
For years, Walt Disney World Resort was the ultimate vacation destination. And if guests couldn’t make it to Central Florida, there were a ton of other Disney theme park options. Guests could enjoy vacationing at Disneyland Resort in California, Tokyo Disneyland, Shanghai Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland. The vacation was typically always going to be expensive, but the quality that Disney was offering was nearly unbeatable.
Things have changed a lot in recent years, and sadly, many guests think that Disney theme parks are not what they once were. Of course, the company was hit incredibly hard during the COVID-19 pandemic, when all the theme parks were forced to close. Walt Disney World was only closed for a few months, but Disneyland was closed for more than a year. The company’s European and Asian theme parks were closed for months, then had to close sporadically as their respective countries dealt with COVID-19 case fluctuations.
However, it’s been a couple of years since all the theme parks were finally open for good, but guests think things still aren’t where they are.
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In recent years, guests have complained about everything from the cleanliness of the theme parks, how often rides and attractions break down, the declining quality of the food, the lack of new and exciting merchandise, the introduction of Genie+, and how expensive theme park tickets have gotten.
Things have changed so much that some guests are even recommending that travelers avoid the parks and choose a different place to take their vacation.
X (formerly Twitter) user Kris Meets World recently returned from a Disney World vacation and said that, as things currently stand, he doesn’t think people should spend their money visiting The Most Magical Place on Earth.
I can’t recommend a @WaltDisneyWorld vacation right now.
The service and experiences on this trip have been really abysmal.
I think this is the best time in recent memory to take a break from Disney and try out other experiences.
https://twitter.com/krismeetsworld/status/1799843983591370812
While the cast members are always at the forefront of a Disney vacation, he does not think they are the core problem. Instead, he thinks that it is The Walt Disney Company that is deciding not to give cast members any power and is not treating guests as people looking to have fun. Instead, he says they are treating them like “inherent con artists.”
Is it really some invisible corporate boogeyman that’s stopping CMs from fixing issues? Because that could at least be addressed and rectified.
However, I do worry that this is a permanent culture shift, and that CMs are now being supported by leaders who view all guests as inherent con artists, always looking to defraud frontline cast.
https://twitter.com/krismeetsworld/status/1799843989765652743
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Granted, there are PLENTY of entitled guests who visit Walt Disney World every single day, constantly thinking that Disney cast members should treat them like royalty because of how much they paid for their vacation. However, the majority of guests are simply excited to be at Disney and just want to have a good time while visiting Mickey Mouse and his friends.
Then, Kris went into detail about exactly why his most recent trip was so “challenging.”
Things started off on a troubling note when Kris tried for nearly an hour and a half to get his bags, which were taken when he checked into his Deluxe Disney Resort. The retrieval tag was not properly filled out, which led to the cast member not being able to find his bags, or even know how many they had taken.
75 minutes after calling, we finally got our bags. That’s too long to wait at a “luxury” property. Delayed our entire day. And no one offered anything. No one apologized. Just, “Here’s your stuff, have a magical day.”
That was the first time in recent memory I refused to tip for service. I can’t tip a bellman after a 75 minute wait for my stuff. I just can’t. No other hotel operates like this. Why can’t Disney figure out how to handle bags like any other hotel?
https://twitter.com/krismeetsworld/status/1799847298131755208
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Unfortunately, things did not get better for Kris and his family when they tried to use Genie+ and enjoy their day in the theme parks.
According to Kris, he purchased Disney Genie+ and was on the My Disney Experience app at 7 a.m. attempting to book reservations for the Jungle Cruise. It was a “top priority” for his toddler. However, reservations were not available until nearly noon, so they decided to take advantage of the early morning hours in the Magic Kingdom.
However, when they arrived at the Magic Kingdom, they found out that Adventureland — where the Jungle Cruise is located — was not open during the early morning Extra Magic Hours. So, they headed to Tomorrowland to ride Buzz Lightyear, which promptly broke down while they were on it.
