Magic is gone

:goofy:
Just wanted to tell those planning WDW vacations (like us) that I just heard from my friend who just returned and the first thing he said was: "the magic is gone."
Like me, his idea of a vacation is to completely isolate from the outside world and just relax. No face time with a computer screen or phone. WDW has always been perfect for that.
Now apparently WDW is forcing guests to bury their faces n their phones virtually on a constant basis. Even ordering Quick Service food. I forgot to ask if you could still get popcorn or a Mickey ice cream bar without your phone.
Boo to Disney. Having second thoughts about our reservations. And now the Extra Evening Hours are only for Mr. & Mrs. Thurston Howell. Shame on Disney for establishing a caste system.
:dale::chip:

We were In Epcot the end of August. While things are different we did not feel the magic was gone. We rarely had our phones out. We enjoyed seeing Pooh frolicking in the garden chasing butterflys. He even posed for pictures and answered questions with a nod of his head. We had great interactions with some cast members and enjoyed riding Soarin twice in a row with no wait. While many things have changed at Disney the trip will be what you make it. We chose to enjoy our trip even though it was 97 degrees and crazy humid.:mickey:

I might disagree with you on that. We had a most magical trip on our last visit in June.

First, let's get a few points out of the way. Disney is not a vacation. We all know that if you are looking to just unwind and relax then Disney isn't for you, even if you aren't planning to visit the parks. Second, the tech may be frustrating at times, but ultimately if Disney is doing their job well then the apps and their offerings should bring pleasure...not pain. Third, there will be structure. We've all been working with ADRs for at least 30 years now (let alone FP+) so it should be no surprise to anyone. Fourth, Disney is a premium experience...even if you aren't staying at a premium resort. If you have a family of four with airfare, possibly car rental and are staying for seven days then know that it will probably cost you are least $10k. Finally, don't set your expectations too high or so high and be fluid in your plans. Not everything may be available, people may get tired or it might rain...perhaps a lot.

If you are good with all that then there is absolutely no reason you can't have a great Disney experience every time. Frankly, we preferred the order ahead option for quick service. The kids were all great with managing our park reservations and FP+. I realize FP+ is all changing, but we had a fantastic time! We're not ready to go back just yet, but maybe in another 3-4 years is good for us. Enjoy!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by baldburke

I might disagree with you on that. We had a most magical trip on our last visit in June.

First, let's get a few points out of the way. Disney is not a vacation. We all know that if you are looking to just unwind and relax then Disney isn't for you, even if you aren't planning to visit the parks. Second, the tech may be frustrating at times, but ultimately if Disney is doing their job well then the apps and their offerings should bring pleasure...not pain. Third, there will be structure. We've all been working with ADRs for at least 30 years now (let alone FP+) so it should be no surprise to anyone. Fourth, Disney is a premium experience...even if you aren't staying at a premium resort. If you have a family of four with airfare, possibly car rental and are staying for seven days then know that it will probably cost you are least $10k. Finally, don't set your expectations too high or so high and be fluid in your plans. Not everything may be available, people may get tired or it might rain...perhaps a lot.

If you are good with all that then there is absolutely no reason you can't have a great Disney experience every time. Frankly, we preferred the order ahead option for quick service. The kids were all great with managing our park reservations and FP+. I realize FP+ is all changing, but we had a fantastic time! We're not ready to go back just yet, but maybe in another 3-4 years is good for us. Enjoy!

---

Funny how none of the advertising makes any mention of Disney not being a vacation. How they don’t mention the premium cost but not to expect premium I’m service. Wonder why? :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by baldburke

F Second, the tech may be frustrating at times, but ultimately if Disney is doing their job well then the apps and their offerings should bring pleasure...not pain.

---

Disney doesn't do their job well. Their tech is subpar.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cinderelley

Disney doesn't do their job well. Their tech is subpar.

---

I completely agree with that. It started getting better but now they have completely changed everything and moved to Genie+ so who knows how that will work. I spent more time at Guest services in the past 5 years than all of the other years I have been going combined. I spent most of that time trying to get tickets and fastpasses straightened back out that were messed up on their end out of my control.

There is no doubt that a WDW vacation is nowhere near as magical as it used to be. It used to be a great value and you got a lot for your money but now.......I feel like cattle being herded through as fast as possible while at the same time being charged for anything and everything they can find a way to put a charge on. One of the charges that tick me off more than most is now having to pay to park my car that I don't even touch for the entire week I am there in the resort parking lot that was built decades ago and I have parked there for those decades without paying. That makes my blood boil. I am one of those that looks at parking charges when I make hotel reservations anywhere. It is actually a determining factor in what hotel I choose.

