Customer Service at Disney World?

[adelaster]

What should I expect as far as customer service at Disney?

It seems like they leave a lot of things open ended, which makes it a challenge to really hold them to any sort of a standard.

Here are some of the things I have run into in booking and planning our first two night stay:

-I wanted to book a riverview room on the top floor in the Magnolia Bend section of Port Orleans Riverside. Specifically Magnolia Terrace building 85 if it was available. Apparently there is no way to actually know what building or section of these resorts you will be in in advance of your visit. This seemed odd to me, and now increases anxiety that it is something I will have to try to alter upon arrival. It seems like this would be an easier thing to sort out six months in advance rather than the day of arrival.

-We purchased one day tickets to the Magic Kingdom. This, as you all know, is expensive, as park tickets decrease in cost the more days you purchase them for. This was done in March, and as the year rolled on I learned that several attractions are going to be closed during our visit. More recently I learned that even the Celebrate the Magic light show won't be happening either. The list of "attractions" that we really want to experience is now under ten. Obviously we're going to try to be open minded and positive- but it is a serious bummer. We live far away and this was a huge investment for what is starting to feel like a lot of disappointment.

-I've read a lot about issues with the transportation on site, and people experiencing long wait times even after making advanced dining reservations. Is this something we should just go in expecting? I had planned on giving us about an hour between going to the bus stop and the time we need to be at the restaurant.

-Unfortunately, it seems like a lot of the "perks" for staying on site don't apply to a stay as short as ours. Many of these things are not made clear on Disney's official site, but were discovered through reading many fan sites and blogs over the last several months. One example: I was anticipating the ability to buy something in the park and have it sent back to our room. Turns out, that is not an option as it can take two or more days for delivery.

-A few weeks ago I called in and made a dining reservation through the Disney robot. When I went to enter the confirmation code online, it rejected. So I called the helpline. 45 minutes later, I am told that the number was correct but the robot got my name wrong- despite having read it back to me correctly on the phone. An hour and a half and two transfers later, the reservation is corrected on my account. That seemed really unnecessary. Also, why isn't Disney utilizing the call-back option if their customer service wait times are so bad?

As someone with over 15 years of customer service experience, I am not exactly thrilled with what I've seen so far. What is worth expecting out of this? Would they add a park hopper onto our ticket to compensate for four major attractions being closed during our visit? Would they move our room or discount our rate if we have to be in the area of the resort we really want to avoid? Are dining and transportation really that bad? I wanted so badly to just be excited for this, an opportunity to cut loose and "be kids again" ... but the adult in me is really trepidatious about all of it now. It being such a large and lucrative company I could easily see how they wouldn't care about a single customer's experience, especially when we are not the deluxe resort week long stay kind of money. Thanks in advance for sharing your personal wisdom and experience.

**EDITING FOR CLARITY**

I am not expecting any kind of compensation or special treatment- the above are just examples to get a sense of what the norm is. I now understand a lot more than I did previously, and know that these are not things Disney ever does. When I wrote this I was just throwing out possibilities to get a sense of what was commonplace. They were not things I expected to happen, they were just ideas.

 

[kathyfog]

I really get what you are saying. Some frustrations on my part too. It seems like they wait until the last minute(second) to make changes and we need to scramble to make changes. Not much to say except regarding room request. Be sure to say what you want. It is hard to gat a particular room but usually comply with view, floor, near elevator etc. much easier to give what you want if it's kinda general and not specific room number

 

[adelaster]

I really get what you are saying. Some frustrations on my part too. It seems like they wait until the last minute(second) to make changes and we need to scramble to make changes. Not much to say except regarding room request. Be sure to say what you want. It is hard to gat a particular room but usually comply with view, floor, near elevator etc. much easier to give what you want if it's kinda general and not specific room number

Thanks Kathy! I'm new to all this, and have honestly been kind of shocked by the experience. Granted, I have never done this before but kind of figured that Disney would have some kind of gold standard experience since so many people love it so much.

 

[minnie mum]

Sounds like you may have gone into this without adequate research. WDW vacations require a lot more planning than most other kinds of vacations.

No, you cannot expect to be guaranteed a specific room or building at any WDW resort. Come to think of it, I don't recall ever being guaranteed that anywhere else in resorts of similar size. You are paying for a specific room category, and those can be spread all over the resort. You can request a location within your paid room category, but it is only a request. Specific room assignments are made just a few days before your scheduled arrival. People change reservations all the time. Trying to have fixed room assignments 6 months in advance would be chaos. If your room location is unsatisfactory on arrival you can request a room change, but if the resort is heavily booked, (and it usually is) there may not be much they can do.

