Disney Needs You Back
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- Опубліковано 27 вер 2024
- Disney has come out recently and confirmed that many guests have stopped visiting their resorts and frankly, this terrifies them, and they’re willing to do almost anything to get you and other guests to come back.
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As a visitor from the UK, in the past few years we've lost: free airport transfers, heavily discounted or free dining packages, extra magic hours, free fastpass, free magic bands, Disney Springs bag drop on our last day, one water park (depending on the time of year we visit), park hopping whenever we want, and a heck of a lot of goodwill. On our last trip we hired a car and split our time between Disney and Universal, whereas before, we were 100% Disney people. The next time we go will be when Epic Universe opens, and I can guarantee we'll split our time again. Disney will have to work very, very hard to get us to do a 100% Disney trip in the future - we've simply lost too many of the benefits for us to want to spend all our time there.
Exactly what I was about to write also as I’m from 🇬🇧
There’s soooo many benefits they’ve taken away now and it’s sooo expensive.
I really miss pre 2019 times 😢
Just another example of short sighted corporate greet in action!.....in general company leadership teams dont care about the long term future of the businesses they run - they are incentivized to care about the next 2 or 3 years where they maximize profit to milk their bonuses out of the company, knowing that by the time the mess they are creating crystalizes, that it will be someone elses problem to mop up! if Disney park company exec's had their pay linked to 5 to 10 year performance of the business we'd see vastly different guest experiences as they'd suddenly stop focusing on short term gain for long term pain!
Bang on mate, the justification we used to make was the premium cost of staying onsite for a fortnight was worth it due to all the added extras/headache removers included for the price - why would we bother now?
Agreed. I've always stayed at universal anyway, but our trip last year was very mixed. Universal seemed even better than pre-covid and disney felt much worse. Despite the fact that Cosmic Rewind, ratatouille, galaxy's edge, toy story land weren't open when we had previously gone, just didn't feel the same, and way more expensive than before
Yes but would you like a cup of tea?
I was born in Orlando, attended the opening in 1971, and lived here for large parts of my life. Disney was always a given as a personal relationship with me as a local who could come and enjoy the parks and hotel properties 10 -20 times a year. I was thrilled to introduce my twins to Disney World in 2010 and Disney cruises....and it all went downhill from there. I've gotten the message loud and clear. Disney doesn't want my business and they certainly aren't interested in a long term relationship with anyone who doesn't have at least $10 grand to drop for starters. My kids are now avid Universal fans and I'm much happier putting my money in that direction where we feel wanted. No games, no bullshit. I'm old enough to remember Walt Disney's mission statement...to provide a safe, clean, reasonably affordable entertainment experience for families. That's completely gone. Now, Disney is the "Ex..." and while I might smile and nod as we pass by, the trust is gone.
Wow dude you said this perfectly. I’m Cuban and I started going to Disney as a kid when I came to this country, when I grew up and took my kids it was awesome to share with them the same memories I had. I’m glad I was able to enjoy this when my kids were small. Now they all want universal, same as you said. Disney is woke and unrecognizable to what I grew up with, no more fast pass, family oriented environment, etc.
and they don't want my family because our politics and life styles don't fit what they think we should.
@@jameswarfield4152Bag on Disney as much as you want, but Universal has same-sex couples dancing together in their daytime entertainment programs and same-sex couples adopting the animals in the Secret Life of Pets ride. They’re just as “woke” as Disney. If you’re so outraged, go visit Noah’s Ark or something.
I remember the very first day that Disney opened up a park. It was simply magical, even having to go to the ticket, booths and buying tickets to ride the rides. I’m not quite sure but I think it cost 15 dollars to get in and then you have to buy the puns like at a carnival, I went back many times as a child and did the same with my family. My children have been going with their children but enough is enough. We can’t sell our homes for five day visit at Disney. We have to have something to come back to Disney has made it unaffordable for families. There is no mission statement anymore. There is no magical moments. It’s nothing but stress and exhaustion to pay all that money for a ticket to stand in line for over 90 minutes and more you don’t get to enjoy the parks anymore. It’s all a joke. Universal’s got it going on now Are used to have annual passes for Disney and Universal now I just have for Universal my youngest still has her pass for Disney as well as her husband and child but this is their last year as well. They said enough is enough it’s strictly going to be universal and Seaworld now and Seaworld stepping it up with the roller coasters can’t wait for the penguin one to come out😊
Same, I haven’t been to Disney or Universal in a long time but the last two times at Disney were a nightmare and I rather pick Universal out of the two. I have zero desire to go back to Disney!
My relationship with Disney has gone from spending all of my expendable income on Disney vacations, working all the overtime I could get to squeeze in any extra trips I could afford, etc. to being so pissed off at the company that I don’t know when I’ll ever go back. They’re trying to coast on their world class reputation but this reputation has been destroyed.
Me too. I go to the Disneyland hotel yearly for a week long education class. I loved having an annual pass but at $1,200 I can go to Hawaii. The Pirates of the Caribbean doesn’t make sense now they changed the ride.
@@erikh9991wait, what did they do to the ride?
@@rmb6037 The women are chasing the pirates with brooms and they took out the salve auction. Good gravy, what type of pirates get scared of brooms?
20 percent of their audience is conservative. They really don’t care for their woke agenda and their support of gender fluidity. Wether they intended too or not, they are helping groom children or allow them near them.
@@erikh9991 Pirates will be restored to its original glory for its 75th anniversary or earlier. One of my first acts after taking over Disney will be to restore Pirates to its original glory if it hasn't already been done so. That includes the restoration of the auction, the pirates chasing the women, and the scared woman hiding in the barrel from the "pooped pirate" and the woman will be a caricature of Kathleen Kennedy as punishment for what she did to Star Wars. Like what's she going to do about that? Sue me?
I don't have to wake up at 7 AM to get a time slot to ride Velocicoaster. I can just go to Universal with friends, ride rides, get food, and escape into appealing fictional worlds. Disney doesn't offer that -- there's too much micromanagement via phones and reservations, too many obsolete rides, and too many cut corners for the high prices they charge. Worse, I found it hard to escape the heat during my most recent trip to WDW. Disney will need to install more expansions better than Galaxy's Edge and Pandora to win me back. I'm happy with Universal and local amusement parks for now.
This is a huge thing for us. We are AP at universal and can easily schedule a last minute long weekend with little to no planning. My husbands company is sending him to a meeting in Orlando in a few weeks and we were thinking Disney, but the prices are insane and we couldn’t get the dining reservations we wanted. So we’ll do Universal instead.
Last I went to disney I took my foster kiddo who has type 1 diabetes. She can not stand in the sun for too long or her sugar will drop. It was so hot at WDW that her sugar kept dropping and we had to get a medical pass so we wouldn't have to keep getting out of line. At universal the lines are mostly indoors and air conditioned thank goodness
guardians is better then velocioaster. VC is more intense but there is not a more fun ride in orlando then guardians.
@@brettherring2138 Doesn't matter how good Guardians is when it's too difficult to ride. In the past 2 years I've been on Velocicoaster 3 times and Guardians 0. I'm not waking up at 7 AM unless I'm getting paid for it. I'm especially not getting up at 7 AM to see all boarding groups are full already or I'm going to be stuck in a construction zone park longer than expected.
@@dragonmyr you realize there is another cue at 1pm right?
I can’t afford a Disney vacation anymore. They’ve made it near impossible for the average person to visit.
The average person can't eat at McDonalds anymore much less go to Disney.
@@topherbec7578 Sadly very true
unfortunately Disney doesn't want everyone, just the wealthy
I saw a lot of poor people there.
@@lastcall170 this is the main reason why they keep themselves poor, because they waste their money.
