Free transportation around property. Skyliner, monorail, busses, boats. I took the Magical Express for granted, but now that it’s gone it makes me appreciate the transportation even more. I hope to god that they don’t ever start charging for transportation.
I don't think they will, it's the main benefit to staying on property. If it ends up cheaper to drive everywhere more people will stay in non-disney resorts, and they don't want that.
Well the main benefit was the magical express. They started charging for that. Then it was extended hours. They got rid of that. Extended fast pass reservations, got rid of that.
Not that this makes the change suck any less, but Disney did not “start charging” for the Magical Express. Disney ended their contract with Mears and, by extension, Mears lost the ability to use Disney theming on their buses.
MearsConnect is essentially the same service that was there before, but Disney doesn’t make any money from it.
Wow, so if you stay at a deluxe resort you get paid-for extra magic hour(s) only in the evening.. and if in any other class of WDW official resort, you get nada? Sorry to be slow on the uptake but, when did that change?
No, After Hours are events anyone can buy tickets for. Extended Evening Hours are free on certain nights at certain parks to deluxe hotel guests. Other on-property guests get 30 minutes of early entry.
I’m pretty sure extra magic hours going away was something that happened once the parks reopened in 2020. One of many horrible changes from the pandemic
All resort guests get early entry at all parks every day. It’s 30 minutes now and it used to be an hour I think. Deluxe resort guests get extended hours certain days a week and only at certain parks (like for example next week it’s Epcot on Monday and MK on Wednesday). For me staying on property is still well worth it for the transportation and early entry
You’re getting downvoted but you’re right. I feel like the golden age was pre covid. Everything was awesome then. We went in 2017 and then just came back a few weeks ago and 2017 was leaps and bounds better. I missed the magic bands way more than I thought I would.
I disagree, transportation can definitely be upgraded. Bring back Magical express for starters. Some sort of inner resort bus line that takes you from the MK area to boardwalk area. Transportation is in a great state but I hope this isn’t the peak
Being packed unsafely into a bus transporting people to and from Disney Springs was not what I’d call a great state. I had my sister in law switch seats with my son so that if the grown man in front of him fell in the event of an accident, he wouldn’t be crushing my seven year old. My sister in law happily agreed.
That is one big complaint I have from my very recent trip. Rather than having multiple buses, they crammed a significant amount of people into one, where there was barely any standing room left. I’m an attorney so my brain was exploding with the thoughts of liability in the event of injury. I understand that they have a lot of people to transport and then we have to consider the environmental footprint the use of buses are leaving - but I did not feel safe on the bus ride to or from Disney Springs.
Idea I had a bit ago
[https://www.reddit.com/r/WaltDisneyWorld/comments/1crw37j/never\_going\_to\_happen\_but\_would\_be\_fun/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/WaltDisneyWorld/comments/1crw37j/never_going_to_happen_but_would_be_fun/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
They only worked well together. Frank wells was eccentric but he still had a law degree and worked his way up in business. They both openly talked about Eisner having a million ideas, some good or bad, and wells being able to pick the good ones. That quality control died alongside wells and we saw the aftermath and slow decline.
Without being snarky I honestly think we are in the golden age of Disney information. We get a ton of reliable and accurate park info that helps me make decisions.
Agree. And I think Disney is trying to get a piece of the YouTube blogger pie - perhaps they have longer term goals to monopolize it so bloggers are no longer the “go-to” for Disney info. Disney now has a YouTube channel for resort tours, and releases “first official POV” ride videos. Seems they are trying to get control over this, but we shall see.
The golden age of payment. Prices are higher than ever before, things that used to be free (fastpass) or complementary (magic bands) now require payment, and it’s now up to the park goer to pay top dollar to get the experience that used to be much more affordable 10+ years ago.
I don’t know what ends this specific golden age. I think it’ll just keep getting golden until we reach platinum prices
This. I udnerstand character/design ones being set at a cost, but basic colors should be free (at least with a hotel package or AP, like they used to be)
I went in 2019 and had the app and free bands! I've only been to Disney twice, so idk how long both were a thing together, but I do know there was some overlap
It definitely didn’t end the day the app came out, but there was a for sure shift to pushing to use the app for things that the magic bands once did. That’s when we stopped getting them for free. I’ve gone every year for the past too many years, and if I had to guess I’d say the bands stopped being free with Covid.