Read the terms and conditions on your tickets. There is never a guarantee that every attraction will be open during your stay. The park is open 365 days a year. Routine maintenance and refurb have to be done sometime. These are spread out over the year, so you're never going to find a time when everything is operating. Disney isn't going to comp you PHs just because some of the rides you want aren't available. Unfortunately it's just bad luck that your one day will have some of your must do attractions down.

Resort to park transportation is pretty good considering they are essentially moving the population of a middling sized city every day. Buses run, on average every 20 minutes, starting around 6:30 am and ending a couple hours after the parks close. We've been staying on site on a fairly frequent basis since 1975, and I've very rarely had reason to complain. If you are at your bus stop an hour in advance for a park ADR, you should be fine. Allow 1 1/2 hours if going to another resort by Disney transport.

There can be waits to be seated at some restaurants. An ADR is not the same thing as a reservation at a restaurant at home. At home, you are reserving a table for a specific time. An ADR is more like a place holder, where you are given the next table suitable for your party size that opens up at or after that time. If people linger at their tables, then that time will necessarily get pushed back. Realize that some of these places are serving several hundred people a day. The later the day gets, the longer waits can become, but usually only at the more popular restaurants.

Room delivery has always had that 2 day cut off. With over 30,000 guests staying on site and over 35 different resorts, plus having the stores open in some areas until midnight, there is no way to guarantee same day delivery. Sorry you didn't read that information earlier. There are lots of perks that guests may not have the opportunity to use. If you aren't flying, the Magic Bus will be of no use. Depending on your length of stay, not everyone can hit every EMH. Guests who don't have a credit card can't charge to their rooms. And so on.

I am not aware of Disney utilizing robots at their call centers. AFAIK, they use an automated computer reservations system, unless you opt to speak to a CM when you call. Usually, making ADRs online is easier. The next time you need to make an ADR by phone, ask to speak with a CM.

Try to relax and go with the flow. No vacation is perfect. If you go into it looking for problems and trouble, you'll find it. Go into it hoping for perfection will inevitably lead to disappointment. Go into it expecting to have a fun and enjoyable day in a brand new place, and it can be magical.

 

[mousehockey37]

@minnie mum pretty much has laid it out there.

You can not request specifics for rooms. You may get general areas to pick from but even then, no guarantees.

Favorite ride going to be down? Well, Disney does try to provide a list of refurbs as far in advance as possible. Sure, things do break, but longer refurbs are planned out well in advance. As for getting PHs for that, forget it. A lack of planning on your part doesn't mean Disney has to pony up. If they did, you would more than likely get an additional FP, but in this situation where the refurb is known prior to the trip? No. No compensation.

Dining? Well, you're not the only one eating. Utilize the app or go online to book.

As far as your years of customer service? It means little to nothing pertaining to this. Disney handles allergies beautifully. They handle most things very well.

It almost seems like by planning poorly, you're trying to scam Disney into a lot of freebies. Hope that isn't the case but 15 years of customer service gives one the ideas to try and pull the wool over Disney's eyes.

If you are too scared then maybe the trip isn't for you. I would step back and just let the trip details fall into place. The more you push, the less friendly they're going to be. But you should know that.... Right?

 

[Srbright]

These requests have nothing to do with customer service. You are asking Disney to provide you with a service that they do not offer and do not provide to other guests.

@minnie mum said it best but I will add a few things.

1) Room requests can be made but are never guaranteed. Andre at portorleans.org has a really good process. Again, it is just a request and may or may not be granted.

2) You may not be eligible for resort package delivery but you could have them delivered to the front gate so that you don't have to carry them.

If you don't think it's going to be fun or acceptable for you then cancel it. The majority of your happiness is going to depend on your attitude and planing.

Stacy

 

[AshleeH]

Customer service is what keeps our family coming back. And had us joining the DVC last year.

But you have to be reasonable - just because they don't clearly spell out every little thing for you, doesn't mean compensation is needed. My son's favorite ride (Big Thunder Mountain) is down in October - I didn't find out through Disney, I found out through a FB page. But Disney is far more than just one or two attractions, so we'll go with the flow.