As an annual pass holder at both parks for years, Universal has risen in favor while Disney has fallen tremendously. Universal treats their annual pass holders like gold compared to Disney. Why pay for a Disney hotel than has been re-themed to look like every where else? The CONSTANT raising of prices, the loss of "perks", plus the dismal movies Disney keeps putting out isn't helping.
Big facts
Funny - didn’t Universal just raise their prices to match Disney price increases? Funny that simple detail is being left out.
Disney recent movies are far better than what Universal has been putting out.
Universal rocks! Like you said they treat their pass holders like gold always have. I’ve been a AP holder for years at universal with the pass I have I get 1 night ticket to HHN and prime parking well worth it. Universal listens to their customers I remember they were kicking around the park reservations like Disney and boy did they get a lot of push back. They asked me in the park itself if I was for it or against it. I told them I’ve been a AP holder for years a big part of being an AP is to go to the park is when ever I feel like it. If universal did the reservations I will cancel my AP and never return to universal again. I will look at them just as bad is Disney.
@@moneymanD871 Depends on the day and park. Disney lowest is $109 at AK. Uni is $119. Still a better deal IMHO because we know what’s coming. Disney has nothing.
Too little, too late.
I was a disney adult a few short years ago, bringing up 5 little disney fans. When the product started losing its charm I woke up and realized our trips to Disney World were on par with the cost for 7 of us to see the world (literally) in 4-5 star fashion. The "real world" won. We have expanded our horizons and traveled to Asia, Australia, and Europe in the last 2 years and have experienced (arguably) better Disney parks like Shanghai and Tokyo for close to what we were spending just to stay on DW property. The kids don't even want to go back to Disney World and they are all at pretty prime ages - around the age I fell in love with Disney.
I'm not sure what it would take to win us back to another DW vacation but it would include returning the resorts to the way they used to be (and would require the motel 8 next to the Poly to be leveled) ...and that's not going to happen.
I had in the past wondered what we would ever do for vacations if WDW didn't exist, and I'm so happy to say that we found it, and it's so much better!
Exactly right. It costs less to visit and experience “real” places all over the world rather than Disney. It could be a fantastic fun place to visit with easier ride access
There are too many things in Europe that I would want to see over going to Disney for the same money.
My wife is more the disney fan than I am and I always used to joke with her, why have I travelled 4000 miles to have my picture taken infront of a plastic castle when we have real ones at home 🤣
That is what I tell people. The amount of money you have to spend in Disney for a long weekend surpasses that of a trip anywhere else and experience other cultures, either in the USA or outside. Outside of the plane tickets, when you add the insane price for a hotel in Disney, the theme parks and paying to cut the lines so you don't have to wait in a longer line, you might as well visit a new place and experience something different. Its way better. Last time, Disney cost me about 3 grand for a long weekend. All the other places I can visit for that money is mind boggling. What was I thinking? No more.
Amazing how such a big company didn't know that they're guest want simplicity and relaxation. Not stress and disappointment...
I feel the differences highlighted between Universal's transparent ticket price, vs Disney's deceptive pricing with its, "only on certain days at Animal Kingdom", is the current tone difference felt by consumers when comparing the two companies.
Universal’s ticket prices are date based also and vary up to $179 for a one day / one park ticket. So they are tricky just as much as Disney is.
I can't believe how stupid the Disney Co. has gotten so far! Don't they realize that the best way for them to stay in the loop is to start lowering their prices on theme park, food and other certain items they sell! If they want customers and vacationers to stay at their resorts and enjoy the whole time staying for the rides and entertainment, this has to be done or else nobody is going to visit Disney's resorts any longer. Infant, you might say that all the other theme parks, including Knott's Berry Farm, will be picking up all the business before too long.
@@roseNthorn yeah but you can see the price for each day
Disney was once an enchanting destination, however, there blatant price gouging, dishonest retraction of perks which were once free,and as if this wasn't enough , they are pushing the lgbtqzixc+ political agenda in children's movies. Disney is just a big turn off for me and my family. We used to go once a year for 2 weeks to a Disney resort, we have been to Orlando, Anaheim, Paris, and Japan but not anymore,we haven't been to Disney since 2018, and frankly we will probably not go back, all because they showed us their true colors. We have been visiting exotic theme parks like Efteling in the Netherlands which was awesome and extremely affordable just to give you an example. Sorry Disney, you destroyed Walt's vision and have given us horror, unwanted politics, and turned wholesome children's movies into a showcase for a wildly unpopular ideology which has no place in a children's movie.No thanks.
Universal is expensive, but the experience is so much better. I think the problem is that Disney raised prices while making the experience worse overall (rather than improving it).
I would laugh out loud if Universal announced a free magical express-type service when Epic Universe opens
Universal is banking on Brightline to pull in Guests. Not free, but conveniently located in the universal area.
I am very grateful for Universal. If not for them, there would be no competition and Disney would simply get away with all this robbery. I hope that Epic Universe succeeds 1000% and takes away guests from WDW so that they can finally see that $$$$ going away and make some changes back how it used to be.
NOT Gonna happen, it's too late for that.
I gotta admit the last time I went to Disneyland earlier this year the park looked so dismal, dingy and drab like it seriously needed a paint job
it looks nowhere near as nice and clean and bright as Tokyo Disney
It would be awesome if Disney got into such dire straights they were forced to sell the US parks to the Oriental Land Company - who run Tokyo Disney under license. Pretty sad when another company cares more about the Disney image than Disney itself and the best run Disney park is one they have very little control over. Disney pressured them to change Splash Mountain and they flatly refused - good for them!
The option to shop in the parks and pick up purchases at the end of the day when leaving was a small perk that literally made me feel like it was all worth it. Such a tiny detail...but now it doesn't exist. That's where Disney has gone off the rails, they lost sight of what the human beings who visit their parks are actually FEELING.
Disney is the only company in the world that is actively adding friction to transactions. They thought they could get away with it, because they thought their customers were drones. But seriously, what moron exec sits around and says "You know what would be a great idea? Make it more annoying for people to buy our overpriced merch! It'll save us a few bucks and our customers will still buy stuff even if they have to lug it around in 100° weather all day."
It was always the little things - not needing to carry bulky souvenirs, daily mousekeeping touches, interactions with cast members who made you feel like they had all the time in the world to help you - it's all gone, and it's what justified disney prices years ago, before it got even more expensive
It makes zero sense to like helloooo id buy more if i dont have to fkn carry it
@@hollybabyyyexactly
Took my mom to Disneyland 3 weeks ago. Half the cast members we dealt with were grumpy and couldn’t be bothered to help. I was so concerned with trying to make it magical for my mom that I didn’t really enjoy my time there. The magic has changed since I used to visit pre-COVID.
Yea, but we’re they diverse? Dudes with beards in dresses, etc.
That’s the main thing.
Not.
I feel bad for the cast members. I remember pre-pandemic, I was on Main Street in Disneyland with a fresh macaron from the Jolly Holiday bakery after waiting in line for like 30 minutes, ready to enjoy the Christmas music and do some people watching and shopping. When we do trips, my personal tradition is to let my husband and the grandparents take my kids for a few hours while I do this, it’s my favorite. I stumbled and dropped my macaron on the way to a bench and a cast member across the street happened to see, ran over, and used her radio to get someone to bring me a new macaron, and then chatted with me while I waited for it. It was lovely. My favorite memory of those people watching evenings.
Now, every cast member looks like they’ve been beaten down. And with the debacle of COVId and being essentially laid off, then brought back well below living wage to a park that has much less for them to offer already annoyed guests, all while execs give themselves bonuses…yeah. Disney made a fatal mistake when they disregarded their workforce. The employees are a solid 75% of the “magic” in the parks.
@@DOSU490that’s not a thing. Keep making up your racist scarecrows though, totally in the spirit of Disney magic.