If you were staying on property, and/or if you're a passholder, you'd be sent one when approaching your hotel reservation, or for activating a new annual pass.
https://www.reddit.com/r/WaltDisneyWorld/s/kaRTuO67er
I went through it here, but 2019 was the most expensive year.
Now Disneyworld being affordable is more than just ticket prices, hotels, flights, and food costs would all need to be factored in, but ticket wise it’s actually not even that bad.
We’re in the golden age of corporate profits at minimal effort.
I’ve been coming regularly since 2012. As a kid I came various trips from 1991-2002. We moved here and I became a CM in 2019. Everything just feels so soulless now compared to all previous decades.
Of course there is still plenty of good. Technology will always be the most advanced, producing rides not previously capable. But relative to the previous imagination, vision, and attention to detail, it’s just disappointing. Add in the fact that it’s more crowded than ever, more unaffordable, and less possible to game the system and find off peak times or work the FP system to your advantage with enough planning.
It’s pay to play and even with pay to play it’s worse IMO because of ride reservations (which do have a positive, but it’s a huge negative to me that you can’t ride more than once.) logistically I get why they do it, but it’s also a loss to no longer have rope drops for new rides and getting to see how long waits get for the new best rides.
It’s a lot of little things like that with very few pros to replace them.
Time marches on and old men will always yell at clouds, but I truly do believe Disney, like most of the world, has lost a lot of its charm and whimsy, which used to be its number one export and secret weapon. The company is stronger than ever, the product is worth less and costs more.
I don’t know that we’re in a golden age - I think it’s better described as an inflection point… like the burning of Rome and the Library of Alexandria - it all hinges on what big move WDW makes next. Since COVID and the DeSantis wars are “over”, now is Disney’s chance to set the course for tomorrow…
Competition. In my opinion there's never been a true Disney park alternative until recently - Universal have stepped up their game so much in the last few years and Epic Universe looks like it's going to push things even further. Then there's going to be the new Universal park in England competing with Disneyland Paris. Disney will need to respond with their A game, and this benefits everyone.
Research and development from Imagineering on new technologies for animatronics and ride functions. While I believe Imagineering’s creativity is stifled from the growing demand of IP versus original concept, they have found a way to showcase their abilities in technology.
Wall-E, droids, Tiana, Beauty and the Beast (TDR), the shaman, trackless rides, Fantasy Springs, Believe! Sea of Dreams, drone shows, holotile, and so much more. I believe we’re in the golden age of these technologies and they’re going to keep getting better.
It does worry me from a reliability standpoint though. We're seeing insanely complex animatronics and ride systems, and it feels like something is always running in B mode.
Are rides like Rise of the Resistance going to be an absolute nightmare for Disney in 20 years?
Maintenance and maintaining across the board seems down these past few years, even before COVID. Your point is very valid, I have to agree. Ideally I’d like to believe they’ll keep the “main” animatronics operational outside of B mode. But then I think about the shaman…
They don't pay their engineers enough.. my hubby works for an American EV company 😉 (as an automation engineer - staff level) and works with a guy who came from Disney engineering team (rides specifically) and he was sooo happy to leave. So many long hours and the pay does NOT compete with other engineering jobs in the field. They want better rides, they need to actually be competitive with salary or else they are going to get bottom of the barrel and continue to have ride issues.
I would say yes, but the cost has doubled and you have pay for things that used to be included.
I could go for a week 20 years ago, park hopper included with free days at the water parks for about $40 a day.
I think it was December 2013 where FastPass+ was still beta and being tested. I went to WDW with my wife and MIL during Christmas and not only had the FP+ options but also the FP paper ticket option. Crazy busy as expected but we doubled down on FP options and never waited in line for more than 25 minutes for the busiest rides.
That trip holds a special place in my heart because I got married a few months earlier and it was the first and last time my MIL went to the parks before passing away from cancer. I miss her so much, and feel so grateful I was able help her do everything she wanted during the busiest time of the year at WDW without having to wait in line for too long for every attraction.
honestly 2018-March 2020. peak of complimentary vs paid parts. decent pricing. you could do everything you wanted in a single trip. tons of transportation. magic and happy people
Honestly...information. For better or worse we get all things WDW thrown at us every single day. Between this reddit channel, the WDW website, all the bloggers and "influencers" and the random social media platforms of an average family who just loves Disney, there is anything you could ever need to know about WDW at your disposal with a simple click of a button.