As for the wait times on the phone - they can't be faulted for how many people call. I had to call them three times yesterday - the first time was early in the morning and I was transferred to someone right away. The second and third time it was 20-40 minutes on hold. My poor planning on when I was able to call is not Disney's problem. I knew I could hang up and call back the following morning when not as many people would be trying to get through, but I made the conscious choice to get it taken care of yesterday and not risk forgetting later. And for Dining reservations - why not just make them online? It's done within minutes.

If you're so worried about cost, souvenirs, refurbishments - why are you planning for just two nights?

Honestly, I was in the customer service industry for years and everything you listed is the exact type of customer I used to loathe. Nothing you mentioned is worth compensation of any kind.

- You put in a room request - you don't even know if you will have that request, but Disney does their best to honor all requests they get. They never said it was a room guarantee and you're already wanting a change of room or a discount.

- You purchased park tickets, not attraction tickets. There is a massive amount of things to do, even with refurbishments (which, aside from Hollywood Studios, is nothing out of the norm for any time of year you travel). Refurbishments will always happen because people expect high quality when they are at Disney - high quality does not happen overnight. It takes a lot of maintenance and they stagger it accordingly.

- You haven't experienced the bus lines, ADR wait times, so you have no idea what it will be like for the time you're there. It's the #1 family destination in the world - expect to wait. A lot.

- Disney has not changed their policy on how long it takes them to deliver souvenirs from parks to resorts. They don't have a concierge assigned to each guest who can rush every item back to your room for you. They have thousands of items throughout six parks that have to be delivered to dozens of hotels every single day and then dispersed to thousands of guests. This takes time, so they give themselves two days to accomplish it.

Bottom line: Disney is not responsible for poor planning and high expectations. But this is the something-for-nothing generation.

 

[adelaster]

Well, if this what even the fans are like, this totally answers my questions. Thanks ladies, although it would've been cool if you had done it without:

a. Criticizing my planning skills, in fact, degrading them
b. Accusing me of trying to scam the company
c. Attacking my generation as "something-for-nothing"

I may have gone into this not fully realizing everything that went into it, but at least I'm not mean. I was just asking honest questions.

So mods, you can close this thread or delete it, I don't need attacked on a Disney fan website.

 

[Shanti]

What should I expect as far as customer service at Disney?

It seems like they leave a lot of things open ended, which makes it a challenge to really hold them to any sort of a standard.

Here are some of the things I have run into in booking and planning our first two night stay:

-I wanted to book a riverview room on the top floor in the Magnolia Bend section of Port Orleans Riverside. Specifically Magnolia Terrace building 85 if it was available. Apparently there is no way to actually know what building or section of these resorts you will be in in advance of your visit. This seemed odd to me, and now increases anxiety that it is something I will have to try to alter upon arrival. It seems like this would be an easier thing to sort out six months in advance rather than the day of arrival.

-We purchased one day tickets to the Magic Kingdom. This, as you all know, is expensive, as park tickets decrease in cost the more days you purchase them for. This was done in March, and as the year rolled on I learned that several attractions are going to be closed during our visit. More recently I learned that even the Celebrate the Magic light show won't be happening either. The list of "attractions" that we really want to experience is now under ten. Obviously we're going to try to be open minded and positive- but it is a serious bummer. We live far away and this was a huge investment for what is starting to feel like a lot of disappointment.

-I've read a lot about issues with the transportation on site, and people experiencing long wait times even after making advanced dining reservations. Is this something we should just go in expecting? I had planned on giving us about an hour between going to the bus stop and the time we need to be at the restaurant.

-Unfortunately, it seems like a lot of the "perks" for staying on site don't apply to a stay as short as ours. Many of these things are not made clear on Disney's official site, but were discovered through reading many fan sites and blogs over the last several months. One example: I was anticipating the ability to buy something in the park and have it sent back to our room. Turns out, that is not an option as it can take two or more days for delivery.

-A few weeks ago I called in and made a dining reservation through the Disney robot. When I went to enter the confirmation code online, it rejected. So I called the helpline. 45 minutes later, I am told that the number was correct but the robot got my name wrong- despite having read it back to me correctly on the phone. An hour and a half and two transfers later, the reservation is corrected on my account. That seemed really unnecessary. Also, why isn't Disney utilizing the call-back option if their customer service wait times are so bad?