@@said8784 But it is actually a thing that has been recorded and broadcast. Dude with beard in dress welcoming little girls to Bibbidi Boppidi Boutique. You can close your eyes and deny it, but it still has and is happening.
What is worse is that the number of people is still in the 20% down from 2019 (pre-COVID). The stress on the cast members should be almost nonexistent under those conditions. Unless of course Josh and the other parks management are incompetent within DPEP (or whatever they re-organized parks into) with the latest 10-K.
My wife and I can go to Europe for the price of a stay at WDW. Always dreamed of a visit to Efteling. It looks "magical". Done with Disney.
That’s why I feel too. I can travel the globe for the price of two vacations at this point.
Oh, you won't regret visiting the Efteling! Make sure you go when new ride Danse Macabre has opened, as it looks to be something special. Next to that you might want to wait until Efteling Grand Hotel has opened. Every Efteling hotel is great (I especially love Bosrijk (translation: Forrest Realm)), but the Grand Hotel is actually in the park. Also go to their upsell theatre show Caro. If you stay at the Efteling you get a hefty discount, making it just about 15 Euros. This while the show is magnificent and is made with international guests in mind. Talking about that, ask guest services about English language options before going into the park, as park show Raveleijn for example has a live English audio translation available.
Furthermore, unlike a certain Disney resort in France, the Efteling invest heavily in (big) refurbishments next to their expansions. Darkride Fata Morgana and rapid river Pirana are going into lengthy refurbishments soon, so check that out before going.
Finally, if you want more out of your trip you could also visit the nearby safari park Beekse Bergen and the bit further smaller sister of the Efteling: Toverland. Not affiliated to the Efteling but with the same level of quality, they have some fantastic rollercoasters.
funny you should say that,im from the uk.i went to universal this september although it was alright, once youve seen it 7 times like me you start to get bored of it.i found the price rises were really bad and the accomidation was very poor compared to previous times,6 dollars for a bottle of coke is not acceptable.im now just gunna stay over this side of the globe and do efteling.theres next to no ques there and only an hour hop on a plane
Efteling is super fun! We only spent a day there, but should have spent 2. We also enjoyed Phantasialand and Europa Park, which are both in Germany.
I still remember a time in which Disney was hurting so much that they offered free admission on your birthday! This was brilliant, as it meant that it was only free for that one day, so you still had to pay full (though significantly lower back then) price, and odds were good, that you would be going with your family, so they all had to pay full, every single day you were at the 4 park resort. I saw sooo many people wearing those birthday buttons.
They use to give employees of Disney connected services like Mears drivers. No more.
Yes I remember that but the parks were packed during this time...my daughter also received a $100 Disney gift card on top of free admission to the park, on her B-day.
@@cassidystarchild7907oh wow! That’s pretty cool, and definitely would make that a more magical day.
When you say “packed,” when were you going? I went early May 2005, and you didn’t need a fast pass for anything, as everything was walk on. We later went during Xmas/News Years that same year and it was the busiest I had ever seen it in my life at the time (and that’s comparing all the other times I went for Xmas/New Years.
We went the same early May time in 2009, during a scary pandemic where they closed down several schools (at least where I lived). It was significantly busier when compared to that same time in 2005, but no where near what “off peak” was like in 2015 and so on, as it got worse and worse each year. It was busy enough though that I acknowledged that the promotion had indeed worked.
The value just isn't there anymore. In the past, my friends would go every couple of years during a free dining plan week, stay in a value resort, use the free transportation to and from the airport, and spend all day in the park with the magic evening hours. It was expensive, but it felt like we were getting a lot for our money and that the price tag was justified. More importantly for Disney's bottom line, we were happily ensnared in the Disney web from the moment our plane landed (there's even a Disney store right there in the airport, how convenient!) until we boarded. They'd even send you Magical Express luggage tags, so you were in the spirit while you were still at home packing.
Now, what's in it for anyone other than the fans with the most money? What point is there in staying on property at all? I refuse to wake up at six in the morning during a vacation, so the early admission they offer hotel guests is useless to me. We could just stay at a nearby hotel for less than half the cost and still get a free ride to the parks every morning. Some of those hotels still offer a free airport shuttle and even free breakfast too! If we're not staying on Disney property anyway, might as well save some money by waiting a bit longer and calling in a pizza for dinner when we get back. And if I know I have to haul everything back to the Holiday Inn at the end of the day, there's way less incentive to buy merchandise and souvenirs. They may make a grand total of $30 each off of my group if there's a really long line at some point, but they're trading that for the hundreds each of us would have spent if it felt like the magic was still there.
My thing has always been (as a single adult with no kids) I'm ok with shelling out a ton of money to enjoy Disneyland once a year, but if you're asking me for this much cash AND you're totally unwilling to pay your employees a decent wage?? Idk it gets sadder and sadder every year. Last time I went the vibes were so bad, I realized I couldn't keep supporting them for the foreseeable future.
Nothing puts a worse taste in my mouth than the fact that extra magic hours are now only offered to ✨deluxe✨resort guests when they were previously offered to all resort guests…ew…EWW!
Are you kidding me? When did that start? That’s horrible.
I know, we haven't been in a few years, and were hoping to splurge this year and stay on porperty to get a lot of extra benefits and make it eaiser with kids now. Little did I know that pretty much all those benefits are gone. Like magical express and extra magic hours. Decided to go to dollywood for a fraction of the price instead.
@@jettrooper101 funny you mention Dollywood we went for the first time 2 years ago and our kids had a blast!. we ended up getting annual passes to DollyW and splash country even though we live 2 hrs from disney lol. We made it a tradtion to go during the fall and a bunch during summer.
My kids don't even ask about disney anymore. the combination of touristy things in pigeon forge/gatlineburg like dollywood/annakeesta etc AND the nature/hiking/outdoors aspect of the smokies opened my eyes on so many better things that are better use of your money than disney.
And all disney influencers keep ignoring it, like it's sooooooooo great that extra magic hours are back, but only if you're paying $500-$1000+ per night for your room you won't be in......
@@ShayShayChardonnay if you were smart you would invest in DVC then you could get those hotels alot cheaper in the long run and get the extra magic hours.
When I was a kid you could buy several days worth of tickets and add no expiration. So we were able to go back years later with the days already paid for. Disney, in typical fashion, realized that put too much power in the hands of its guests and ended that feature.
That’s the line of thinking that has lead Disney to where it is today.
When I was a kid, “no expiration” came automatically with every ticket bought…. I just recently used 2 days left from an 80’s ticket I found at my parents’ house.
@@vespista1971 I remember when we went back after they stopped using paper tickets with no-expiration paper tickets they looked at us like we brought in some relic of a bygone era. But they honored them because that was the agreement. I would totally still buy no-expiration tickets because each day is cheaper the more days you buy. But Disney takes the magic away everywhere they can now.
I used to always think about the next time I would get to go to Disney. Not anymore.
I've had my AP for half of my adult life. I don't think I'll ever drop it as I live up the road. That being said, I went from dining every time and buying merch, to just eating every time, to dropping a pass tier, to occationally eating at the parks to almost never eating at the parks AND bringing drinks with me.
I feel like as they rose their AP prices and as they turned "in the know" food deals into overpriced offerings, I only eat at the parks when friends want to eat in the parks. Even now, people from out of town will want to eat around the parks instead of inside of them because of corporate greed.
