (reservations, etc) but decided I was not going to deal with it. I told DD that was her task. She made the reservations, bought the tickets, and paid ($1,000). Last night she called me and said "there's so much more to this.... I've been schooled and still have more research to do. There's Genie+ and that's $15 pp, then there's Lightening Lanes but you can only do one at a time, and on and on."" After paying so much money to fly down, using half our annual points and buying tickets, of course, we'll pay through the nose. But, no more.

I took grands to Dollywood this summer, Hershey Park is in our back yard. We'll go to Sea World. But I'm not doing this again. Who at Disney thinks making it did so hard to visit is a good idea?

 

[Minnie1222]

I'm the exact opposite. If they take Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes away, I will visit less often. The cost is so minimal compared to the enhanced enjoyment.

 

[Mambo Junkie]

It is more complicated than it used to be, especially since I have been there a lot. However, I have a friend who is there now, and 2 days prior to her leaving I was crash-coursing her through the most necessary things she should know. (She had not even opened her MDE app). I showed her how to pre-check in, open the door to her room, try for VQs, but most of the advice was basic. She's there now and having a great time. I told her that the 30 minute early park entry was everything, and she was amazed at how much they got done in that short amount of time. They have done everything they've wanted, and are not worried about the rest. We only worry about it because we know it's there. Since our family has always been a fly by the seat type of family, we found the pre-planning a burden and the regimented touring which came from overplanning downright miserable. That said, we adapted the philosophy to use our time wisely, and don't worry about what we don't get done. We'll catch it next time. I also don't think the Genie+ is necessary for any park except Hollywood Studios. If you figure out how to use it, you can have a great time and get everything done.

 

[disney-inspired]

I'm glad they're finally getting rid of park reservations starting next year. That was the most annoying to me.
I don't use Genie+ or LL when I go. Since I go frequently, I don't feel the need to rush. Also I find I get a lot done if I do rope drop but still go back to the hotel for a break.

 

[Travel60]

DH has gotten involved and is frantically trying to link all sorts of things. I'm petrified that he will delete our DVC reservation or our park reservations. He tends to poke every button on a page to see what it does. I told him I just want to walk into the resort, hand them my phone and say "do it". Unnecessary complexity.

 

[MillauFr]

Unnecessary complexity.

Just give the phone to the 5 yo granddaughter. I'm sure she would have the whole thing figured out in no time.

 

[SteveH]

@Travel60 - completely agree, beyond the complexity and outdated IT, the cash grab by Disney has really ruined it for us.

 

[katyjeka]

After our December 2021 trip we debated about returning. Our trip was a nightmare from beginning to end. Thankfully it was not our first trip so we knew how good it could be. My husband has a very stressful job and we HATE being tied to a phone while on vacation. Luckily for us our girls cannot live without their phones and are much better with the app so they take theirs. The idea of park reservations was not a problem with us as I'm a planner and have our days decided ahead of time. I miss fast pass but find Genie plus a good alternative even though its a little pricey for our large group. Food has always been hit or miss and we've actually seen some improvements over the years. We have however decided to travel to Disney less and will limit our trips to no more than once a year. We love national parks and have decided to visit as many as possible and for the second year in a row we will be in Gatlinburg for December instead of Disney. Dollywood in December, although cold, is so much fun. Love the atmosphere and the people are so kind. Our next trip to WDW is not until September but we are excited to be going back. We love Disney Halloween and the party is our favorite event held in Disney. We've had so much fun throughout the years at Disney and I just can't give it up completely. I'm hooked for life but I am willing to experience different things and am satisfied with our decision to go less often. Funny, five years ago we came very close to buying Disney Vacation Club but my husband was just not ready...today I wouldn't even consider it. I've accepted the changes they've made and the extra money we have to spend to enjoy our trip but I'm afraid of what new changes they may come up with. The sad part is for years I had no desire to look for alternative vacation spots. Disney worked well for our family and we just returned time after time. They've messed with a good thing and by doing so they introduced us to the rest of the world. We fell in love with other areas and discovered what we've been missing for years. Yellowstone, Redwood, Yosemite, White Sands, to name a few. The cost to visit is minimal compared to Disney and the experience is inspiring!! We are lifetime Disney fans and they will continue to get our hard earned dollars, just not as often.

 

[karen4546]

When our kids were young, we visited WDW every year or so, buying 5 day passes or whatever iteration they were selling at the time. We showed up, bought our tickets, went to the park, park hopped till we dropped.

Those days were a major reason we bought into DVC. Fast forward 20 years, the kids are grown, DH and I still go to Florida for 4-6 weeks and stay at a DVC one or two bedroom (we call it our seasonal home). We haven't been to a park in years.