Thankfully, Kris did work with some incredible Disney cast members who really tried to help him out with his struggles. But his Magic Band wouldn’t scan, which led to more problems. The kind cast member gave his family Multiple Experience Lightning Lane passes, but his family could not use them on the Jungle Cruise.
He then noticed huge fluctuations in the wait times posted, with the Jungle Cruise going from a 45-minute wait to a 20-minute wait, back up to 50 minutes, all in the course of about 10 minutes.
How does the wait time go from 45 to 20 to 50 all within the first 10 minutes of the operating day? Is this an artificially inflated wait to sell LL? Is it limited number of boats?
We get on haunted mansion using our $50 worth of LL and it saves us maybe 5 minutes.
At 11am we have to dip.
We did four rides. Used one LL. Which honestly might be more than some folks. But we waited a total of 35 minutes in ride stops on buzz and mansion.
https://twitter.com/krismeetsworld/status/1799890698990149800
He also struggled to use Disney Genie+ to ride Frozen Ever After at EPCOT, but due to their dinner reservations, he had to watch the mobile app like a hawk so he could book a Lightning Lane for the appropriate time. When he was finally able to book something for after their reservation, all Lightning Lane availability for Frozen Ever After was gone.
Kris then went to a cast member to ask if it was possible for his family to get any kind of refund on Genie+, even if it was just a partial one. The cast member listed some other attractions that were still available, but his toddler was not tall enough to ride them.
Why isn’t there an easy way for guests to say, “Hey we tried LL and the value just isn’t there for us” and CMs can issue a partial refund. Or a partial refund via gift card. That would go a long way.
Paying $50 to save 5 minutes on one ride because I’m “not good” at using the app is a day ruiner.
https://twitter.com/krismeetsworld/status/1799899232037388432
Related: “I Need a Vacation From Planning My Vacation” Guests Say Disney Has Gotten Too Complicated
While many commenters felt for Kris, many thought that some of his troubles were a combination of bad luck and poor planning. However, they did point out that it is frustrating to have so many tech problems when Disney is charging a premium price for things like Disney+.
Could not agree with you more!!!! I used to travel to a Disney park 2-3 times a year from 2015 through COVID. Blame COVID, blame woke, blame inflation, blame whatever. But when you get literally less offerings, less quality for 5x as much money. Just simply not worth it anymore.
https://twitter.com/CJforMerica/status/1800048302848868600
Many commenters also thought that things had really changed after COVID-19, and that seems to be the general consensus. It was after COVID-19 that Disney got rid of its free FastPass system and implemented Disney Genie+. Also, post-COVID, former Disney CFO Christine McCarthy said that Disney would be cutting back on food costs and changing vendors to spend less money.
Others felt more sympathy for Disney cast members who have a lot on their plates. Cast members are unionizing as they attempt to negotiate higher pay. They are also dealing with a lot of guests who are upset at the new DAS changes that have started at Disney World and Disneyland. Many guests who need DAS no longer qualify for it, and they are taking their anger out on the cast members.
If you are planning a trip to Walt Disney World, it is important that you do plenty of research and planning. Planning a Disney vacation is much more complicated than it once was. So, it is more important than ever to research ticket prices, Genie+, and the new DAS requirements so you can make sure your trip is as seamless as possible.
Of course, no amount of planning can account for things like ride breakdowns, MagicBand issues, and ride reservations being full. But cast members are there to help, so take a deep breath, and remember that the Disney magic is still alive, even if you have to dig a little deeper for it.
Would you recommend a Disney vacation right now? Let us know in the comments!
Disney is now the biggest scam in entertainment…you used to go to Disney for an actual vacation and now it is just too much work and cost to enjoy anything. People should take their money and go some place else.
Where? If Disney World isn’t worth it, Nothing is. It is still the greatest. Stop being an entitled cheap idiot.