FAFO
I totally agree, I lived here 10 years ago, moved to dallas and now i'm back with a new AP and its SHOCKING to see how many values that if you knew about them existed are gone, how many of the things we used to do as AP holders just don't exist or even sadder are now charged extras... and how many of the dining experiences are now worse and more expensive (Teppan Edo at epcot used to be my go to, I miss the wagu rice and free refills on it, that's gone, and the show from the cook is much worse, the local hibachi outside the parks at Kobe is 2/3 the price and 100 times the show with double the food) it's also disturbing how many breakdowns and poor maintenance things i've seen in my few months back, when I was here before everything was much more polished and I think in 5 years of AP back then I only ever had a ride actually clear the que 2x (once on the AP preview of Everest and once on a legacy attraction) and in the few months back i've been line cleared four or five times, I was cleared twice in one day at galaxies edge... and tbt it would just take some small things to make me happy... bring back the little things most still exist just quit seeing them as a upcharge...
The damage is already done. Even as my WDW friends who work there offer me free admission I refuse to be apart of Disney abusing and scamming the world.
My grandfather was the head mechanic over Disneyland until he retired. My uncle filled his shoes year later. One of the greatest perks was family passes and family and friends park sign in aka free passes. They took both away after Covid. Disney keeps burning the truly loyal guests and those who keep their parks open and running! They need to wake up
Disney has simply (become) too greedy. I had an annual pass for Disneyland Paris for years, but the costs kept rising and the content became less and less. Just as stated in this piece; you also get less and less for your money in the parks. This always causes frustration and, above all, a feeling that you are being cheated. I didn't have that experience when I went to Universal. And in the meantime, here in Europe there are other parks that are getting better and better than Disney. The expansion of the Efteling, Europa Park and Parc Asterix show that Disney is no longer alone at the top.
More lost Magic:
1. No more luggage service where you dropped off your bags at your home airline, and they showed up in your room.
2. Daily Housekeeping in all but the Grand Floridian.
3. Greatly reduced Bell serves.
4. Not able to buy something in the parks, and have it show-up at you hotel the next day.
5. 120 day reservations.
6. Lower quality in the food, and smaller portions and a greatly increased price (Disney went to quick and cheep):
e.g. Prime Time's pot-roast was a slow cooked beef, gravy that tasted homemade, with a good portion of meat, mashed potatoes and veg. Now it is a quickly cooked small piece of meat on top of some potatoes, with gravy that tastes like it came from a can (all under seasoned).
7. No more greater at the entrance of the park that would make you feel special by asking if this was a special occasion, writing it on a button, and giving it to you to wear.
8. Reduced characters and street performers walking around (Disney does not like paying more for the cast members that are part of their version of the actors union).
The food portions were insulting in some cases. I opted for baked chicken at Sports . It was a huge portion. The food at the parks is way less in portion size and 3x the price. Beer is $12 a glass. Soda is $5 and water is $4. Glad I didn't have any alcohol.
The damage is done - my money will be spent elsewhere. Also, I genuinely believe that social media ruined the vibes in the parks in general.
Agreed - I was in the US in 2002 and there were no vloggers and other douchebags. I came back twenty years later, in 2022 and I passed so many clowns talking into their phones like they were Walter Kronkite, reporting the moon landing or something. I don't know what it is but it just makes the parks feel worse.
Haha, complaining about social media in a social media video is such an irony.
@@fastpassfacts thanks for reminding me why I don't engage with the comments section
Disney went woke. F em
When inflation is through the roof & basic necessities are costing more & more, people are gonna have to weigh brand loyalty for leisure and things that they need to survive. And for a lot of folks, even heavy discounts won't put that vacation back into the budget, unfortunately.
I live in Italy and 3-5 times a year I would go travel to Disney world with friends from Barcelona, my wife, or just myself. I noticed before 2020, it was worth it, fun, and felt the magic. Since then, none of my friends from Barcelona wanted to go at all this year because they felt the quality of food went down, my wife skipped out because she said it’s not worth it, and because of this I’ve only gone 2 times this year and alone. My friends also hate the all day on your phones aspects, the reservations or nothing for dining, or waking up early to get on rides. we come from a work life that is really phone based and Disney used to be so great that you can leave your phone in your hotel room and become completely immersed by the park. I will always love Disney and I still go because of pure nostalgia. But I am jumping through too many hoops to feel something Disney used to be made of naturally.
The constant price hikes show they are out of touch with consumers. You are right -- the visitor they want is the one with deep pockets. The average family cannot afford this vacation venue any more.
I definitely feel like it’s tainted & we now have no desire to go back for a longgg time, whereas usually we splash out & go big every few years. The last time just really didn’t feel magical
Jacked up prices, the eliminatiom of Magical Express, free magic bands, no extra magic hours, the filth at the parks and hotels, the constantly breaking down rides, having to be staring at your phone all day, and nothing being done about the flood of line jumpers are all reasons we will never return to Disney World although we loved almost every trip we took there.
My wife had been going to WDW since the 1970's and had been looking forward to attending the 50th anniversary celebration with our granddaughter for quite awhile but Disney has gotten so bad that even she couldn't bring herself to schedule the trip.
List of every WDW perk that has been removed in less than 3 years:
- Magical express
- Magic bands
- fastpass+
- dining plan
- Parking lot trams
- Happily Ever After
- Park Hopping
What did i miss?
list of things WDW has added to make things worse / complicated/ expensive
- MagicBand+ (Something that was free is now ~$40 per person)
- Genie+ (Again, $30 per person for something that used to be free, oh yea and now you have to wake up before 7 am on vacation to get any use of it)
- Park reservations
- park hopping restrictions
- Lightning lane
- Individual Lightning lane
And I’m sure others…
The answer is clear- they have created a vacation experience that is both more expensive AND more complicated. Why would we choose that?
Upper management wants to get RICH and have a GOLDEN PARACHUTE when they retire. And they will do it by any means - only they are sabotaging themselves with their out of touch mindset. YOUR FIRED - get people in there that will do the job right.
They no longer bring your shopping bags to the room of you stay on the resort. I don’t think they bring your shopping bags to the front of the park if you buy merch throughout the day either.
Parades and shows have become extremely limited too.
Oh and limited magic hours 😢
It’s almost impressive how quickly Disney absolutely destroyed their customers’ goodwill. It was so effective it almost seems like it has to be on purpose. Such a thorough evisceration of their brand-it will be studied by companies for years to come as a roadmap to total annihilation.
Who would have thought that making terrible movies and tv series have consequences to Disney's brand image? As well as raising the price on everything and milking the guest dry to make up for their said failures? You push out the middle class and favor the rich class in a down economy, what the hell did Disney think would happen?
They would need to bring back the old fast-pass system and take away the phone aspect of going to the parks . I’m there to enjoy myself and the company of those around me , not my cell phone
That $60bn isn't slated for WDW but the Int'l parks.
I was a regular AP holder and went to Disneyland Resort often. But when the APs passed the $700 mark it just became unsustainable. I quit going to Disney parks a year before the pandemic. After the pandemic the ticket prices exploded and they added genie plus. Taking my family to Disneyland for one day now is going to cost over $1000. The discounts they have offered are either attached to multi day tickets which seem like a deal but still would cost a Family of 4 $1000 when they only want to visit one day. Their discounts often exclude anybody who is a teacher because they are only good when school is in session Moreover the cheapest Magic keys are only good on school days.
On the bright side, this has all helped me discover what nice park and value Knott’s Berry Farm is. I got APs for my family for less than a day at Disneyland and no blackout days.
I won’t be going back to Disneyland until they get rid of Genie Plus. Yes I do understand that may never happen. (I guess I can wish upon a star.) But Genie Plus has to be the dumbest idea Disney has ever come up with.
For the 9 trips we have done to WDW from the Uk. I could easily do it for around £8000 for a 17 day trip. Next year it’s coming in at around £15000 for the same trip. Tickets have just got out of hand for a family of four and Genie plus has killed it with the added fees for lightning lans. Unfortunately that’s us now done.