Next week, or DD, DSIL and grands are meeting us at WDW for a long weekend in DVC 2 BR. Four days but only one park day. I have sort of kept up with what it takes to go to the parks (reservations, etc) but decided I was not going to deal with it. I told DD that was her task. She made the reservations, bought the tickets, and paid ($1,000). Last night she called me and said "there's so much more to this.... I've been schooled and still have more research to do. There's Genie+ and that's $15 pp, then there's Lightening Lanes but you can only do one at a time, and on and on."" After paying so much money to fly down, using half our annual points and buying tickets, of course, we'll pay through the nose. But, no more.

I took grands to Dollywood this summer, Hershey Park is in our back yard. We'll go to Sea World. But I'm not doing this again. Who at Disney thinks making it did so hard to visit is a good idea?

I guess I am one that goes with the flow and adapts accordingly.

I liked FP + and Magical Express. I love my DVC investment into memories.

If I were to take my grandchildren to Hershey park, Dollywood, or even Great a wolf lodge, the cost CS value is not the best for those places imo.

 

[john7994]

I'm the exact opposite. If they take Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes away, I will visit less often. The cost is so minimal compared to the enhanced enjoyment.

100% Agree … every time I see one of these threads (and they seem to pop time and again) - I never understand what is so complicated - book the travel - book the accommodation - buy the park tickets (or not) - and make reservations (dining or otherwise). For 3 of 4 of these things - you would need to do for any vacation to secure your best adventure.

For the parks, If you want to to do standby - walk up to the attraction and stand in line - if you want to do Genie+ or ILL to short circuit a few lines - pick your ride, get the time, show up at the appointed time. The cost/value equation is a separate issue as it would be for any other personal vacation destination/activity/dining choice.

 

[DeeBee3]

We are also DVC so we do not bother to do Genie+. I did use it when we went last Christmas and it was crazy expensive. We did not use on all days, however. I do like being about to pay for a lightning lane if a ride is very important to you. I pick rides with standby lines under 45 mins. Yes, it limits us, but we also know we will be back another time.

If it's your one and only trip, then I can see paying for the Genie+.

 

[katyjeka]

I guess I am one that goes with the flow and adapts accordingly.

I liked FP + and Magical Express. I love my DVC investment into memories.

If I were to take my grandchildren to Hershey park, Dollywood, or even Great a wolf lodge, the cost CS value is not the best for those places

I've seen a lot of Great Wolf Lodge specials(one right now for $89)although we are not huge fans. We live on the other side of Pa. but we often make the track to Hershey. I would compare it to any other amusement park. Nothing wrong with it, we have fun and often find discounted tickets but nothing special. We do enjoy their Xmas events. Dollywood is the closest we've got to Disney in terms of details and events. The theme is consistent throughout the park and it fits so well with the area.The employees are so sweet and they have the best train ride, even over Magic Kingdom. We could never spend as much time there as we do WDW but Christmas in Dollywood should be on everyone's list. I hope to one day take our grandchildren to Disney but I hope to have the opportunity to introduce them to other places as well. That's if we ever get them....the oldest of our 4 daughters doesn't have an desire as of yet but I can hope!!!

 

[hertamaniac]

We live within commuting distance of WDW and used to be AP holders for many years. But, right around the time the pandemic hit, we shifted our visits to only the resorts at WDW (DVC 2-bedroom villas). We have found that a resort only focused staycation was exactly what we needed to escape the lunacy of scheduling/crowds/etc. Instead of a stress inducer, it became a stress reliever.

We are resort focused first with a mild afterthought of visiting a park in the future. It's a paradigm shift in thinking, and we enjoy it.

 

[Travel60]

I guess I am one that goes with the flow and adapts accordingly.

I liked FP + and Magical Express. I love my DVC investment into memories.

If I were to take my grandchildren to Hershey park, Dollywood, or even Great a wolf lodge, the cost CS value is not the best for those places imo.

Have you been to Dollywood or Hershey Park? My kids grew up going to both and now grands love them. At a fraction of Disney's parks cost and NO hassle.

We will continue to enjoy DVC - have this 5 days booked at WDW, three weeks in January/February at WDW and a 3 BR at HHI for a week+ next summer. But I think I'm done with the hassle and money grab of the parks.

 

[Mambo Junkie]

Have you been to Dollywood or Hershey Park? My kids grew up going to both and now grands love them. At a fraction of Disney's parks cost and NO hassle.

We will continue to enjoy DVC - have this 5 days booked at WDW, three weeks in January/February at WDW and a 3 BR at HHI for a week+ next summer. But I think I'm done with the hassle and money grab of the parks.