Finding Nemo show is gone for good. Keep that "magic" coming. :confused:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by goofyskier

Funny how none of the advertising makes any mention of Disney not being a vacation. How they don’t mention the premium cost but not to expect premium I’m service. Wonder why? :)

---

They might call it a vacation...I don't. Heck, I'm even a member of DVC!

Nearly everything anymore is a premium experience...especially with inflation on the rise as of late. You can't take a family of four to a movie with snacks for under $50. You can't take a family of four to a baseball game, again, with parking and snacks, for less than $100 to $150 depended on the stadium. The cost of everything is through the roof. My weekly grocery bill for three is never under $250 any more. A week at Disney for four with all the perks will cost you $10k...but so will a week at the beach in many cases. C'est la vie!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cinderelley

Disney doesn't do their job well. Their tech is subpar.

---

I did put the big "IF" in there...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Altair

Finding Nemo show is gone for good. Keep that "magic" coming. :confused:

---

Nope! They're just reworking it. It will be back next year with all new costumes, effects, and possibly new songs!

I'm excited for the changes, and if you think that Disney introducing "tech" into the Disney Experience is removing the magic, then I don't know what to tell you. For years here on Intercot, there has been a loud group lamenting the fact that Disney was stagnant, not keeping up with Universal, content to not upgrade anything, etc, etc. But then when they introduce new rides, new technologies, change shows and experiences, people complain that the "magic is gone" because it is not the Walt Disney World that you have known and loved. What's a company to do?

We went in May, and had a really nice time. It was a different sort of trip, as we were staying off-site, there were no fireworks, no buffets, no Fast Passes, etc. But it was still great. I actually really like the Virtual Queue system for the really popular rides. I am unconvinced about the Genie app actually working like they say it will...I mean, if it is supposed to tell you when the rides you want have low waiting times, and it notifies you, it's also notifying everyone else who wants to ride it and...bam!...there go your short wait times. So, for Disney, this will probably be a home run as it will eventually average out wait times all over the parks.

The tech has indeed gotten better, and am SO HAPPY that FP+ is gone. I'm even cool with them charging $15/day for the Lightning Lane access. I am, however, very disappointed that they are upcharging on their upcharges for Lightning Lane access to the most popular rides. I'm also not happy that they're removing free PhotoPass for AP holders.

We have a trip coming up in January, just the wife and I, and we're staying at the Polynesian for 8 days. It's my bucket list hotel. I've been wanting to stay there for 20 years. I can't wait.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by baldburke

They might call it a vacation...I don't. Heck, I'm even a member of DVC!
!

---

I have never read such a thing before. Everything about Disney is marketed as a vacation, bug its not a vacation? Seriously?

It certainly has changed, but really-what hasn't? The magic is still there , you just have to look a little harder. Still smiling faces all around , perfect picture moments, new experiences, little special moments and more. The world we live in is so different today, WDW is still a place I go and generally forget the outside world .

Obviously this is one of those topics that is extremely subjective. If you find it's no longer worth your money, you're not going to go. If you still have a wonderful time, you're going to find value in it.

We were just there at the beginning of August for a few days. We had concerns about how our enjoyment would be impacted. But we ended up having an absolute blast! And we did not have to work at it, or make the best of it. Disney delivered. We had concerns about needing to use the app and that turned out to be no problem at all. We used it to get on RotR, we actually really enjoyed using it to mobile order food (and this was not a necessity, every place we went had at least one register open for walk ups) and because there was no FP when we were there, we pulled it out a few times to check ride times before hoofing it all the way across the park to something we wanted to get on. We weren't by any stretch of the imagination spending the entire day with our faces buried in our phones.

We're planning to go back next August and we are so excited about it!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TheVBs

Obviously this is one of those topics that is extremely subjective. If you find it's no longer worth your money, you're not going to go. If you still have a wonderful time, you're going to find value in it.

