Disney World Could Fix the Guest Experience by Improving These Things.
After a few years of price increases and negative changes, Walt Disney World is trying to improve satisfaction and restore lost magic. There are several instances of guest experience enhancements for 2024, but they haven’t gone far enough to move the needle. This list covers what else Disney should do if they want to make fans happier.
Frankly, these improvements are overdue. Guest satisfaction and intent to return or recommend metrics took a beating after the “honeymoon” period post-reopening, as cuts were made that eliminated Disney’s Magical Express, free FastPass, Extra Magic Hours, etc–while also implementing policies that many fans hated.
This didn’t negatively impact Walt Disney World vacation bookings for a couple of years. Revenge travel was running hot, and travelers–especially those with kids who had missed a couple valuable vacations–were making up for lost time. Some Walt Disney World diehards would grumble about paying more and getting less, but other fans and average tourists were just satisfied to be back in their happy places. However, things have changed.
Pent-up demand has largely exhausted itself, and Walt Disney World has seen a slowdown in the last year. As a result, they’ve gotten much more aggressive about discounts, with some of the best special offers we’ve seen since 2018-2019, including the return of fan-favorite Free Dining.
That’s not all. The company announced 5 major improvements to make your visit easier. That followed 3 big changes to bring value and flexibility, including the return of free overnight parking at the hotels. The start of 2024 brought with it the end of park reservations for most guests, “good-to-go” dates for APs, resumption of regular Park Hopping, and return of the Disney Dining Plan. At some point later this year, pre-arrival Lightning Lane ride reservations will roll out.
Point being, all of these are initiatives to improve guest satisfaction and common complaints about Walt Disney World being too complicated. A lot of those announcements crossed off entries in our Wish List for Changes Bob Iger Could Make Upon Returning as CEO. from immediately after he returned. So we’re quite pleased with these incremental improvements, and recognize that nothing happens fast at Walt Disney World. Progress takes time.
However, it’s also very obvious that Walt Disney World still needs to do more to fix guest satisfaction and rebuild goodwill with lifelong fans who have become jaded, disillusioned, or stopped visiting entirely. If all of the discounting and statements on earnings calls are any indication, this is pretty urgent.
Discounting alone isn’t going to solve the problem (well, unless they get 2008-2009 levels of aggressive!). If Walt Disney World wants to make a big splash and win back fans, we’d recommend another “we’re listening and fixing stuff we broke” announcement with a grab bag of at least 3 of the following experience updates to improve guest satisfaction…
Bring Back Entertainment
Here’s just a partial list of the atmospheric acts and shows that are still conspicuous omissions from Walt Disney World entertainment lineup:
- Citizens of Hollywood
- Jedi Training Academy
- Voyage of the Little Mermaid
- Citizens of Main Street
- Main Street Trolley Show
- Pandora Rangers & Drummers
It boggles the mind that some of this is still missing. Jedi Training Academy was absolutely adored by guests, and was a ‘magical moment’ for so many kids and their families who had the chance to participate. Voyage of the Little Mermaid will be returning in reimagined form at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but not until late 2024.
Look, I’m not asking for this list of things to come back on a one-for-one basis, identical to what was offered in early March 2020. But I think it absolutely makes sense to have another big ‘entertainment update’ demonstrating that Walt Disney World still cares about streetmosphere and live performers.
Add Nighttime Spectaculars
On the nighttime spectacular front, the following remain missing:
- Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular
- Once Upon a Time
- Rivers of Light
Three entries may seem insignificant, but we’d argue that’s a large number when it comes to spectaculars. Not only that, but daytime parades were cut from Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios several years pre-closure, and Magic Kingdom lost its nighttime parade. Comparing nighttime spectaculars and entertainment today to a decade ago is a pretty brutal comparison.
Again, not asking for these exact offerings to return. But if Walt Disney World is serious about getting people to stay longer in Animal Kingdom, the answer until Tropical Americas opens (2026?) is necessarily going to be entertainment. Well, unless Dr. Seeker starts taking hostages.
Concrete Calendars
This is not a new problem. For as long as I can remember, Walt Disney World has published boilerplate park hours with extensions and the actual hours not coming until much later. Even preclosure, we frequently complained about how Walt Disney World expects guests to plan months in advance, but didn’t hold themselves to the same standard. It’s frustrating that Disney practically forces you to plan, but also doesn’t allow you to properly plan.