 

[jimmymc]

I think Disney needs some sort of premium experience, like Express Pass, Genie+, Quick Queue, or Fastlane. The parks are crowded enough that you will be standing in a lot of lines if you just show up without any reservations. Genie+ isn't perfect, but I do prefer it to Fastpass+, and the original paper Fastpasses remain my favorite.

If you're curious about the history of using phones to reserve ride times, Disney knew the system was bad before they even debuted it, but executives felt they had already spent too much and were too deep to cancel it. So now we're stuck with the current app.

 

[iwannabdduck]

I'm in Travel60's camp. We just got back from a trip last week, and the wife & I decided it would be our last. We've been there enough now that our familiarity with WDW has eroded all the original magic & awe of our memorable trips before. But my moment of truth came as we were riding Pirates of the Caribbean. I was amazed at how much of that ride was in the dark now simply listening to music as we floated by, and how so many of the entertaining animatronics have been removed. To a much lesser degree I noticed some of the animatronics on the Spaceship Earth ride in Epcot were also replaced by darkness. The real disappointment came after we checked into Port Orleans Riverside and went to the lounge to enjoy listening to Yehaa Bob (yeah, I know, but we love him). He wasn't performing. Some other guy was working the piano, and he was really bad ... to say the least. Our waiter informed us that Bob Jackson was on vacation at the time, which is fine. But Disney, with it's infinite wisdom, still showed Yehaa performing all last week if you looked in MDE and MyPlans. So I hit the "feedback" link in the "welcome" email I got after checking into Riverside and voiced my disappointment. To Disney's credit, the phone in our room rang a couple of hours later. Kelly Kline, the resort general manager, personally called us to explain the situation and that he would have Disney's web site updated to reflect Mr. Jackson's absence. And as others have expressed, the increased cost, complexity and crowds are also taking their toll on our enjoyment as well. Not to mention taking my life into my hands driving down I-75 to get there.

Sorry for the rant.

 

[jimmymc]

I'll add to mine that I have started booking fewer park days and more after hours parties, along with Genie+. I'd rather fit everything into fewer days and enjoy the resorts in between than wait in lines my whole trip.

 

[katyjeka]

I guess I am one that goes with the flow and adapts accordingly.

I liked FP + and Magical Express. I love my DVC investment into memories.

If I were to take my grandchildren to Hershey park, Dollywood, or even Great a wolf lodge, the cost CS value is not the best for those places imo.

I don't feel it's a matter of adapting as much as it comparing how much more one has to spend to get an experience that is even somewhat close to what one used to get while visiting. Disney does a lot of things right but some changes are just discouraging. I love Disney and still feel it's a great vacation destination but I've finally realized that when I can visit the real deal(Canada, England, etc...)for less something is wrong. I'm the first person to stand up and tell the world how wonderful Disney trips are but for many it is now a been there done that kind of thing.For many it's to complicated. Years ago my parents took our girls on a kids only trip. My mom has since passed but my dad would like to take his great grandkids on a trip and will not as he finds it to complicated now. He still has a phone hanging on his wall and no cellphone!! Instead he decided to visit DC. Riding the metro with young kids should not be easier than Disney but for him it was!!!

 

[mickeymom629]

OP, you feel overwhelmed because you haven't been to the park in years and you are trying to plan for a group. I feel like you because we like to go to Disney with the whole family. If it was just DH and I, we'd relax and go with the flow. When we go with kids and grandkids, I like everyone to do as much as possible and that's where the stress comes in. It's not Disney's fault. What makes Disney World such a great vacation spot is that there is so much to do and our problem is that we want to do it all. With the expense that keeps rising, we feel like we should be able to do it all to get our money's worth. G+ is an added expense that helps doing more attractions but, for someone who hasn't used it, it seems overwhelming and 'hard'. We didn't get it at all on our last family trip and we waited in a lot of long lines. I plan to get it one or two days for everyone on our next trip (in a couple of weeks) but I sent links to everyone so that, hopefully, a few of us will have an idea.

We bought DVC back in 1999 and have enjoyed many family vacations. We've taken our kids/grandkids, though we don't have a lot of points so we need to bank and borrow. We are going on a trip with all of them at the end of the month and, after that, I plan to sell our DVC. We live in MD, so it's a long drive or a flight expense for everyone to get there. We are staying a week in a GV and most have tickets for everyday because of the grandkids. (DH and I have APs that we need to use before the vouchers 'expire'). Though we all would like to relax, it probably won't happen much - there is too much to do in WDW to fit it in a week! Some bought MNSSHP tickets. (DH and I don't pay for anyone else's tickets, transportation or food anymore - only stocking the fridge in the villa). I am going to treat for G+ for one or two days (instead of a character meal that we usually do). It seems so overwhelming, especially because we are a large group. I am the planner and was always the fp grabber/booker. We all love Disney and I'm sure we will be back (I still have unused tickets).