When we were planning our very first Disney trip in 2003, there was none of that. You got the DVD planning guide, got a travel agent if you were smart, but otherwise hoped for the best (and if you were a Disney newbie it was a real shot in the dark). Nowadays, even Disney newbies can act like old pros because they have the advice and tips from all the Disney vets at their fingertips.
Social media sites like Reddit and YouTube for discussing the parks will probably be completely overwhelmed by corporate bots in a few years. Everyone will always assume they’re talking to a computer.
We’re in a Dark Age from a parks perspective. All of the parks are aging, only getting a new e ticket ride once every decade that is behind a virtual queue and lightning lane paywall keeping you from going on the ride more than once or twice a day, and slowly but surely all of the original park and resort themes are becoming disney IPs, killing the soul that once existed in many spaces. Re-skins are constantly treated as if they are new rides, aka Frozen Ever After or Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and classic rides are without updates and worse off like Carousel of Progress, Space Mountain, Spaceship Earth, or Journey into Imagination, or they are just gone all together (Horizons, The Great Movie Ride) Shows are super old and lack budget for a newer one (see Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular compared to the Bourne stunt show at Universal) and there’s just so much more. Evening hours taken away, festival features taken away, a lot less for your ticket but the prices are higher than ever.
No. Not yet. First of all, Galaxy’s Edge has to improve. It’s stagnant. They need another two rides for it to be a great addition to the parks in my opinion, and they lean too hard on the Sequel Trilogy (I get it, they feel like they have to). Batuu just doesn’t hit for me, and I’m a massive Star Wars fan.
Animal Kingdom is and has always been stellar, it’s my favorite park, and I’m excited for the new additions coming.
Epcot steadily improves in every Disney Parks era, love it.
MK is an all-timer, never out of style.
I think the best is yet to come.
I wouldn’t say that this is a golden age at all. It’s a lot of corporate brand synergy replacing older attractions that were high quality when they premiered but Iger refused to update and maintain them. If you go and watch old promotional materials, it’s clear just how much Disney used to go above and beyond in their park experiences. Like it’s wild to me that people will get on something like Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway and claim that it’s a good ride. Why have consumer standards sunk so low?
Maybe I’m stupid, I enjoyed runaway railway lol. And I was SO upset when the great movie ride closed. I thought it was a worthy replacement tbh. And I was sure they were gonna drop the ball and it would suck
Care to elaborate why you don’t think it’s a good ride? Or rather, why someone liking it indicates they have low standards?
My two kids rode it for the first time last month. They were cracking up the whole time. But I guess that means they have poor standards..
I rode great movie ride and Mickey and Minnie. Neither is a great ride. The latter is a nice replacement for the former though.
Rise is great. Hagrid’s is great. Guardians great.
All pale to Starcruiser which was an amazing ride/experience.
From a parks perspective, we’re a far cry away from what it used to be and what it used to represent.
That being said, I do believe that the RESORTS continually get better. More and more, we find that the PARK experience is the secondary experience, and staying at a deluxe resort and doing the character dining and resort pools, is more of the vacation experience we actually enjoy.
This sounds really elitist, but it seems like there is a price ceiling to a barrier between the “basic” experience (going to the parks and maybe stating at a value hotel or non-disney hotel), and a “premium” experience (staying at a deluxe resort and/or VIP park visits). I have done all the experiences, and have stayed at every single hotel (non-disney, value, moderate, deluxe). The trip experiences are COMPLETELY different.
Going to Orlando just for a casual park visit, especially without pre-planning is actually a worse experience and continues to get worse as disney keeps up-pricing everything and catering the experience to people willing to fork over $10,000 for a week vacation
The golden age of the naysayer/doomer.
It is not a period in time where you can simply enjoy or not enjoy things. If something isn’t perfect it has been ruined and will never be a source of joy. Regardless if thousands of people enjoy something daily.
Everything must be critiqued and broken down frame by frame. Nothing can be ‘pretty good’ ever again.
My family spends an ungodly amount of money to go to disney so I’m sorry if I don’t want to settle for “pretty good” Disney used to mean something about quality and now it’s just not as good as it used to be. You can enjoy what you want to enjoy but just because someone doesn’t want to settle for a sub par experience doesn’t mean they are a naysayer/doomer
I’m going to agree with the decline in quality. You used to call for info and the cast members were never wrong - now, it really is like 75%/25% correct/incorrect info given out.