It also seems like it has gotten worse. In the last 6 months or so, park hours extensions have frequently been more last minute and also less predictable. Magic Kingdom hasn’t consistently done 8am openings on party days and other parks less consistent schedules. It’s a similar story with Extended Evening Hours, which has been all over the place–I can’t imagine shelling out big bucks for a Deluxe Resort months in advance, only to find out that I’d have consecutive nights of EPCOT.
But the final “straw” that landed this entry on the list was the Skyliner gondola refurbishment. We’ve been warning readers for over a year that there’d likely be a refurbishment during the winter off-season, since there has been for the last few years. However, not everyone reads this blog (the vast majority of guests do not!) and the refurbishment was longer than ever before. (Fair warning: although yet unannounced, there’s likely to be another Skyliner closure in mid to late January 2025.)
Despite that, Walt Disney World waited until the end of last October to release dates and, adding insult to injury, there have been several reader reports of the call center not being willing to rebook guests at different resorts under previously-released special offers. (It’s understandable that availability might be limited, which is kinda the point–this info should’ve been released earlier. The “old Disney” would’ve understood the issue, and upgraded guests or offered recovery to compensate for the inconvenience and lack of a defining feature of the resorts in question.)
Some fans will make all sorts of excuses for Walt Disney World being slow to release this info or update hours, but none of them are good excuses. The bottom line is that expecting people to plan months in advance while being slow to release the info that’s needed to make informed decisions for planning is poor guest service.
Longer Regular Hours
Effective arsonist fails at fighting fire.
So many of Walt Disney World’s ineffectual “solutions” to overcrowding are fixing a problem that they themselves created. We discussed this at length in Disney Doesn’t Really Want Lower Crowds, but restoring park hours would instantly increases park capacity by redistributing crowds over the course of the day. It would also relieve some of the pressure to purchase the Genie+ line-skipping service.
Adding hours is a time-tested solution, and precisely the reason why Magic Kingdom used to open at 7am during peak season dates and stay open until midnight in the summer in the aughts. Even then, Main Street was busy until 1am with shoppers. It’s also why Magic Kingdom used to have Extra Magic Hours until 2am or 3am. (Yes, really–Evening Extra Magic Hours were 3 hours long!)
Now, attendance is significantly higher (by several millions of guests per year) and regular park hours have been reduced by several hours per day–most notably at Magic Kingdom. There’s also less entertainment due to the stage shows and atmospheric acts that have been cut, as well as the loss of 3 different parades.
To Walt Disney World’s credit, we’re finally starting to see significant park hours extensions this holiday season, with three midnight closings scheduled for Magic Kingdom in November. That’s a good start, but it’s only a start. Given contemporary crowd levels, those should be commonplace–and 9am to 9pm hours for Magic Kingdom should be a thing of the past entirely.
(Combining the two issues above, rather than doing week-by-week park hours extension, they should identify all dates far in advance when park hours should definitely be longer. Make those extensions in one fell swoop, and make an official announcement trumpeting the number of “more midnights in Magic Kingdom!” It’d be an easy win with fans, similar to when Disneyland advertised adding more of the cheapest ticket dates.)
Restore Upcharges
Nothing says “address guest complaints about pricing” like adding things that cost extra money…right?!?
Well actually, yeah. Not everyone has problems with the guest experience that revolve around price increases. Not only that, but it’s possible to take issue with paying more while getting the same or less, but also wanting certain upcharge opportunities that offer something for the extra money to return. The two notions are not in conflict–it’s possible to hold both!
There’s actually a lot in the Enchanting Extras Collection (and associated add-ons) that gives Walt Disney World a tremendous amount of repeatability for regulars. Things like certain behind the scenes or VIP tours, dining or dessert parties, early or late park access, and much more. The big one for us is the EPCOT festival seminars and experiences–without those, Food & Wine has lost a lot of its luster. (They’re also missing from other festivals, but it’s most glaring at Food & Wine.)
Although I’m not huge on upcharges, I’d likewise love to see another themed After Hours at Magic Kingdom event. The short-lived Villains After Hours was better than the vanilla version, and it’s about time Walt Disney World revived the Pirates & Princess concept. Earlier this week, I made a plea for a Nostalgia Nite at Magic Kingdom with Wishes, SpectroMagic 2.0, and Disney Afternoon characters.