As someone with over 15 years of customer service experience, I am not exactly thrilled with what I've seen so far. What is worth expecting out of this? Would they add a park hopper onto our ticket to compensate for four major attractions being closed during our visit? Would they move our room or discount our rate if we have to be in the area of the resort we really want to avoid? Are dining and transportation really that bad? I wanted so badly to just be excited for this, an opportunity to cut loose and "be kids again" ... but the adult in me is really trepidatious about all of it now. It being such a large and lucrative company I could easily see how they wouldn't care about a single customer's experience, especially when we are not the deluxe resort week long stay kind of money. Thanks in advance for sharing your personal wisdom and experience.

I think some prior posters were a bit harsh with you. Let me explain a bit how WDW operates.

Disney customer service is good and solid, but it's a mass-market resort "the rules apply to everyone" customer service style as opposed to a luxury resort "the customer is always right" service style. With the hundreds of thousands of eager families Disney serves every year, each determined to provide their kids with the trip of a lifetime, they'd be crazy to even attempt the latter style of service, and they don't. Here are some specific responses to your concerns.

1. Disney resorts have a very, unusually, high occupancy rate, so they can't guarantee anything more than the room-type you booked. That said, they do try to accomodate requests. 60 days prior to the trip, you'll get to do online check-in, stating your building preference & how high you want to be. They'll accomodate what they can of that. When you check in, check what room they gave you, & if disappointed, politely (not in an entitled way) ask if they have something closer to what you want. They'll change you if they have it available- this worked for me 2 weeks ago.

2. The Magic Kingdom is chock-block full of attractions & you won't be able to do all of them in one day, despite the refurbishments. Refurbishments happen on a rotating basis all year, so don't expect any compensation for it.

3. Transportation works fine at WDW, but of course, it's just like using public transportation at home. You wouldn't expect to get to your destination as quickly via a city bus as via your car at home, so expect the same at WDW. However, an advantage of the buses is that WDW has special bus-only sections of some major roads (impossible for cars to drive on), therefore bypassing traffic.

4. Long waits (over 15 minutes) for pre-reserved dining happens occasionally, but is rare. It's more common to be seated after a 5-10 minute wait or immediately. It's also much easier to book dining online than over the phone. Get well-aquainted with My Disney Experience & use it for your dining and FastPass reservations.

5. Actually, the biggest onsite guest perks are Extra Magic Hours and getting to book FastPasses 60 days in advance (instead of only 30 days in advance, as offsite guests do). Offsite guests often have difficulty getting FastPasses for the most popular rides, such as Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (which you should definitely book a FP for 60 days out, btw.)

A few other notes:

1. Disney wants its onsite guests to be happy. If you lose an item in your room, for example, they'll look for it & mail it back to you if they find it, at their own expense (happened to me last year).
2. They'll try to give you the room in your category that most closely matches what you want- it's all about what's available.
3. If there's an issue with your room, call the front desk & you should get a quick response (for example, our safe didn't work so we called, & within minutes 3 people were in the room & quickly fixed it.)

But the key is to be polite & appreciative rather than pushy & entitled. They see a lot of the latter, & they have no reason to go the extra mile for those guests that harass them. WDW is bursting at the seams with guests, so it's not like they have to beg to get people to fill their resorts.

4. Oh, and last but not least. It helps to have a thick skin when you post on Disboards. I've been attacked on these boards more often than I can count (& also done a bit of attacking where I felt it was warranted, I'll admit), but I just ignore it. Everyone has their own opinion, so don't let the odd-harsh comment hurt your feelings.

 

[adelaster]

Disney customer service is good and solid, but it's a mass-market resort "the rules apply to everyone" customer service style as opposed to a luxury resort "the customer is always right" service style. With the hundreds of thousands of eager families Disney serves every year, each determined to provide their kids with the trip of a lifetime, they'd be crazy to even attempt the latter style of service, and they don't. Here are some specific responses to your concerns.

1. Disney resorts have a very, unusually, high occupancy rate, so they can't guarantee anything more than the room-type you booked. That said, they do try to accomodate requests. 60 days prior to the trip, you'll get to do online check-in, stating your building preference & how high you want to be. They'll accomodate what they can of that. When you check in, check what room they gave you, & if disappointed, politely (not in an entitled way) ask if they have something closer to what you want. They'll change you if they have it available- this worked for me 2 weeks ago.

2. The Magic Kingdom is check-block full of attractions & you won't be able to do all of them in one day, despite the refurbishments. The best nighttime show ever created, Main Street Electrical Parade (for a newbie, I recommend getting the dinner package which provides a special viewing area for this) will be showing, as will the Wishes fireworks display. Refurbishments happen on a rotating basis all year, so don't expect any compensation for it.