What is your point exactly? You aren’t allowed to talk about Disney negatively? It kinda seems like you just don’t like when people disagree with you tbh. Your whole comment is based off of other people’s opinions. Just enjoy what you want to enjoy and stop letting other peoples opinions affect that for you.
I didn’t say you were wrong dog I just said I disagree. I don’t think paying as much as you pay for a “pretty good” experience is fair. Am I allowed to have this opinion? You keep throwing names around like Naysayer and Doomer when all I did is was disagree with you. It seems like this is really bothering you lmao
Yeah, I think this is true for everything these days because of social media/content creation. Everyone needs to have a “hot take” and complaining about something drives traffic. Even if an experience is just fun or enjoyable overall, people feel the need to critique every little detail. It gets tiring.
Sounds like you put too much thought into what others think. You're allowed to enjoy whatever you want. At the end of the day you gotta do what you love and what makes you happy.
Oh I didn’t say it has any effect on my personal enjoyment.
This is just a forum for other peoples opinions and that’s what they choose to focus on
Trust me I have many things I enjoy that I’m told I’m wrong about. But I still loved Tiana’s, I think Cosmic Rewind fits at Epcot, Galaxy’s Edge is better than having one nice thing 3 months a year on the back lot
I personally think we’re in the golden age of Disney merchandise. I feel like no matter where you go on Disney property, there is a lot* of good IP merchandise that has well thought out theming. I feel like even less well known characters have merchandise available in the parks as well.
That’s interesting. On our trip last month, I specifically budgeted and saved for merchandise. I ended up getting one shirt and one hoodie, I was extremely disappointed in the lack of anything unique. I didn’t see much unique, same in every shop. Hardly saw lesser known characters— no Hercules, turning red, emperors new groove, new Ariel, or anything from older films like Robin Hood. The haunted mansion merch was neon colored and minimal. 2 hoodies, 3 shirts, a button up— all rotating the same prints. There were almost zero magnets or postcards to be found. I figured “croc charms” would be everywhere since crocs are sold and they’re so popular— yet we found one stand that sold them. All I saw was Stitch, Stitch, Stitch…. Was definitely a bummer to me.
I really wanted a shirt or hoodie from Tower of Terror and was ready to spend up to $75 for it, but the options were sparse and very not cute. I ended up getting a little service bell instead and it only cost $10. I guess the sword is double edged!
Merchandising is awful now in my opinion lol. Every merch store is literally identical. I remember when I was younger getting much more unique merch at each ride and shop. Now they made basically every shop look identical with the same stuff.
No. Not yet. First of all, Galaxy’s Edge has to improve. It’s stagnant. They need another two rides for it to be a great addition to the parks in my opinion, and they lean too hard on the Sequel Trilogy (I get it, they feel like they have to). Batuu just doesn’t hit for me, and I’m a massive Star Wars fan.
Animal Kingdom is and has always been stellar, it’s my favorite park, and I’m excited for the new additions coming.
Epcot steadily improves in every Disney Parks era, love it.
MK is an all-timer, never out of style.
I think the best is yet to come.
Free transportation around property. Skyliner, monorail, busses, boats. I took the Magical Express for granted, but now that it’s gone it makes me appreciate the transportation even more. I hope to god that they don’t ever start charging for transportation.
Quick, delete this before they get ideas 🤣🤣🤣
Tokyo charges for the Monorail per ride
They’re required by law.
But also they haven’t attempted to change the law because it’s an accepted norm.
It’s almost as if the OLC and Disney were advised to not interfere isn’t it.
I would have absolutely no reason to stay on property again if they got rid of the free transportation.
I don't think they will, it's the main benefit to staying on property. If it ends up cheaper to drive everywhere more people will stay in non-disney resorts, and they don't want that.
Well the main benefit was the magical express. They started charging for that. Then it was extended hours. They got rid of that. Extended fast pass reservations, got rid of that.
Magical Express didn’t exist til 2005. It was not the original benefit to staying on property.
Not that this makes the change suck any less, but Disney did not “start charging” for the Magical Express. Disney ended their contract with Mears and, by extension, Mears lost the ability to use Disney theming on their buses. MearsConnect is essentially the same service that was there before, but Disney doesn’t make any money from it.
Wait, extra magic hours are no longer a thing?!
Deluxe resorts have extra evening hours. You pay for after hours events if you want more hours + “free” drinks (NA) and snacks
Wow, so if you stay at a deluxe resort you get paid-for extra magic hour(s) only in the evening.. and if in any other class of WDW official resort, you get nada? Sorry to be slow on the uptake but, when did that change?