We were just there at the beginning of August for a few days. We had concerns about how our enjoyment would be impacted. But we ended up having an absolute blast! And we did not have to work at it, or make the best of it. Disney delivered. We had concerns about needing to use the app and that turned out to be no problem at all. We used it to get on RotR, we actually really enjoyed using it to mobile order food (and this was not a necessity, every place we went had at least one register open for walk ups) and because there was no FP when we were there, we pulled it out a few times to check ride times before hoofing it all the way across the park to something we wanted to get on. We weren't by any stretch of the imagination spending the entire day with our faces buried in our phones.

We're planning to go back next August and we are so excited about it!

---

My daughter went to WDW back several months ago. It was the week they dropped the mask requirements I believe in June. We all went on a trip out West in July and went to Disneyland while were were there. She had a blast both times and we all had a blast at Disneyland. With that said, the two reasons we all enjoyed it so much were no preplanning or having to deal with fastpasses of any type and low crowd levels compared to normal times. I can't begin to tell you how enjoyable it was to just buy some tickets, show up and start hitting the attractions without ever looking at an app or worrying about the time.

They are going to start the new pass system which sounds like it will be far less irritating and stressful so I do look forward to trying that out. However, I do wish they would continue to have days for each park or perhaps certain weeks through the calendar where there were no fastpasses of any type including the new Genie system that is coming and also absolutely no dining reservations on those days either. That would be when I would go.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by baldburke

First, let's get a few points out of the way. Disney is not a vacation.

---

It used to be. Sure, you had to do lots of planning ahead of time, but once you got there, it was all vacation and family time. I think maybe some of us are wishing it still was still that way.

I just got back from an 11 day trip with an 8 day park pass. We came home with days still left on our passes and several days we only went for an hour or two to see something specific (like Pandora at night). Yes, there were cast members who did create magical experiences at times, but the rest of it just wasn't worth it to us.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cinderelley

I just got back from an 11 day trip with an 8 day park pass. We came home with days still left on our passes and several days we only went for an hour or two to see something specific (like Pandora at night). Yes, there were cast members who did create magical experiences at times, but the rest of it just wasn't worth it to us.

---

Yikes...sorry to hear that!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by baldburke

Yikes...sorry to hear that!

---

Thank you. I will make a trip report when I am off work in a few days.

I wouldn't say the magic is gone. We live just a few minutes from the parks and visit a few times a week. Look is it what it once was? No not right now it isn't and no I'm not a fan of the My Disney Experience app either, but the fact is that this is the future of the theme park experience. Gen Z expects everything to be tech enabled and all theme parks have an app now. Maybe not one that you have to rely on quite as much as you do MDE, but that aspect is here to stay.

It's not perfect, but I will tell you that for me I get just as much satisfaction from wandering around World Showcase at night and soaking in the atmosphere as I always did. For me, that's the magic.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ian

It's not perfect, but I will tell you that for me I get just as much satisfaction from wandering around World Showcase at night and soaking in the atmosphere as I always did. For me, that's the magic.

---

Ditto. It's the being there that makes it magical.

I've been to Disney World twice during the 'Covid' period and have another trip planned for January. I went with a girlfriend for a day in September 2020. That was a great trip. I'm no fan of wearing a mask, who is, but despite that it was great. There were no lines, no waits, we could easily make a reservation at Be Our Guest only a few weeks out. The number of castmembers was adequate for the number of guests.

The 2nd trip was from July 24 to August 1 with my son, DIL, 6 & 3 year old granddaughters and 1 year old grandson. We stayed the 1st night at Caribbean Beach. Although we were supposed to be able to check in at 3, when we arrived at 4 we were told our room wasn't ready. We hung around for over an hour, trying to be patient. I finally went up to Guest Services again and asked if our room REALLY still wasn't ready. I'm always polite, but it was probably apparent that I was frustrated. The CM said she would check, she got on the phone and didn't speak to me for the next 15 minutes. I finally asked he if she was on hold. She told me she was and that I could take a seat and she'd come get me when she knew something. Next I was told our night there would be free. We were moving to the Polynesian the next day. That was a rough start, but ended okay. The rest of the trip was delightful because of the little kids but it was crowded, with untrained CMs, not enough CMs, long lines, long waits (15 mins to be handed a paper cup to fill my own soda) and with a seriously overflowing trash can thrown in.