My family went to WDW the week of Jan 2 this year. Parks were so crowded and I said I would never go back. Packed in like sardines everywhere. Super long waits for rides. I figured they were trying to make up for Pandemic losses and allowing too many people in. The evening firework show was the worst part. Shoulder to shoulder everywhere. No wonder some fights were breaking out. Sad times.
Same here. Halloween was a damn crowd fest.
Disneyland Paris isn't any better. The square before the castle and Main Street were packed with people. So much so it made me uncomfortable. We said to each other "This could get very bad if a panic breaks out for any reason." Personally I think it's a capacity problem at DLP. It's what you get when you're the #1 tourist destination in Europe but you don't build additional rides. Seriously, the last resort wide addition has been Ratatouille in 2014 (Space Mountain at Disneyland Park will in 2025 be the last in 30 years!). After the whole Studios expansion project is done and Frozen opens they've added one major attraction, and a small one in the Tangled boat flat ride. You won't gain any capacity that way.
We saw it like that at Disneyland when my kids were toddlers (2 and 4) and they’re 20 and 18 now.
Highly highly recommend watching the fireworks from the grand Floridian by the boat launch! Great view and an open spot to dance with the kiddos!
@@JessicaTheEngineer that would be way better. In front of the castle with crowds really sucked.
Was an AP holder for well over a decade. You have to be a software engineer to plan a trip now. It was great to be able to book your 3 fastpasses for the family before you went and you could book others as your day went by at the park. Rarely did we ever have to wait in the standby line for any ride, including Avatar at AK. It was all so easy to plan out and be spontaneous at the same time. It wasn't cheap by any stretch, but we always felt we got some semblance of our money's worth. The final dagger was how we were treated there during covid at Wide World of Sports during my daughter's cheer events. The security guards were downright nasty in forcing us to wear masks in 90+ degree heat outside and away from anyone else. F them.
DVC member here, I just got back from Animal Kingdom Lodge/Wilderness Lodge split stay last month. The parks are still crowded, and pricey (especially for families). My next trip is in January at the Poly/Grand Flo, but we’re just gonna do Universal Parks. The Disney parks are crowded and the experience is bogged down in convoluted planning (Genie+, virtue queues, etc). I’m just gonna go to Universal and ride E.T. Adventure 😂
Even worse when your allocated virtual queue slot is pulled due to lightning lane guests.
They can bring back the ability to send things i buy at the park back to my hotel any day now....
I went to Tokyo Disney instead this year. It was fantastic!
Yeah, it's not run by them - it's why the park doesn't suck!
The only bad thing about Tokyo Disney Resort is that they're not returning Annual Passes anymore 💀. They also refuse to bring back entertainment to DisneySea. We still have a significantly shortened version of Big Band Beat and the park doesn't feel the same without all the performers and random comedy cleanup cast members. Hopefully they fix that after Fantasy Springs opens. I'm also a bit glad there's still free Fastpass; but from what I've heard, the Fastpasses are all out by 11 am.
I love Disney, I REALLY do. I took my daughter (4) for the first time last year and taking her again this year but... considering cancelling my booking. For a moderate resort I am spending $350 a NIGHT. $350 to come sleep and shower. This is ridiculous, I don't get any real "perks" I still have to fork over $200 for transportation to and from the airport, even their dining plan isn't a "deal" I did the math and even if I get the MOST expensive meals I can and use EVERY dining credit it still doesn't matter. It's actually about the same price if I buy those same meals. Meaning if I skip a SINGLE meal I would have saved money NOT getting the dining plan..... Disney please get your heads out of your asses and drop down the resort prices and give us back the free perks. Resort guests need to be taken care of big time
So sad, we are a family of 5 so most rooms that accommodate us are in the $500+ range. How is a value resort charging $530 per night?? Crazy. Dining plan did not work out for us back in 2018 we quick service it and have groceries delivered.
Good-bye Disney! I'm having fun at Universal. Thanks for the memories.
We returned a few weeks ago from 8 nights in Coronado Springs. There were 8 of us in two adjoining rooms. Not the first time there for most of us but it was for the two youngest (6 and 8) grandkids. We had a blast. I arraigned for a 15 passenger van to pick us up at the airport and return us. We brought stuff for breakfast in the room, but had several character breakfasts in the parks. We sat down for a table service meal at least once per day. Well worth the opportunity to sit and relax. The one service we missed, and could not buy our way into a solution, was delivery of our in park purchases to our resort. I know it impacted our purchasing decisions. This seems like a no brainer to return. We booked an extra night right before arriving and was told by the booking agent that the service still was in place. It was not.
Disney CEO's are terrified because they were using the parks as a piggy bank for their loser movies/streaming divisions they're determined to prop up at the expense of the parks. Now they're losing their golden goose too. And here's the thing. It's not that people are NOT going to Disney Parks anymore, they're trading in the domestic experience with going to the overseas parks or Disney Cruise instead. I can go to Paris and have a much better experience at Disneyland Paris AND have a full Paris vacation for about the same or less as it would cost for me to go to WDW in Orlando. Once corp removed everything that made WDW a RESORT - yes, they better believe the BUBBLE was part of the experience - yet charged the same if not more, the experience and VALUE was destroyed. And it's only going to get worse when Epic Universe opens.
I'm a DVC "Owner". I'm never going back. They eliminated Fast Passes, and now I have to pay for that perk. They've eliminated Magical Express, and now I have to pay to get to their resort. They changed EMH. They removed complimentary Memory Maker with an Annual Pass. Chapek revealed how upper management really feels when he said annual passholders business is not worth as much to them as the day guests.
Last year for my Birthday, I went to Pebble Beach. For $750/ night, I receiveed free valet parking, snacks in my room, I received Chocolate Covered Strawberries with a wonderful Birthday Card at no additional charge, free soft drinks were in my room as were Miss Vickies snacks. Every night I had a turn down service; my sheets were pulled back, the fireplace in my room was turned on, and mint candies were put on my pillow. Finally, for a similar nightly charge as I "pay" for a "Deluxe Hotel" at Disney, I had housekeeping EVERY day. At Disney, for DVC owners, that is once per stay usually. Fuck Disney. I've seen what a high end resort stay really is. Disney is a dump inside a slum.
Preach!!!!
$200 on a dining discount isn’t much when Disney just raised the cost of dining across all the parks and resorts.
The damage is done. We've lived in Central Florida for decades and had annual passes for many years. We've been to the WDW parks hundreds of times (plus DL and TDR and DLP). We would book "staycations" at Disney World resorts multiple times per year along with sit-down restaurant meals and purchasing souvenirs. We spent thousands a year there. But, recently, Disney has made it quite clear that locals are "second class citizens" in their eyes. They don't want or need our business. We don't matter. That attitude, along with all the things they took away, means that we've been traveling the world instead. We went to theme parks in Germany and The Netherlands that were so fun and way cheaper than Disney. We've been going to Universal and Sea World as well. We may go back to Disney World here and there, but maybe every 5 years for a day or two. Or maybe not.
I was just at Disneyland a few weeks ago. Spent over $1200 for 4 for a day ( no park hopping ) several rides were down and or not working.. as a SoCal local living 30 mins away I want to go more but not sure I can chance how my experience will be.. I wanted to purchase a Magic Key but again, not sure now.. Over the years I have been to Disney World and Disneyland multiple times starting in 1971 to Disney World. I’m torn 🤷♀️
40-something father of two here with plenty of disposable income. When I was a kid my parents took me to Disney World I think 8-10 times. I lost count. I was well on my way to creating the same memories with my family. Shortly after COVID we took our kids for our 5th family trip to Disney. We immediately noticed that the guest experience had fallen off a cliff. As an example of how bad things were: a cast member yelled at my child for climbing on a rock while in a queue. If you know Disney then you know just how bad that is. Now we’ve lost the Magical Express, luggage service, FastPass, extra magic hours, and an entire park. On top of this:
1) They are de-theming the hotels to the point they look like every other corporate hotel. If there are no benefits to staying on property and the hotel looks like any old Marriott, then why wouldn’t I choose the Marriott? It’s 1/3 the price and they’ve forced my to rent a car anyway so…
2) They have relaxed cast member hiring and training standards to the great detriment of the guest experience. It is the cast members that put the finishing touch and polish on the “magical” experience but that magic is gone. It’s hard to tell the difference now between between Six Flags employees and Disney cast members.