Also, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes comes out soon–a bunch of fighting monkeys in the park would be the perfect synergy play for Animal and/or Magic Kingdom. It’s right there in the title of the movie!!!
Remake Missing Meals
This seems like such a little and inconsequential thing, but we hear from longtime Walt Disney World fans who are still disappointed by restaurants or special meal options that are still missing:
- 1900 Park Fare
- Be Our Guest Restaurant – Breakfast & Counter Service Lunch
- Brunch at California Grill
- Dining with an Imagineer
- Grand View Tea Room
- Plaza Restaurant – Breakfast
- Trattoria al Forno – Bon Voyage Character Breakfast
- Pizzafari Family Style Dining
- Restaurantosaurus Burgers & Sundaes
- Restaurant Marrakesh
The two character meals, in particular, are big ones with families. Same goes with breakfast and lunch at Be Our Guest Restaurant–a venue that’s fairly beloved, but not for the current prix fixe dinner. Probably less significant to average guests, but we really miss Brunch at the Top and Restaurantosaurus Burgers & Sundaes (don’t laugh!).
Bringing these back would give the Disney Dining Plan more appeal and provide needed dining capacity. Win-win!
Rejuvenate Restaurant Menus
No first-timer is sitting on pins and needles, waiting to book their rite of passage Walt Disney World vacation until the Grilled Hanger Steak returns to Primo Piatto. They don’t care that the menus at Contempo Cafe or Gasparilla Island Grill are shadows of their former selves. They probably are even unbothered or unaware that the counter service scene sucks at Magic Kingdom. I get all of that.
This is about winning back longtime fans, though, and Walt Disney World’s culinary landscape is very much ‘a thing’ to the diehards, and it’s noticeably worse than it was in early 2020 due to scaled back menus. Improve enough of those, and it would move the needle for at least some Walt Disney World regulars.
Frankly, we know this because of the positive response to recent menu changes at Wilderness Lodge, Saratoga Springs, and even Plaza Restaurant in Magic Kingdom. With food inflation relenting, it’s time to let culinary teams get creative again. Highlight that on “Disney Eats” (or whatever it is), and then emphasize the ‘new menus’ as a line item in a guest experience improvements post.
Return of Extra Magic Hours
I’ve been singing the praises of Early Entry at three of the parks (and even Magic Kingdom when the park opens at 8am) for over two years, and very few of you agree with me. It’s one of those why are you booing me, I’m right situations. But perception is reality, and most fans still prefer the former morning Extra Magic Hours to their replacement.
It’s a similar story with Extended Evening Hours. I love the perk and think it’s far superior to evening Extra Magic Hours, which had become unbearably uncrowded. This is an even more pronounced perception problem, but in a different (and worse) way. Fans know this is a good perk, but are downright disillusioned and disenchanted that it’s reserved exclusively “for the rich.”
In a period of pent-up demand where consumers were spending freely/recklessly, such an approach might’ve worked or been “worth it” to incentivize Deluxe Resort bookings. As people tighten the pursestrings, it’s not going to move the needle as much, and sticks out like a sore thumb as an easily-identifiable instance of Walt Disney World “ignoring the middle class.”
Undo that damage, bring back Extra Magic Hours, and win back fans who feel ignored. As for fixing Extra Magic Hours, stop offering it to the Disney Springs Area Resorts. Sure, that’s actually just shifting around the class hierarchy, but now at least most of those who were complaining loudest are part of the in-group! 😉
Retire Genie+
Remember how I spent like a dozen blog posts whining about how Genie+ and Lightning Lanes were the dumbest and most confusing branding decisions of all time? (Then HBO and Twitter both said, “hold my beer!”) Well, as much as I hate being wrong, I have to admit as much here.
It turns out that Robert Chapek was a visionary thinker in some regards. He must’ve known that he was launching such a half-baked product that would take years of tweaks to get in a semi-functioning state and would be so reviled by guests that it’d become a toxic brand on par with Monsanto, Philip Morris, or Comcast. Chapek was such a great thinker that he foresee a day when Disney fans would jump for joy just at malevolent Genie going away. (It’s honestly impressive, in a way, that Chapek somehow managed to make us hate something associated with Robin Williams.)
We already know that the pre-booking of Lightning Lanes is arriving at some point in 2024. What that’ll entail is unclear, and it sounds like Walt Disney World has not yet settled on specifics. Whatever the new line-skipping system does end up being, I’d advise Disney to ditch the Genie name. Everyone hates it. There is nothing of value to be lost. It taints the legacy of a national treasure.