Despite all of that, I still have hope for the next trip to be magical in January with my other son and his 4 year old daughter. It won't be as hot, there are more CMs and hopefully they are better trained. The magic isn't gone, it was just tarnished. I'm hoping it has gotten polished back up a bit!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ian

I wouldn't say the magic is gone. We live just a few minutes from the parks and visit a few times a week. Look is it what it once was? No not right now it isn't and no I'm not a fan of the My Disney Experience app either, but the fact is that this is the future of the theme park experience. Gen Z expects everything to be tech enabled and all theme parks have an app now. Maybe not one that you have to rely on quite as much as you do MDE, but that aspect is here to stay.

It's not perfect, but I will tell you that for me I get just as much satisfaction from wandering around World Showcase at night and soaking in the atmosphere as I always did. For me, that's the magic.

---

Well, for me, the magic was lost when Disney, Inc. decided they would kowtow to the hard left and ignore the vast majority of us who don't support the Leftist agenda they seem to be adopting. Sad to think I will never be able to stand at the end of Sunset Boulevard and admire my favorite spot in all of WDW. But, so be it. I have principles and I will honor them. When Disney falls on hard times and realizes where their bread is buttered and come to their senses, I MAY reconsider.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mymickeymouse

Well, for me, the magic was lost when Disney, Inc. decided they would kowtow to the hard left and ignore the vast majority of us who don't support the Leftist agenda they seem to be adopting. Sad to think I will never be able to stand at the end of Sunset Boulevard and admire my favorite spot in all of WDW. But, so be it. I have principles and I will honor them. When Disney falls on hard times and realizes where their bread is buttered and come to their senses, I MAY reconsider.

---

Here, here...

I have a different take on that. That isn't what led to me feeling like the parks were losing the magic. The corporate mentality of squeezing every last penny they can out of everything and cutting services and guest experiences did that for me. Their political agenda pushing irritates me and has actually turned me against them. They need to understand they are just an entertainment company and need to stay focused on entertaining. The executives can keep their political stance and other beliefs and desires to themselves because I really don't care what their position is or what they want.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 1DisneyNut

I have a different take on that. That isn't what led to me feeling like the parks were losing the magic. The corporate mentality of squeezing every last penny they can out of everything and cutting services and guest experiences did that for me. Their political agenda pushing irritates me and has actually turned me against them. They need to understand they are just an entertainment company and need to stay focused on entertaining. The executives can keep their political stance and other beliefs and desires to themselves because I really don't care what their position is or what they want.

---

Considering how evenly divided this country is….I’m looking forward to lighter crowds at what has always been a welcoming and inclusive WDW. Lest we forget gay days has been happening there for over two decades. Wait….can I say gay days if I’m typing this in Florida?

Cheers. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by goofyskier

Considering how evenly divided this country is….I’m looking forward to lighter crowds at what has always been a welcoming and inclusive WDW. Lest we forget gay days has been happening there for over two decades. Wait….can I say gay days if I’m typing this in Florida?

Cheers. :)

---

Oh, the irony.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 1DisneyNut

I have a different take on that. That isn't what led to me feeling like the parks were losing the magic. The corporate mentality of squeezing every last penny they can out of everything and cutting services and guest experiences did that for me.

---

:thumbs: ITA!

Was at HS and Epcot a few weeks ago, just for the day on a Tuesday. 4 of us $800. Outrageous. I Couldn't believe it but when in Florida..... Reserved the day for HS. I don't see what the point of reserving the day (to control crowds?), I have never seen the parks so crowded. Never ever. So crowded you couldn't even take a picture, walk without dodging people or enjoy the surroundings. Packed - wall to wall people. Rides were down. You had to constantly be on your phone. No spontaneity. We were (unfortunately) fortunate enough to have DAS which was the only saving grace. Backlot was a disgrace - 40 people in line, one person helping and they wouldn't put a 2nd person on because they were pushing mobile orders - 10 open mobile order stations, no one picking up. Ice and drink machines not working and employees with attitude. Possibly the worst day I have ever spent at DisneyWorld. Left so disappointed and wondering where the magic went and will I go back anytime soon. I could go on but why bother. My boys are grown but autistic and tried to plan a great day for them as we haven't been since before covid. I don't even think they want to go back. I am still, to this day, upset about our trip.

My wife and I first visited in 1989 for our first anniversary when I returned from a military deployment to South Korea. We visited every year since at least twice a year. When we moved to Florida over 5 years ago, we got APs. We visit several times a year spending thousands every time. We have reservations next month for our 34th anniversary. We decided to cancel and boom at Universal. Genie + was the final straw for us. A vacation should be a leisurely time. Genie + has ruined for us. We will take our hard earned money elsewhere.