3) And speaking of cast members, what’s with the dress code? Disney is not the place for you to express yourself, your individual style, and your life preferences. You’re there to play a roll for my personal entertainment and enjoyment, not to display your individuality. That’s why you’re called a CAST MEMBER. It’s astonishing that Disney has gone from strict costume requirements and things like prohibiting facial hair to allowing cast members to pick and choose what parts of the costume they like, display tattoos & piercings, and to just sort of play the role however they like. And don’t get me started on the men in dresses.
4) Disney is creatively bankrupt and it is showing in every area of the company. On the studio side they’ve resorted to squeezing blood from a turnip with the Marvel crap end endless remakes, and when the try something original it is a total dud. On the parks side the “rebirth” of Epcot has fallen flat on its face, and perhaps with the exception Guardians of the Galaxy everything they’ve done to the parks is also creatively bankrupt. Couple examples: Instead of refurbishing the beloved Great Movie Ride they destroyed it and replaced it with a cheap, boring, totally inferior joke of a ride where you just watch cartoons on a bunch of screens. Awful. They simply copied the Tron coaster from another park and then took forever to complete it. Lazy. Also strange because that’s not a very strong IP for Disney.
5) Politics. You can’t avoid this topic. You might agree with Disney and disagree with me politically. In fact if you’re a big Disney fan there’s a slightly better than even chance that this is the case. That’s fine; you can disagree with me. What you can’t disagree with, however, is that Disney used to be much more apolitical, and that since they’ve become political things have gone downhill significantly. Entertainment is supposed to be an escape from the real world, and that means no politics. If Disney eliminates this escapism, along with everything else they’ve eliminated, and started injecting the issues of the real world into entertainment why would I pay for that?? I’ll go engage in escapism somewhere else, thank you, because that’s not what you are offering.
I took my family to Universal for the first time last year. It was pretty great. I think I’ll go back.
My family of 6 will never go to Disney again (been there three times in last 10 years) Too expensive and too polictial. Also really excited for Epic Universe and America Heartland.
Damage is done. Not renewing our passes in March. Been passholders since 2002.
Might be a case of "Too Little, Too Late" for Disney. Universal is breathing HEAVILY down their neck. They were fools for not seeing that coming and, yes, the tourist dollar can only go so far. Cool shirt, btw. Did you get it at the Parks, or online somewhere?
It was time the Disney Parks started getting a fire lit under them because I feel like for the longest time, Universal wasn’t really going anywhere. While they still make questionable decisions, SNW was definitely a step in the right direction and allowed them to be more of a threat to Disney. I just hope Universal does more with the Nintendo property because there’s so much potential, people want a video game theme park it’s something that has always been in plain sight but hasn’t really taken off as much as it could have. Even the showcases of what “may” be coming to the Disney parks was pretty “meh” to me. How they’ve been around for so long and still haven’t made a Villains area is beyond me.
Universal Hollywood already has a Mario themed land (put in the last couple years) and epic universe will also have that land. Complete with a donkey Kong roller coaster. Lots of talk on you tube watching the progress of the epic universe park being built. Look it up. Real interesting stuff.
As a Canadian, my dollar is worth 60% to the American dollar. With exhorbitant prices, I really don't see enough value to visit. Once inside the parks, the food prices and souvenirs, these items alone will make any entrance savings pale.
My family, which is solidly upper middle class, and I went one year ago. It was still AMAZINGLY expensive. The nickel and dime you in to oblivion. Our room wasn't cleaned even once and it wasn't as clean as it has in the past. Now they jam lame IP down your throat with zero creativity. Like how EPCOT used to be.
We also went to Universal and it was fantastic. With Universal's new park, they are toast.
Disney deserves that problem, they created it with their greedy prices.
On the other side i don't understand why Disneyland Paris has de opposite problem being overcrowded.
Nice to see your face not only the voice! ❤
Disneyland Paris is overcrowded because they don't have any other direct competitor that competes with them. Although there's a few big other parks in Europe, most of them either can't reach Disney's quality (or are at least perceived as such by people) or they're to far away from Disneyland Paris.
@@DaveJansenTPV Maybe but the prices now at DLParis are really high and the people don't stop to visit it.. Well maybe is the time for a bit of earnings in DLParis Resort at last!
I've gone to Orlando seven times (UK Visitor) and the last time I went with my girlfriend (was her first) she was shocked at how much the price gouging is apparent.
We were shocked to see that Disney were not offering the stellar drink refill stations that Universal have in their parks, with drinks costing $6 for a single bottle of coke. The queuing for rides was insane due to the disparity between Genie+ users and regular (We counted over 50 guests let into a Rockin' Roller Coaster from the Genie+ line, vs the 10 guests from our queue). Park hopping was such a headache and saw us sat outside the turnstiles of Hollywood Studios for 50 minutes because we can't let you in before 2pm. We can't just get out of bed on the morning and decide to do a Disney park, because we need to download the app, log in and book our day at the specific park.
This and their weird rules like requiring photographic evidence of a passport AND my drivers license to get an alcoholic beverage... Something that I've NEVER heard of. I specifically asked in Universal and even the staff there highlighted how easy that is to fake, and also how pointless it is if official physical ID is provided.
I miss the days when visiting a Disney park wasn’t only for the super rich. I will probably never visit a Disney park just because it is way too expensive. Disney used to be about the best experience for the guest, nowadays it is about squeezing as much money out of you as they can
I tried using their bounce back program and I was very disappointed. I’ve heard that it was a way to thank people that stayed the previous year, to get a special deal if they come back the following years. Keep in mind, I’ve gone every year at the same time for the last 3 years. The price was significantly higher. The cast member on the phone told me “ things go up every year so you should understand that”. It the 1st time since stupid Covid they offered the bounce back program and I gotta say it’s not worth the phone call. I was very disappointed. Why even have the program if you don’t make people feel appreciated
The bottom line for most of the "non returning guests" is simple. The values and morals of this new and improved Disney Corporation does not follow their founders vision and purpose. So...good luck, because I don't see any of us coming back unless that is changed. What you are going to have visiting the parks are young professional "vloggers", who have no children, spend next to nothing at the parks, except for foods they review, and are trying to cash in on the Disney experience of today. I grew up on Walt Disney and his vision, his imagination and his enthusiasm for his product and the children, young and old, who visited the park and trusted that what they were getting was exactly what he said they would get. MAGIC. For me, the magic is dead when the dreams of the "cast members" mean more to the corporation than the dreams of the child I just paid an outrageous amount of money to get into the park, (only to find that now I have to pay extra for certain rides if we want to ride them at all and coupled with) finding hairy men in fairy godmother dresses pretending that they are female and are Princess in the making. I don't want the pirates chasing platters of food and I don't want the "villians" glorified because they have had a hard life. When you abandon your founders vision and purpose, you abandon your consumer base. And when you do THAT, you can expect another company to move into the position you so willingly abdicated. From a lifelong WALT DISNEY FAN to a neveragainDisneyANYTHING, is what I have become.