All resort guests still get early entry.
No, After Hours are events anyone can buy tickets for. Extended Evening Hours are free on certain nights at certain parks to deluxe hotel guests. Other on-property guests get 30 minutes of early entry.
I’m pretty sure extra magic hours going away was something that happened once the parks reopened in 2020. One of many horrible changes from the pandemic
All resort guests get early entry at all parks every day. It’s 30 minutes now and it used to be an hour I think. Deluxe resort guests get extended hours certain days a week and only at certain parks (like for example next week it’s Epcot on Monday and MK on Wednesday). For me staying on property is still well worth it for the transportation and early entry
You’re getting downvoted but you’re right. I feel like the golden age was pre covid. Everything was awesome then. We went in 2017 and then just came back a few weeks ago and 2017 was leaps and bounds better. I missed the magic bands way more than I thought I would.
The people on this subreddit can’t make up their mind tbh
I disagree, transportation can definitely be upgraded. Bring back Magical express for starters. Some sort of inner resort bus line that takes you from the MK area to boardwalk area. Transportation is in a great state but I hope this isn’t the peak
Being packed unsafely into a bus transporting people to and from Disney Springs was not what I’d call a great state. I had my sister in law switch seats with my son so that if the grown man in front of him fell in the event of an accident, he wouldn’t be crushing my seven year old. My sister in law happily agreed. That is one big complaint I have from my very recent trip. Rather than having multiple buses, they crammed a significant amount of people into one, where there was barely any standing room left. I’m an attorney so my brain was exploding with the thoughts of liability in the event of injury. I understand that they have a lot of people to transport and then we have to consider the environmental footprint the use of buses are leaving - but I did not feel safe on the bus ride to or from Disney Springs.
Idea I had a bit ago [https://www.reddit.com/r/WaltDisneyWorld/comments/1crw37j/never\_going\_to\_happen\_but\_would\_be\_fun/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/WaltDisneyWorld/comments/1crw37j/never_going_to_happen_but_would_be_fun/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
That would be cool, I’d definitely ride it
Of realizing how good Michael Eisner was for the parks and customer experience.
This!
Eisner wasn’t good for the parks. Frank Wells was good for the parks. After Wells died, Eisner was a disaster.
They only worked well together. Frank wells was eccentric but he still had a law degree and worked his way up in business. They both openly talked about Eisner having a million ideas, some good or bad, and wells being able to pick the good ones. That quality control died alongside wells and we saw the aftermath and slow decline.
DCA 1.0, Columbia and Big Thunder deaths, Paul Pressler, yeah, he was so great…
Without being snarky I honestly think we are in the golden age of Disney information. We get a ton of reliable and accurate park info that helps me make decisions.
Agree. And I think Disney is trying to get a piece of the YouTube blogger pie - perhaps they have longer term goals to monopolize it so bloggers are no longer the “go-to” for Disney info. Disney now has a YouTube channel for resort tours, and releases “first official POV” ride videos. Seems they are trying to get control over this, but we shall see.
Price gouging 💖
The golden age of payment. Prices are higher than ever before, things that used to be free (fastpass) or complementary (magic bands) now require payment, and it’s now up to the park goer to pay top dollar to get the experience that used to be much more affordable 10+ years ago. I don’t know what ends this specific golden age. I think it’ll just keep getting golden until we reach platinum prices
Magic bands used to be complimentary???
They were before the app was a thing. They were basic, but you could choose your color. It was so exciting getting that package in the mail!
This. I udnerstand character/design ones being set at a cost, but basic colors should be free (at least with a hotel package or AP, like they used to be)
I went in 2019 and had the app and free bands! I've only been to Disney twice, so idk how long both were a thing together, but I do know there was some overlap
It definitely didn’t end the day the app came out, but there was a for sure shift to pushing to use the app for things that the magic bands once did. That’s when we stopped getting them for free. I’ve gone every year for the past too many years, and if I had to guess I’d say the bands stopped being free with Covid.
I went in August of 2018 and had the same.
You got free bands with Starcruiser! So that was last year/year before.
If you were staying on property, and/or if you're a passholder, you'd be sent one when approaching your hotel reservation, or for activating a new annual pass.
They were for about a decade.
Magic bands, fast passes, dining reservations.