It’s time to break from the past and ditch both Genie+ and Genie (I cannot imagine the latter is being used in meaningful numbers, let alone fulfilling its goals of crowd redistribution/utilization). Regardless of what the new system ends up being–my guess is pretty close to paid FastPass Plus–it will benefit from not being attached to this toxic brand.
I’ll take this advice a step further. Call it MaxPass to benefit from the degree of goodwill attached to that, even if it is fundamentally different from that paid FastPass system. Then, in another year or so (or whenever the United States enters a recession) when Walt Disney World needs to boost hotel bookings and attendance, bring back free FastPass+ for resort guests with the option for a paid MaxPass+ tier.
One way or another, I still don’t think we’ve seen the last of FastPass at Walt Disney World. It probably won’t be back in 2024, but the 2025 opening of Universal’s Epic Universe is right around the corner, and Walt Disney World hasn’t broken ground on any “answer” to that. That pretty much leaves options like adding entertainment, restoring FastPass or Disney’s Magical Express as an indirect response to Epic Universe.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What would you like to see done to improve the guest experience and satisfaction at Walt Disney World? Which of the entries on this list have a realistic chance of coming to fruition? Think things will get better or worse throughout 2024? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I love Disney and remember times before the Magical Express Bus. The ME bus was reliable and I would use it even if it now has a fee. I remember when fast passes were paper and you had to dash across the parks to obtain and use them. I do not need to return to the “old ways” if the new ways are working properly. I do not mind planning ahead for dining or rides. I remember when ride closures were very rare.
We are noticing that Over the years Disney World has more and more lodgings without adding more rides and attractions. Time is important when on vacation. I short wait is expected and can be restful. Long waits take away from experiencing everything you came for. The entertainment venues like the puppets in AK offer something different and house hundreds or thousands of people who are not waiting in line to ride or dine at the time. They offer a cool place to sit and rest.
Disney differs from the home carnival experience or even the home ammusement park experience due to planning, clenliness, safety of rides, training of cast members and caring about customer service. For example, I am embracing the self scanners to enter the park but if for some reason my entry isn’t working there needs to be a way to get help quickly so my “rope drop” experience isn’t completely lost.
We stay for a week each trip. Seems that at least once a trip we are stranded somewhere waiting for the bus. Park closing and park opening busses go pretty often Other than that we love the bus system and allow about 90 min to get to dinner at a resort or Disney Springs.
Ride closures are a beef. I do not need nostalagia especially if broken.
I would love experiencing the Halloween party and Christmas but won’t even think about it because of the price. I understand why they begain Haloween in Sept, to offer more dates for the party.
Listen to your surveys Disney! Small children are excited and appreciate the experience, no matter what if they are comfortable, fed, rested. I was appalled at a Dsiney coiunter service restaurant that had stopped taking orders at lunch time. It wsas about 1-1:30 We had not planned for an alternative and did not expect to be turned away. I understand if a table service restaurant if full but counter service? Just warn guests about the wait time, do not say in essance “no lunch for you”
Cleanliness is expected Landscape maintaniance is expected. I do not need daily maid service but do need to empty the trash, and plenty of fresh washcloths and fresh towels. Our Carribean Beach attendant brought us a stack. Much apprecaited.
Keep in mind for many families this visit to Disney is the only one in their childhood, or as a parent. Many will visit every few years. The trip is a huge investment and they need not be pampered necessarily but do need to have a happy, worry free time with their family or group. We like the longer park time to enjoy cooler early AM hours – rest at the resort in the afternoon and return later.
Maintaining current attractions is critical. It should be an implicit promise to guests to ensure attractions and rides are in good working order. Forget adding new rides to compete with Universal. Start with repairing existing rides so guests who wake up at the crack of dawn to book and pay for LL and FP+ or even line up at the gates for an hour to rush in an hour early, actually get what was promised to them and what they paid for. It burns guests to run with the bulls early in the morning, be held in the sun and heat at multiple check points behind rope, to finally get to ROTR or 7DMT just to find out it’s down and may not be operational for another hour or two or longer. Standard advice from bloggers is to never promise your child anything at WDW. Adults now understand there is no promise of value for money. Without routine maintenance, there is no magic. And more, the hostility and anger of guests is worse than ever. I hadn’t been to WDW in over 5 years and in September was alarmed by the resentment and anger of guests toward CMs and fellow guests. I have never seen so many guests physically confront CMs, get in their face and vent. It was a daily spectacle in September and that’s not a wildly crowded month. Every time I left a park at the end of the day, police were dealing with an irate guest and their family outside the gate. Something’s gotta give. I just hope WDW gets out in front of this before it gets worse. Surely management gets a summary of the incident and maintenance reports and knows there’s a problem that needs to be fixed. And fast.