I remembered my mother saying when I was a kid that Disney tickets were $55 at the time. She was saying that was expensive lol. I would gladly pay that now compared to these high costs. Even now my family and I decided to make our trip a Universal trip rather than a Disney one bc Disney is super expensive from the resorts to tickets to merch to other activities and lets not talk about Genie Plus 😢 Now Universal is alil pricey too BUT I feel like it's more bang for my buck. I hope to be able to take my kids to Disney for their first experience and more in the future. I love Universal and Disney but at the moment Universal is winning!!
I'm 50, and during the mid 80s Southern Californian resident 1 day tickets were only $20 a person for the summer. The following year the price went up to $22, and the year after to $25. That's only 1/4th of a one day ticket now.
as fair as all the bashing of disney is the last few years, people are ignoring the fact that universal is crazy expensive now. the cost of either park is now comparable. universal wants $722 for a one-day visit to both parks with express pass for me and my wife. we're not paying that.
@twistedspine7300 the difference with Universal is for that price it might be cheaper to just buy an annual pass. Not so much at Disney.
Dude. Damage’s done. Or at least the changes have made lasting effects on our minds.
I haven’t missed going to Disney for years. I still enjoy it when I go.
But the American Disney parks have been run to the ground by bad leadership. We know the parks already mutated to something else. And whether or not this is something that we can still come to love, time will tell.
The Tokyo ones rock though.
I live 2 1/2 hours from Disney World and traded my annual pass for an annual pass at Dollywood. Even going only 2-3 times a year has been way more fun than I thought. My kids always look forward to going to Tennessee twice a year. Some people are just moving on and using their money for other types of entertainment
"Disney wants me back?"
**Looks at Splash Mountain being destroyed**
"Yeah.... I don't feel welcomed here anymore"
I live an hours drive from Disneyland here in southern California. In times past I would visit the park 4 or 5 times a year. This stopped about 5 years ago. Instead of being the happiest place on earth as they like to say, the new catch phase was the greediest place on earth. Its hard to feel loyalty to place you feel rips you off throughout your visit. Second, a major theme park not far from Disney is Knott's Berry Farm. Sure not as spectacular, but still a world class theme park. A year pass is about the same cost as one day at Disneyland, so easy to see why many families are willing to accept a second choice for their family day.
if they build another theme park at disney world, people will come back. i have no idea what they can do at disneyland other than continually lowering their ticket prices.
For Disneyland, offering student discounts would help. I mean, other parks do it
I will never again give Disney a single cent. I will never watch or buy any of their movies and I will never step foot inside of any of their theme parks.
It's as if Disney thought that they could impress more people who otherwise do not consume their products to give them a go for their political stances, then the people who have turned their back because Disney keeps telling them they don't want their money.
Changing splash mountain was the nail in the coffin for me
I lean pretty far to the left, and even I think Disney is going overboard with the "wokeness." (Its also performative...basically saying stuff just to maybe get some more customers, we all SEE YOU, Disney ahem).
I keep thinking: why does everything have to be political and divisive in this country these days? I'm over being told what to believe or who I should hate because they don't agree with me, ya know? Stay in your lane, businesses.
@@savannah115 why do you think that so many otherwise reasonable and intelligent people get sucked into the cult of thinking that these performative displays by Disney count for anything?
The cost is too high, this has nothing to do with your insecurity in a changing world.
Yep Splash was brilliant, no need to change it at all.@@arcondpvp
We used to go to Disney every year at least once. Our family has a timeshare so we're used to getting screwed out of perks for not staying at a resort, but the losses have really stacked up. We had been splitting more and more of our trips between Disney and Universal. I got fed up with my Disney experience when I tried visits after genie+ started. The experience really dropped off and im very salty that they expect us to pay so much extra for what we enjoyed for free for decades. Plus, we planned trips for well after new rides opened and I still couldn't get on them during my visit.
We skipped the trip altogether this year and are considering going to a different state for our vacation this year
I own dvc and use it to go to universal 😅 if universal had a similar timeshare i wouldve chosen there.
Disney needs to cut their losses on some projects & decisions and move forward.
My problem is $400-800 per room...in it for 6 hours only! WHY SO MUCH???
you're saying everything I've been thinking, I was an AP holder for 20 years, after the pandemic I wanted to become one again so bad... they made it impossible, that lawsuit over the reservations? I almost was that guy, I can't abide how they've ruined the experience of going to the parks. When I lived in OC as an AP, and friends and family would visit, we'd just go to the parks, when I was in college I'd do my homework in Tomorrowland, I'd date other AP holders so we could hang out and eat and go to trader sams for drinks, those days are all over. the @%@# reservations system has ruined all spontaneity from going to the parks whatsoever, it's gutted the experience both for locals AND tourists. I can't imagine driving to southern california and not being able to show up at the ticket booths and get into Disneyland, people CANNOT DO THIS ANYMORE. it doesn't make ANY SENSE!
7:57 Advance Lightning Lane bookings? Clearly, Disney did not watch that one Defunctland video...
Our family just returned from a 10 day stay at a Walt Disney World resort. This is our first vacation back to Walt Disney World since the epidemic where we previously went several years in a row before the epidemic happened. Everything this video says is completely true about how much you don’t get as you used to versus how much more you pay than you used to. Cast members are now extremely rude, but not all and the occasional ride used to break down before the epidemic and this time we had 16 rides breakdown during our stay. You can’t even have purchases sent from the park back to your room which is another feature that we were extremely disappointed that went away. This will be our last year going to Walt Disney World unless major changes are made.
I can be persuaded to take a discount. When the Southern California Locals discount ($299 for 3 days) was offered in the summer, I took it. It isn’t offered too often in the summer. Disneyland has more weekday admissions priced at $104. This is when I go.
Being a former cast member it opened my eyes to what kind of company Disney World is. All they care about is MONEY and DON'T care about the people who work in the parks. I haven't been back since I parted ways with them
I went to WDW a couple of years ago & it was a miserable experience. I loathed the app that was needed for everything. I don't want to spend my day looking at my phone. Reservations for the restaurants were hard to get & didn't allow for any flexibility in your day. With people spending less time in line, the park felt so crowded. I was once a Disneyland annual pass holder but the cost + the misery = I doubt I'll ever go back.
I traveled to Disney in 2019 off-peak for a friend's 50th birthday. We stayed on property and had park hopper passes but largely waited in line for most rides and couldn't ride more than once with "basic admission". If you pay 50% more, you get a separate line with a shorter wait and amazingly many people paid thousands of dollars to be escorted to the front of each ride. I couldn't imagine waiting with small children in those lines. Magic Kingdom closed at 3:30pm for the Halloween event but the ticket was full price.
People are disappointed in Disney. They started making terrible decisions about 10 years ago and people gave them the benefit of the doubt because they had been dependable for so long. But, too many bad decisions for too long and anyone will finally turn away. The best way to deter parents is to introduce wokeness.