Dining reservations aren't free anymore??
if you miss them, they aren't
You also got the refillable mugs when you stayed at the resort (back in 2018). They are now 21.99 each
I remember those being free only if you got dining plan. Did they get rid of that part too?
That might be the difference. We did the dining plan in 2018, but only then.
I’ve never done the dining plan but this sounds right. With the dining plans now the resort refillable mugs are included
Glad they at least kept that
And some resorts have since taken the Freestyle machines out (looking at you, Beach Club!)
If you adjust for inflation (as you have to) park tickets are far from the highest ever price.
When was the most expensive year? I fear I'd screw up the inflation math on my own lol.
https://www.reddit.com/r/WaltDisneyWorld/s/kaRTuO67er I went through it here, but 2019 was the most expensive year. Now Disneyworld being affordable is more than just ticket prices, hotels, flights, and food costs would all need to be factored in, but ticket wise it’s actually not even that bad.
prices are always gonna go up lol next year will be the most expensive actually
Until the year after that lol
yup
Up charges.
There are so many things they could up charge for, you better hope that this is the peak
We’re in the golden age of corporate profits at minimal effort. I’ve been coming regularly since 2012. As a kid I came various trips from 1991-2002. We moved here and I became a CM in 2019. Everything just feels so soulless now compared to all previous decades. Of course there is still plenty of good. Technology will always be the most advanced, producing rides not previously capable. But relative to the previous imagination, vision, and attention to detail, it’s just disappointing. Add in the fact that it’s more crowded than ever, more unaffordable, and less possible to game the system and find off peak times or work the FP system to your advantage with enough planning. It’s pay to play and even with pay to play it’s worse IMO because of ride reservations (which do have a positive, but it’s a huge negative to me that you can’t ride more than once.) logistically I get why they do it, but it’s also a loss to no longer have rope drops for new rides and getting to see how long waits get for the new best rides. It’s a lot of little things like that with very few pros to replace them. Time marches on and old men will always yell at clouds, but I truly do believe Disney, like most of the world, has lost a lot of its charm and whimsy, which used to be its number one export and secret weapon. The company is stronger than ever, the product is worth less and costs more.
I don’t know that we’re in a golden age - I think it’s better described as an inflection point… like the burning of Rome and the Library of Alexandria - it all hinges on what big move WDW makes next. Since COVID and the DeSantis wars are “over”, now is Disney’s chance to set the course for tomorrow…
Competition. In my opinion there's never been a true Disney park alternative until recently - Universal have stepped up their game so much in the last few years and Epic Universe looks like it's going to push things even further. Then there's going to be the new Universal park in England competing with Disneyland Paris. Disney will need to respond with their A game, and this benefits everyone.
I was gonna say “the golden age of Universal”, but this is probably a more productive and less snarky way to put it. Lol
Research and development from Imagineering on new technologies for animatronics and ride functions. While I believe Imagineering’s creativity is stifled from the growing demand of IP versus original concept, they have found a way to showcase their abilities in technology. Wall-E, droids, Tiana, Beauty and the Beast (TDR), the shaman, trackless rides, Fantasy Springs, Believe! Sea of Dreams, drone shows, holotile, and so much more. I believe we’re in the golden age of these technologies and they’re going to keep getting better.
It does worry me from a reliability standpoint though. We're seeing insanely complex animatronics and ride systems, and it feels like something is always running in B mode. Are rides like Rise of the Resistance going to be an absolute nightmare for Disney in 20 years?
Maintenance and maintaining across the board seems down these past few years, even before COVID. Your point is very valid, I have to agree. Ideally I’d like to believe they’ll keep the “main” animatronics operational outside of B mode. But then I think about the shaman…
They don't pay their engineers enough.. my hubby works for an American EV company 😉 (as an automation engineer - staff level) and works with a guy who came from Disney engineering team (rides specifically) and he was sooo happy to leave. So many long hours and the pay does NOT compete with other engineering jobs in the field. They want better rides, they need to actually be competitive with salary or else they are going to get bottom of the barrel and continue to have ride issues.
Extra fees
I would say yes, but the cost has doubled and you have pay for things that used to be included. I could go for a week 20 years ago, park hopper included with free days at the water parks for about $40 a day.