3. Transportation works fine at WDW, but of course, it's just like using public transportation at home. You wouldn't expect to get to your destination as quickly via a city bus as via your car at home, so expect the same at WDW. However, an advantage of the buses is that WDW has special bus-only sections of some major roads (impossible for cars to drive on), therefore bypassing traffic.

4. Long waits (over 15 minutes) for pre-reserved dining happens occasionally, but is rare. It's more common to be seated after a 5-10 minute wait or immediately. It's also much easier to book dining online than over the phone. Get well-aquainted with My Disney Experience & use it for your dining and FastPass reservations.

5. Actually, the biggest onsite guest perks are Extra Magic Hours and getting to book FastPasses 60 days in advance (instead of only 30 days in advance, as offsite guests do). Offsite guests often have difficulty getting FastPasses for the most popular rides, such as Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (which you should definitely book a FP for 60 days out, btw.)

A few other notes:

1. Disney wants its onsite guests to be happy. If you lose an item in your room, for example, they'll look for it & mail it back to you if they find it, at their own expense (happened to me last year).
2. They'll try to give you the room in your category that most closely matches what you want- it's all about what's available.
3. If there's an issue with your room, call the front desk & you should get a quick response (for example, our safe didn't work so we called, & within minutes 3 people were in the room & quickly fixed it.

But the key is to be polite & appreciative rather than pushy & entitled. They see a lot of the latter, & they have no reason to go the extra mile for those guests that harass them. WDW is bursting at the seams with guests, so it's not like they have to beg to get people to fill their resorts.

THANK you. This is exactly the kind of information I was looking for. I really appreciate you answering thoroughly! Unfortunately, the Main Street Electrical Parade isn't showing on our visit either. I guess that's why I was asking- many of the "must-see" things at Magic Kingdom aren't happening, and it isn't likely we'll get to return anytime soon. This was great information though, and we will certainly try to make the best of it.

 

[Shanti]

THANK you. This is exactly the kind of information I was looking for. I really appreciate you answering thoroughly! Unfortunately, the Main Street Electrical Parade isn't showing on our visit either. I guess that's why I was asking- many of the "must-see" things at Magic Kingdom aren't happening, and it isn't likely we'll get to return anytime soon. This was great information though, and we will certainly try to make the best of it.

Yes, you'll love it. With a short trip, you'll get more attractions done without having to devote 1-2 hours to the parade. And you'll be back someday...WDW is addictive!

 

[Srbright]

a. Criticizing my planning skills, in fact, degrading them
b. Accusing me of trying to scam the company
c. Attacking my generation as "something-for-nothing"

I've been here a while and can hardly see where you were attacked. Planning a Disney vacation is almost a full time job (I just don't tell my actual boss that).

A) You asked for the feedback and people told you things that you did not want or were not prepared to hear.

B) None of the issues are egregious enough to warrant compensation from any company.

C) You happen to be asking for something for nothing. If don't get the exact room I want (which is not a service Disney provides to anyone short of the people that pay the rumored $50k per night to stay in the castle) will they "discount our rate if we have to be in the area of the resort we want to avoid". What portion of the reservation T&C did Disney violate that would lead you to believe they would or should compensate you?"

It sounds more like you were looking for affirmations that you were owed compensation instead of reasonable explanations of why those points weren't as valid as you previously thought.

Again, try Andre's site for the room request. His entire site is for just all Port Orleans all the time. He has a very good process there with a reasonable success rate. The key is to be polite and not entitled. If you go in asking for a discount if you don't get your room request then that pretty much puts your chance of getting it to 0%.

Use the front gate hold for your packages. You don't have to hold them all day and can pick them up on the way out.

If there aren't enough attractions to feel you're getting your money's worth then cancel or reschedule for a different time. If PH are vital to the success of your trip then purchase them to reduce your anxiety. Depending on the whims of a cast member to give you one will likely just cause you more anxiety.

Stacy

 

[adelaster]

I've been here a while and can hardly see where you were attacked. Planning a Disney vacation is almost a full time job (I just don't tell my actual boss that).

A) You asked for the feedback and people told you things that you did not want or were not prepared to hear.

B) None of the issues are egregious enough to warrant compensation from any company.

C) You happen to be asking for something for nothing. If don't get the exact room I want (which is not a service Disney provides to anyone short of the people that pay the rumored $50k per night to stay in the castle) will they "discount our rate if we have to be in the area of the resort we want to avoid". What portion of the reservation T&C did Disney violate that would lead you to believe they would or should compensate you?"