I grew up going to Disneyland in So Cal..and am a huge Star Wars fan..from the beginning, now living in Florida … When Disney unceremoniously cancelled the actress Gina Carano for speaking her personal political belief online.. It tanked a brilliant and popular actresses career, mid stride , discredited the writers who worked so hard to build up these characters we love so much, and also cancelled other actors who were involved in the upcoming spin off, it really revealed an ugly side of a political Disney executive group families would rather not see. Prices went up, favorite actress cancelled, in park perks and values went away..and we were all expected to show up, bite our tongues, pay more, and fake smiles..It’s no wonder D+ is tanking..especially when they took a hatched to the one show that was single handedly rescuing the franchise.. Mandolarian, Cara Dune, Baby Yoda!!.. how do you screw up a hit like that..then explain the madness to your shareholders? Anyhow, and sorry this is long, but as a Disney and Star Wars Universe fan..I felt strongly about what was done..and sad to see their now graveling to get us all back.. token tid bits at best!.. I say bring back Gina Carano and restore balance to the SWU! A huge chunk of disenfranchised fans may just come thundering back..creditor cards in hand..showing their appreciation… ;-)This was a great video! New viewer..Liked and Subscribed 😊❤
Welp, this is exactly what I predicted would happen last year. There are numerous examples of popular games or other entertainment that had a great fan base, stabbed that fan base in the back for short-term profit, and then found out much too late that they'd shot themselves in the foot. It looks like Disney may have made that same mistake. They saw record profits streaming in from people who wanted to have some fun after COVID lockdowns, and they price-gouged those people because they could. Those people remember being price-gouged, though, and the next time they make a vacation plan, it likely isn't to DIsney. Now, the profits will fall because it's VERY hard for a business to get a customer to overcome feelings they were betrayed or overcharged. Likely, it'd involve spending more than the profit you made price-gouging them in the first place. Once that downward spiral starts, it's very hard to get out of, largely due to the effects of word of mouth. Disney would have to start creating a good vacation value, and they haven't been that in as long as I've been alive. (I always saw Disney as a bougie 'rich kid' place when I was a kid in the 80s and 90s, and, even when I lived in Florida, I avoided it because I saw it as overpriced... despite the fact that I like a lot of Disney movies and characters.)
I almost plan a Disney trip but last trip was universal in 2021 first time trying something new! Again my hearts went to universal for 3days in 2023 few days ago when I went. It is a great theme park! Everything I been hearing about Disney from tearing old rides down to government issues didn't have a heart to go back. Win was universal I enjoy it! Big harry Potter fan with other characters in there park!
Disney is pricing its self out of the market, merchandise is ridiculous food very expensive, car parking prices ridiculously expensive
Ditch Genie Plus. I hate spending time on my phone when I'm trying to enjoy time with my family
Return some benefits to staying on property - If the perks aren't there, there's lots of FAR more affordable options, right on the doorstep.
Stop nickel-and-diming me for things like fast pass. You are a multi-billion dollar company. I'm a middle class guy who wants to take his family on vacation.
I still love Disney. But my next trip to Florida is to Universal (in fairness, was at Disney last September, and haven't been to Universal in years). Still, Disney needs to up their game, and fast.
(Aside) First time I've seen your face, after hearing your voice for so long, in so many videos. Not what I expected. Its a perfectly nice face, just not what I thought you would look like.
I have been an annual passholder at Disney since 2001. My husband and I just got annual passes to Universal and we find it much more fun and cleaner than Disney. We also have noticed that the price of a hotel resort room at Universal it's much less than Disney
We are at Disneyworld now and you would never know attendance was down. Even Fastpass lines are still long, you can’t use it on certain rides, if the ride breaks you lose your Fastpass on it anyway, the crowds were terrible, regular lines are insanely long-not just for rides but also to eat!!! Food was insanely overpriced- $90 for a Turkey leg and 5 hot dogs and a couple of waters??? And don’t get me started about how awful it was to watch the fireworks show. This was our first time at Disney. We only came because our kids are the right age for it to be magical and it was anything but magical. We’re not the biggest Disney fans (thanks to their getting political), but the trip was terrible and by Day Two we decided we will never be back.
Disney has been losing millions on movies for at least 20 years ( John Carter on Mars, Lone Ranger, dozens since then ) and taking it out on the wrong people. The writers and directors aren't punished, instead they "fail up." They keep getting promoted because their failing project pushes "the message" which is so unpopular with Disney's core family audience. The punishment is actually burned on the customers and cast members via pay cuts for the parks. Since Disney has DECADES of not learning from their mistakes its up to the customers to push back and stop patronizing Disney. There's so many other parks and attractions to visit. Only the sycophant influencers who fear Disney's wrath keep selling the apologist perspective. Thank God for ReviewTyme for not being afraid to speak the truth.
I was a Disneyland AP for about 20 years. Every year, little by little, thing started to get taken away. I think it all started when they wanted dining packages for up front sitting to Fantasmic. Entertainment started going away. Then there was genie and lighting lanes. The reservations was hard to accept (even with the different bucket for non passholders), but once the 2 weeks between Xmas and new year's were gone for Magic Key Holders, that was the last draw. I've been to Disneyland a few times this year (2023) as a non passholder. And it was not enjoyable at all. Long lines (longer than I've experienced in the past), lack of entertainment, attractions breaking down, paid preferred eats, reduced dining options. they are going to need to do a lot to bring me back.
As someone who stuck with them through the post-pandemic backlash and even resisted the fashionable Universal boosterism that gripped theme park fandom last year I must admit recent visits to Disneyland have been disheartening. Especially because they used to have such a stellar reputation. And not that long ago either.
Yet here we are. From rude security guards barking arbitrary (and often contradictory) orders as guests try to make sense of Disney’s Kafkaesque entry process to bored, distracted ride operators who’ve already checked out mentally by mid-morning. From being forced to have reservations for literally everything exactly 60 days in advance to the untidy hotel rooms at supposedly upscale Grand Californian. From the constant price hikes to the unintelligible mess that is Genie+/LL. The situation is far from ideal. There is plenty of blame to go around. But the few CMs from the glory days who still bother with the concept of being "onstage" seem to be fighting an increasingly hopeless battle against apathy and indifference.
The bottom line is old Disney is dead. And new Disney is awful. I hate to say it but maybe they just need to be more like Universal.
I’m a lifelong WDW guest. Had an AP for decades, until 2021 when I decided not to renew. The changes at WDW have been all for Disney’s benefit and not the guest. The resort rates have become ridiculous while taking away perks and lesser service. It seems if Disney could squeeze a dime from a rock, they would. This isn’t the magical Disney I grew up with. A shame.
Perhaps when Epic Universe opens in 2025 Disney may reap what they’ve sown. This new park will definitely change the game. Now, I don’t have the same affinity for Universal Parks but I may start my nieces and nephews making memories there and not Disney. If Disney were smart they would reassess those changes made in the name of Covid.
THANK YOU for mentioning the Citizens of Hollywood! They were one of the few things I. went to DHS. I was heartbroken when they were removed. I thought I was the only one who was missing them. They were a highlight of my overall Disney experience.
Got an annual pass for Disneyland right out of the pandemic, had a blast the first year. Renewed for a second, but the price gouging from year 1 to 2 was dramatic. Just let my pass expire in September. I get inflation but it got ridiculous.
F Disney.
Sadly, I might be done visiting Disney parks. I really can’t emphasize how much I loathe the two tiered experience they’ve created for families with lightning lane. You either keep shelling out money or you wait in longer lines than years before. For example, last month we got into the standby for Radiator Springs Racers when it was 95min. An hour in, we stop moving and there’s no castmembers(CMs) to ask why. At an hour and a half, we finally see CMs but we’re clearly nowhere near the front of the line. I asked if the ride had broke down but it was because of all the individual lightnings sold. They really didn’t care and simply told us we could get out of line if we didn’t want to wait.
As a Disneyland Paris visitor from Italy I can unfortunately confirm all what you said. Even in Paris Fastpass is not free anymore (you must pay the so called Disney Premier Access), hotels restyling lost its magic and became extremely commercial, for some shows you are even supposed to pay! For the first time since more than 10 years me and my family are choosing not to visit the park anymore, because it just feels that the line has been crossed way "too much".
It’s like they tried to leverage supply and demand and failed. Disney: Our parks are overcrowded, people complain about long waits. That must mean we are desirable. Instead of addressing the things that decrease enjoyment, let’s focus on squeezing every dime out of people who are clearly willing to put up with a lot already. Let’s see how far we can push them. Hey, maybe attendance will go down because it’s too expensive, and people won’t have to wait as long. Win win.
Sounds like the same plan being used in Florida’s housing industry.
As a small person from Monaco, I’m deeply disappointed that Disney removed the “it’s a small world” attraction, celebrating little people around the world.