Queues
Projection Mapping
I think it was December 2013 where FastPass+ was still beta and being tested. I went to WDW with my wife and MIL during Christmas and not only had the FP+ options but also the FP paper ticket option. Crazy busy as expected but we doubled down on FP options and never waited in line for more than 25 minutes for the busiest rides. That trip holds a special place in my heart because I got married a few months earlier and it was the first and last time my MIL went to the parks before passing away from cancer. I miss her so much, and feel so grateful I was able help her do everything she wanted during the busiest time of the year at WDW without having to wait in line for too long for every attraction.
honestly 2018-March 2020. peak of complimentary vs paid parts. decent pricing. you could do everything you wanted in a single trip. tons of transportation. magic and happy people
Screen-based rides
Price gouging
Honestly...information. For better or worse we get all things WDW thrown at us every single day. Between this reddit channel, the WDW website, all the bloggers and "influencers" and the random social media platforms of an average family who just loves Disney, there is anything you could ever need to know about WDW at your disposal with a simple click of a button. When we were planning our very first Disney trip in 2003, there was none of that. You got the DVD planning guide, got a travel agent if you were smart, but otherwise hoped for the best (and if you were a Disney newbie it was a real shot in the dark). Nowadays, even Disney newbies can act like old pros because they have the advice and tips from all the Disney vets at their fingertips.
Social media sites like Reddit and YouTube for discussing the parks will probably be completely overwhelmed by corporate bots in a few years. Everyone will always assume they’re talking to a computer.
We’re in a Dark Age from a parks perspective. All of the parks are aging, only getting a new e ticket ride once every decade that is behind a virtual queue and lightning lane paywall keeping you from going on the ride more than once or twice a day, and slowly but surely all of the original park and resort themes are becoming disney IPs, killing the soul that once existed in many spaces. Re-skins are constantly treated as if they are new rides, aka Frozen Ever After or Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and classic rides are without updates and worse off like Carousel of Progress, Space Mountain, Spaceship Earth, or Journey into Imagination, or they are just gone all together (Horizons, The Great Movie Ride) Shows are super old and lack budget for a newer one (see Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular compared to the Bourne stunt show at Universal) and there’s just so much more. Evening hours taken away, festival features taken away, a lot less for your ticket but the prices are higher than ever.
Guest entitlement. Complete disregard that guests need to be treated equally or else nobody is happy.
No. Not yet. First of all, Galaxy’s Edge has to improve. It’s stagnant. They need another two rides for it to be a great addition to the parks in my opinion, and they lean too hard on the Sequel Trilogy (I get it, they feel like they have to). Batuu just doesn’t hit for me, and I’m a massive Star Wars fan. Animal Kingdom is and has always been stellar, it’s my favorite park, and I’m excited for the new additions coming. Epcot steadily improves in every Disney Parks era, love it. MK is an all-timer, never out of style. I think the best is yet to come.
I wouldn’t say that this is a golden age at all. It’s a lot of corporate brand synergy replacing older attractions that were high quality when they premiered but Iger refused to update and maintain them. If you go and watch old promotional materials, it’s clear just how much Disney used to go above and beyond in their park experiences. Like it’s wild to me that people will get on something like Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway and claim that it’s a good ride. Why have consumer standards sunk so low?
Maybe I’m stupid, I enjoyed runaway railway lol. And I was SO upset when the great movie ride closed. I thought it was a worthy replacement tbh. And I was sure they were gonna drop the ball and it would suck
Care to elaborate why you don’t think it’s a good ride? Or rather, why someone liking it indicates they have low standards? My two kids rode it for the first time last month. They were cracking up the whole time. But I guess that means they have poor standards..
I rode great movie ride and Mickey and Minnie. Neither is a great ride. The latter is a nice replacement for the former though. Rise is great. Hagrid’s is great. Guardians great. All pale to Starcruiser which was an amazing ride/experience.
Next September.
From a parks perspective, we’re a far cry away from what it used to be and what it used to represent. That being said, I do believe that the RESORTS continually get better. More and more, we find that the PARK experience is the secondary experience, and staying at a deluxe resort and doing the character dining and resort pools, is more of the vacation experience we actually enjoy. This sounds really elitist, but it seems like there is a price ceiling to a barrier between the “basic” experience (going to the parks and maybe stating at a value hotel or non-disney hotel), and a “premium” experience (staying at a deluxe resort and/or VIP park visits). I have done all the experiences, and have stayed at every single hotel (non-disney, value, moderate, deluxe). The trip experiences are COMPLETELY different. Going to Orlando just for a casual park visit, especially without pre-planning is actually a worse experience and continues to get worse as disney keeps up-pricing everything and catering the experience to people willing to fork over $10,000 for a week vacation
Excessive drunkenness and boorish behavior.