I think bring back ” MAGIC EXPRESS” is one of the most important [perks missing for young families.
When my family was young, I looked forward to checking our luggage at our home airport and knowing our luggage will ” Magically ” in our resort room.
The same holds true when we were checking out. Check our luggage at our resort and knowing it will appear at our home airport.
Vacation started when we checked our luggage and ended at baggage claim at home.
It was enough to try and settle little ones at the airport knowing Mickey is right around the corner.
I agree with all your assessments except for one. Genie+. First of all, you can’t say EVERYONE hates it. There are Facebook groups devoted to how great the system is. I’ve been a regular Walt Disney World guest since the late 90’s and have used each system extensively. Mastering these systems became somewhat off an obsession for me. The amount of attractions I’ve booked with Genie+ compared to those booked using FastPass+ is like comparing Cosmic Rewind to Barnstormer. If Disney decides to bring back the same tiered system as FastPass+ we are all doomed. Genie+ is closer to the beloved paper system than than it’s plussed counterpart. The only thing Disney can improve on is allowing us to book the same attraction more than once.
I agree with this. Genie+ can be worked to one’s advantage, and it’s far superior to having to plan several months out what ride you’re going ride in a given time-slot.
I’ve just been to Disney World and I have to say, what is most obvious to me is the lack of maintenance and innovation.
It hurts to admit this, but Magic Kingdom (which should be the “crown jewel”) feels so incredibly tired, worn out and dated. Even with Tron, which kinda sticks out like a sore thumb…
The classic attractions like Small World are just a shadow of their former selves.
They really need to step up their game with Universal opening its new park soon!
I was at Disney in 2019, first time guest, since then I have been to Universal twice (with girlfriend) and enjoyed Universal many times more. Here are the problems I noticed at Disney:
– Everything from the accommodation to the park was dated and worn out
– The food was absolute garbage, basically inedible cafeteria slop.
– Room service food was appalling and not even fully cooked.
– The park had very few places to get a drink or to cool down
– The lines were boring and hot with broken, rusty fans taunting us by not spinning
– Everything was uncomfortable especially the seats and there were very few places to relax or sit
– The rides were dated and BORING, especially the rockin roller coaster and space mountain, both very slow and boring rides
– Space mountain coaster broke down after we waited more than 30 minutes in line
– Carousel of progress was perhaps the most boring thing imaginable, and people kept leaving and they kept restarting that awful music each time. It was so bad that we also got up and left in disgust.
– They kicked us out at 19:00 hours because it was time for “Mickey’s not so scary halloween party” IN SEPTEMBER.
– They denied us food and said we had to leave the park early because it was “Halloween” and six of their minions escorted us to the gate, which was insulting after we had paid to get in and had to leave so early.
– The park was dirty and crowded.
(This was in Florida.)
I’ve been a Disney Fanatic for over 60 years. I’m a DVC and D23 gold member, Disney + subscriber, and use to be an annual passholder for Disneyland and WDW. From 2009 to 2018, WDW was a yearly celebration. BUT we have not visited since 2018, instead sending our nickels and dimes to Paris, Portugal, New York, and San Francisco. Next year it will be Japan!
Money talks, I hope Disney is listening.
I don’t know about WDW but at Disneyland I can think of two things that will make guests happier. Stop with the staggered opening times of attractions. I was just there and at least 3 popular rides didn’t open until 9:00. It frustrates guests. I don’t know if it’s staffing or ride maintenance. Which brings me to my next issue. They need to increase their ride maintenance. When two or three of the popular rides close down the crowds of people are now forced into common areas, dining spots, and walkways. This makes for crowded walkways and longer lines.
Hour are the main reason why we have gone to Disneyland the last 3 years and not been back to Disney World. Park hours!! Disneyland opens early and stays open most nights until midnight. Disney World needs to get it together and stay open much longer. It really does help with distribution of crowds. Also helps so you can take a mid-day break. You pay so much for tickets and Disney World only being open maybe 10-12 hours and sometimes less? Seriously??!