It sounds more like you were looking for affirmations that you were owed compensation instead of reasonable explanations of why those points weren't as valid as you previously thought.

Again, try Andre's site for the room request. His entire site is for just all Port Orleans all the time. He has a very good process there with a reasonable success rate. The key is to be polite and not entitled. If you go in asking for a discount if you don't get your room request then that pretty much puts your chance of getting it to 0%.

Use the front gate hold for your packages. You don't have to hold them all day and can pick them up on the way out.

If there aren't enough attractions to feel you're getting your money's worth then cancel or reschedule for a different time. If PH are vital to the success of your trip then purchase them to reduce your anxiety. Depending on the whims of a cast member to give you one will likely just cause you more anxiety.

Stacy

I respectfully disagree with you. I didn't ask to be insulted, I asked for advice. I didn't ask for any compensation from anyone, I asked what the customer service expectations should be like as a first time visitor. Please refrain from trying to justify being mean to me for things I haven't even done, like trying to "get something for nothing." I can't reschedule the trip, and I probably won't be able to return. Just trying to make the best of a situation. So please, be kind, or leave me alone. Engaging in a fatuous argument on a Disney fan site is not something I ever wanted to do. I apologize if I rubbed some of you the wrong way, but I was in no way trying to scam anyone or get anything for free.

 

[mousehockey37]

I respectfully disagree with you. I didn't ask to be insulted, I asked for advice. I didn't ask for any compensation from anyone, I asked what the customer service expectations should be like as a first time visitor. Please refrain from trying to justify being mean to me for things I haven't even done, like trying to "get something for nothing." I can't reschedule the trip, and I probably won't be able to return. Just trying to make the best of a situation. So please, be kind, or leave me alone. Engaging in a fatuous argument on a Disney fan site is not something I ever wanted to do. I apologize if I rubbed some of you the wrong way, but I was in no way trying to scam anyone or get anything for free.

You are in a discussion forum. You posted here. The door was left open based on what you wrote and we responded. You can and will get every answer possible. Those of us (including me who IS A MAN.. Talk about insulting, thanks ladies?) who have traveled there know and have seen your type of person there.

We aren't being mean so much as being realistic. When you come on asking what levels of compensation are adequate for not getting what you want, that throws up flags to the rest of us. Btw, you were looking for parkhoppers for attractions being down, discounted rooms if you didn't get the one you wanted...

If you don't want your "feelings" hurt then public discussion forums may not be for you.

You planned poorly. Period. Disney is honoring what you have made accommodations for. They owe you nothing for scheduled refurbs or for room assignments. If the room is not adequate upon entry into the room, that's different than requesting specifics.

As said above, don't cry now that myself and others have weighed in... As you... Requested

 

[DisneyHardin]

I feel like you are setting yourself up to be disappointed. Don't worry about attractions being down for refurbishment. When we go to WDW in November, we are planning 3 days at MK and we still won't hit all the attractions. There is plenty to fill a day there even with some being unavailable.

 

[mousehockey37]

I feel like you are setting yourself up to be disappointed. Don't worry about attractions being down for refurbishment. When we go to WDW in November, we are planning 3 days at MK and we still won't hit all the attractions. There is plenty to fill a day there even with some being unavailable.

The biggest setback for the OP seems to be (and I could be wrong with this) that their favorite ride(s) are the ones that will be down. So it's already put a sour taste in their mouth.

 

[DisneyHardin]

The biggest setback for the OP seems to be (and I could be wrong with this) that their favorite ride(s) are the ones that will be down. So it's already put a sour taste in their mouth.

The OP also said they are first time visitors, so I'm not sure how they have such set favorites already.

 

[addiemon]

The OP also said they are first time visitors, so I'm not sure how they have such set favorites already.

Some of the rides are the same as / basically the same as Disneyland- that could be why they're looking to some specific ones.

 

[adelaster]

We were hoping to get to enjoy most of what the Magic Kingdom had to offer, and many of the things we were looking forward to won't be available. It is encouraging that several people seem to think there will be plenty to do and see regardless. I actually did read quite a bit about this before making the decision, and am just bummed that we are going to be missing out on so many of the "must see" things.

 

[adelaster]

Some of the rides are the same as / basically the same as Disneyland- that could be why they're looking to some specific ones.

Unfortunately, we've never gotten to go there either. Would like to though!