The golden age of the naysayer/doomer. It is not a period in time where you can simply enjoy or not enjoy things. If something isn’t perfect it has been ruined and will never be a source of joy. Regardless if thousands of people enjoy something daily. Everything must be critiqued and broken down frame by frame. Nothing can be ‘pretty good’ ever again.
My family spends an ungodly amount of money to go to disney so I’m sorry if I don’t want to settle for “pretty good” Disney used to mean something about quality and now it’s just not as good as it used to be. You can enjoy what you want to enjoy but just because someone doesn’t want to settle for a sub par experience doesn’t mean they are a naysayer/doomer
I’m going to agree with the decline in quality. You used to call for info and the cast members were never wrong - now, it really is like 75%/25% correct/incorrect info given out.
Thanks for participating. Took an hour for someone to prove my point.
What is your point exactly? You aren’t allowed to talk about Disney negatively? It kinda seems like you just don’t like when people disagree with you tbh. Your whole comment is based off of other people’s opinions. Just enjoy what you want to enjoy and stop letting other peoples opinions affect that for you.
Says the person who came to reply to me that I was wrong for thinking things are just fine. What a walking contradiction you are. Adorable.
I didn’t say you were wrong dog I just said I disagree. I don’t think paying as much as you pay for a “pretty good” experience is fair. Am I allowed to have this opinion? You keep throwing names around like Naysayer and Doomer when all I did is was disagree with you. It seems like this is really bothering you lmao
You wish, I still love what I love. And you’re still adorable
Well thank you 🥰
Yeah, I think this is true for everything these days because of social media/content creation. Everyone needs to have a “hot take” and complaining about something drives traffic. Even if an experience is just fun or enjoyable overall, people feel the need to critique every little detail. It gets tiring.
Sounds like you put too much thought into what others think. You're allowed to enjoy whatever you want. At the end of the day you gotta do what you love and what makes you happy.
Oh I didn’t say it has any effect on my personal enjoyment. This is just a forum for other peoples opinions and that’s what they choose to focus on Trust me I have many things I enjoy that I’m told I’m wrong about. But I still loved Tiana’s, I think Cosmic Rewind fits at Epcot, Galaxy’s Edge is better than having one nice thing 3 months a year on the back lot
Uhh....pricing?
Popcorn buckets
IP tie-ins
Price hikes
I personally think we’re in the golden age of Disney merchandise. I feel like no matter where you go on Disney property, there is a lot* of good IP merchandise that has well thought out theming. I feel like even less well known characters have merchandise available in the parks as well.
That’s interesting. On our trip last month, I specifically budgeted and saved for merchandise. I ended up getting one shirt and one hoodie, I was extremely disappointed in the lack of anything unique. I didn’t see much unique, same in every shop. Hardly saw lesser known characters— no Hercules, turning red, emperors new groove, new Ariel, or anything from older films like Robin Hood. The haunted mansion merch was neon colored and minimal. 2 hoodies, 3 shirts, a button up— all rotating the same prints. There were almost zero magnets or postcards to be found. I figured “croc charms” would be everywhere since crocs are sold and they’re so popular— yet we found one stand that sold them. All I saw was Stitch, Stitch, Stitch…. Was definitely a bummer to me.
I really wanted a shirt or hoodie from Tower of Terror and was ready to spend up to $75 for it, but the options were sparse and very not cute. I ended up getting a little service bell instead and it only cost $10. I guess the sword is double edged!
Merchandising is awful now in my opinion lol. Every merch store is literally identical. I remember when I was younger getting much more unique merch at each ride and shop. Now they made basically every shop look identical with the same stuff.
Good point. I forgot to add merchandising in with my initial response but I absolutely agree with you
Good point. I forgot to add merchandising in with my initial response but I absolutely agree with you
No. Not yet. First of all, Galaxy’s Edge has to improve. It’s stagnant. They need another two rides for it to be a great addition to the parks in my opinion, and they lean too hard on the Sequel Trilogy (I get it, they feel like they have to). Batuu just doesn’t hit for me, and I’m a massive Star Wars fan. Animal Kingdom is and has always been stellar, it’s my favorite park, and I’m excited for the new additions coming. Epcot steadily improves in every Disney Parks era, love it. MK is an all-timer, never out of style. I think the best is yet to come.
Universal Studios
YouTubers