We’ve made many wonderful trips to WDW with our family over the years. Our latest was in 1999 with our first grandchild. She now has two siblings and we have no plans to go back. You listed many of the reasons why. I’d add a change in merchandise offered, as it’s pretty much the same from store to store now. Might as well shop at your hotel gift shop. Also, the dining plan once upon a time offered all sorts of drinks and desserts, even an appetizer, now it’s soda and some pre-packaged dessert even though the prices keep going up. My daughter still has her awesome “mask” she assembled going around the World Showcase from years ago. What do you get now, a coloring page? The new theme seems to be you get less for more. It’s always been expensive, but there were ways to save. Now you have to cough up money for Genie +, transportation from the airport, magic bands, etc. Bus waits were also longer and the crowds were bigger. So many people! We had to walk ahead to clear a path for the stroller. I have always enjoyed the planning process, but everything has changed so much, I wouldn’t even know where to start now. I don’t want to be tied to my phone. Just doesn’t feel like a vacation anymore. I’m sad for my grandchildren.
While I agree with the sentiment and some of the items on this list, many of these points feel secondary to me. My number one issue is the lack of proper ride maintenance. I hear it from friends making their first time visits, from this blog, from my kids. Rides break down mid-ride or mid-line or mid-day or for the whole morning. We plan around rides that are likely to break down, and the list of “iffy” attractions keeps growing. How is that acceptable?
I think it’s more of a labor shortage problem than a ride maintenance they are actually doing when they are constantly shutting down rides periodically. They don’t have enough workers at one ride so they shut it down .
BUILD MORE RIDES.
Aside from Tiana’s (just a retheme, not new), there are no new rides actively being built at any of the domestic parks.
Pathetic for the world’s biggest theme park company.
This!
It feels especially acute at Hollywood Studios. AK could certainly use more rides, but at least it’s atmospheric and has lots to look at. Other than Batuu and a few retro touches, HS isn’t charming has nothing to do outside of a handful of rides with long lines. Other than muppets, we don’t enjoy any of their non-rides, and half of the rides are too scary for kids. HS has a lot of potential, but they need to invest in it (while still expanding AK).
Universal Studios has around 16 rides per park. Granted, some are forgettable, but still… And DCA has 18 rides. DW having parks with single digit ride counts is pretty galling.
It ticks us off that Annual Passholders will continue to be required to make reservations when other guests won’t. We feel like we’re being penalized for our loyalty. Not all APs are local – we live in Pennsylvania. Also … the prices for MNSSHP and MVMCP have gotten ridiculous. We used to go to each party every year, but they’ve priced us right out of attendance. It’s not that we can’t AFFORD to go … we just REFUSE to pay those kinds of prices. But, since there are plenty of people who ARE willing, we know we’ve attended our last parties. I wonder just what the price IS that will cause people to stop attending? When we are on our way out of the park as the attendees are entering – we say to each other … “ALL the fools aren’t dead yet!” The return on investment – especially for MVMCP – DOES NOT justify those prices.
Tom,
Reading this reminded me of so much that is just gone. And you didn’t even mention the Osborne Lights or Star Wars Weekends. I didn’t renew my annual pass this time. I canceled our Christmas trip after we visited in September for MNSSHP. (Magic Kingdom opening at 9 am on party days!#!!@)
The loss of value for the price didn’t help. I’m sure everything you mentioned was the beginning. But I had hope. Covid did a whammy on the entire country. I gave WDW the benefit of the doubt for a long time. And I had high hopes when Chapek left and Iger returned. But it’s been almost a year, now. I didn’t expect the ship to turn immediately. But I did think we would see more positive changes by now.
I never posted about this, but I followed your advice months ago when you had the post about the Castle Dream Lights, etc. I sent a very respectful email to Disney’s customer service address that you so kindly provided in your article. About 3 weeks later, I received a wonderful phone call from a Cast Member. We spoke for about 45 minutes, and of course I had to share how big a part of our lives WDW had been through the years. I stressed how much we loved the Castle Dream Lights and Spectromagic, and ‘all the things.’ Of course, she couldn’t share Disney’s plans – but after speaking with her – I had even greater hope.
My hopes were dashed when I heard the news that Disney had very bluntly said the Dream Lights would not be back. And to add insult to injury – a simple projection/ mini fireworks show like ‘Jingle Bell Jingle Bam’ had been put behind an additional paywall. Don’t take me wrong – I was glad to see a new Christmas party at Hollywood Studios. But come on – REALLY!!
I honestly can’t say what exactly was the final straw. I just know I have lost the magic. I keep reading your blog. I guess a part of me hopes I might find a spark of magic again somewhere. Tom, thank you for all your good advice and the smiles you have brought me through the years I have been reading. My best to your precious family.
There is nothing that symbolized the “let the eat cake” distain for WDW visitors than the abolishment of the Magic Express. Reinstate that, and the “ringing of the bells” would be heard around the world. Seriously, eliminating ME was the pentultimate death knell of the magical experience for WDW. The Mears rould trip I took in Sept to SS was $35. So WDW, go ahead and charge, but bring back the Express!!! Please!
Agreed. We would have paid for Magical Express; not so much for the ride but for the luggage delivery convenience. We used Mears on our last trip (and paid for it) but that ME luggage delivery perk was amazing!
We just got back from Disney World and were very disappointed at the number of rides that were not working upon park opening. Test Track, Remi, Space Mountain, and Buzz Lightyear were all attractions we wasted our energy to get to first, only to be told there was a delayed opening. WHAT??? Seems like it’s a pattern and is really frustrating given what we paid to be there.
It seems to me that bringing back the Magical Express would be a no-brainer as it pretty much keeps guests and their money on Disney property. Another easy thing to bring back is package delivery to the resorts, it was a nice perk that benefited Disney as well. I know I spend way more money when I’m not lugging around a constant reminder of how much I’ve already dropped. Also, there needs to be perks for staying on property beyond what’s offered now. Lastly, bring back the spontaneity, this is my vacation and I don’t want to have to schedule what I’m doing months in advance.
We live in Seattle and have been to Disney World 13 times over the past 25 years. The only way we’ll ever be back is if the following things are returned:
1. Magical Express – eliminating this was the biggest single thing that made us decide to never return.
2. Restore free Fast Passes and Magic Bands.
3. Restore baggage handling – both at arrival and departure from the hotel.
4. Restore the ability to make dining reservations more than 60 days in advance.
In other words, restore the “Disney Bubble” that you used to be in once you made a reservation at a Disney Resort. They took care of you once you made your reservation and now that’s all gone. This is why we won’t return and I’m sure many other long term Disney fans feel the same way.
Otherwise, Disney is going to have to eventually depend on first time visitors for most of its park traffic, as long time loyal fans, like us, will more and more abandon Disney as the prices go up and the services go down. Disney is going to find out the hard way that first time visitors will be for the most part only-time visitors, since the experience now is so complicated and bad. And you’re right Tom – Genie and Genie+ has destroyed their reputation.
It’s pretty sad to see a company that once valued and took care of its customers resort to constant upcharges and nickle and diming everything.
Disney never valued customers. Magical express was to keep people away from universal. Once Harry Potter opened and now with Uber you can get there for $15 each way they stopped subsidizing it because people were foing there
Fast pass was built to get people to spend more money in the parks instead of being in lines. Now they found a way to make money off it
Disney wants lower attendance and more per guest spending. A guest spending $160 just to get inside will toss another $50 to skip lines. It’s not going to change it’s just going to sound softer.
Cheer up though when epic universe opens they will run sacred and offer a bunch of free stuff.
You are so right on the gondola announcement being the last straw. We are traveling with my daughter in an ECV and specifically chose Caribbean Beach for the ease of getting to at least 2 of the parks. I have been scrambling to try to figure out the best option because using the bus for all 4 parks is simply not a great one in this situation. (And, when I called to see if there was any pixie dust for moving to another hotel, the call center guy was dismissive and condescending. There is no point in calling; they have access to the same info as we do on the website – even for problems that Disney created.)
It has soured me on Disney as a company to throw a wrench into something that has been so carefully orchestrated for months now. It makes me sad because I don’t foresee us returning until MANY of the corrections that you have pointed out are addressed by Disney. It simply requires too much planning for them to obviously put such little stock in the hoops people have to jump through for the privilege of spending so much money.
If it wasn’t for this trip being specifically for celebrating my daughter’s college graduation (in 2020, no less), I would just pull the rip cord on the whole thing. But I won’t, for her sake.
Hearing the orchestra in the lobby of the Grand Floidian let’s you know your not in a typical theme park/resort.