I'm home. Severely depressed. Spring Break was a nightmare

[AmySabato]

This has become standard operating procedure at the Haunted Mansion when the park is busy. CMs will keep cramming people into the stretching rooms even though there is a huge crowd of people and no room in the loading area. When you leave the stretching room there are sometimes hundreds of people already there, waiting to funnel down into single file to board. We have experienced it many times on our recent trips. CMs outside either don't know or don't care that the loading area is beyond capacity.

I would encourage you to send an email detailing your experiences to
wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com

Unless WDW has ordered them to do it that way (which I doubt), sounds like the CM's need re-training or better communication amongst the ones outside the stretching room and inside.

 

[Juliet0778]

Just seeing this...sorry things didn't go as planned. I truthfully would never attempt Disney with that many kids, because large groups at Disney do seem to pose quite the challenge. But there's a reason I only have one kid...it's pretty much all my sanity can take. Maybe someday you can go when kids are grown and have some young 20-somethings to help with younger kids. Then everyone could split up if need be!

 

[RevKjb]

In the meantime, we are out a ton of money. We paid up front for everything and had been saving for this trip for over 2 years. I feel absolutely robbed.[/QUOTE]

So sorry about your troubles. It is fact, however, that doing WDW in this day and age requires planning, research and ... planning. Had the question been asked about room size, crowd level, the weather, any of the boards or websites might have helped you to mitigate some of your experiences.

I'd be glad to help plan your next time at WDW.

 

[PamNC]

I feel so sad that you didn't have a magical trip - whether it was in part due to good planning, or weather, or traffic. I understand it's a lot of money and we all look so forward to our trips. I've taken tons of trips and I have had a couple really bad ones so I feel ya. I don't have kids, so I know that makes it easier for me. It's got to be close to impossible to deal with 10. A friend of mine is there now with 6 and I'm hoping she's okay and not ready for a mental break down.

I'll tell you about my disaster trips. Totally not disney's fault. the worst one, my cat died. I had to leave mid way through - couldn't stay once I found out from our in-home sitter that she was sick. Came home, only to have her pass away that same day.

This one will kill you guys - it's awful. I'm divorced. My ex and I honeymooned in Disney in 1994 and went every year - at least once - sometimes 2 or 3 times. The year was 2008. We planned a great trip - staying at the Dolphin. I had sensed something "off" in the marriage but never would I have guessed what would happen. We went to eat sushi and sing karaoke and I said something like "I'm tired of wondering if my husband loves me anymore." I can't remember what sparked me to say that. He said "You don't have to worry about that at all - I do." So, we're walking back to the room and I go to give him a kiss, just a peck, and he says "I'm not ready for that." So, then I confront him asking if he had slept with someone else and he admitted. Right there, on vacation, out OUR place. It was a disaster. We tried to stay a couple days - why I have no idea - didn't work. I remember walking around Crescent Lake at the World Showcase area - crying my eyes out.

the third one wasn't so bad - still not Disney's fault. Went 2 years ago in Feb. horrific weather - rained all but one day - all day cold rain - highs maybe 55 if I was lucky. I got sick as a dog...progressively. On the last day in the parks it was finally nice weather - sunny and 80. I was sick as a dog and could hardly move.

I've never experienced a trip that I can call "disney's fault." Yes, I've had a couple bad experiences with CM's - but for the most part, every trip (sans the 3 above) have been nothing short of SPECTACULAR.

I hope you have a magical trip soon !!!!! So so sorry.

 

[PamNC]

SOOOOO sorry for the downer trip; I try to research the rainy season for WDW trips and have found June to September are the rainiest so you got hammered by mother nature.
If you every go back, check out a points rental from David's at ***********.com: you can get a 3 bedroom villa at a deluxe resort (like old key west) with all the amenities and shuffleboard, movies under the stars, and boat rides to disney springs; the villa includes a full kitchen & washer/dryer for about $7000 (ouch) or go cheaper at a off site villa rental for similar amenities (like vacation villas at fantasyworld) or an all suites hotel with transportation included but dependent on the providers schedule.

that's great advice about DVC

 

[Abigail Broughton]

Im so sorry your trip was not magical neither was ours! We just went 9/1 - 9/10 but left on the last train out on the 8th. No flights were available due to Irma. I had been planning our 6,000.00 + trip for a year and a half. I was very organized with a plan each day but flexible and resort pool relax time every afternoon.ach day. We stayed at the Yacht Club which we absolutely loved!!! Our sadness wad in the parks. Stupid busy! Crowds unreal. Our very worst evening was our dessert party with garden view. Dont do it! The viewing area was nice not crowded but the few areas to stand and view the castle had people there in front of me wearing mickey ears or their child on their shoulder. It was nice but not what I expected for Magic Kingdom magic. Too crowded. We watched the fireworks from Ohana for dinner one evening and I would recommend that it was beautiful. So much I could talk about. Like the running of the fools at rope drop Animal Kingdom and how my husband and another man had to stop a women in a skooter run over a man and his wife and child in a stroller. She had her grandchild on her lap. We went first to the safari which was awesome then to Kali river journey which had a 60 minute fp wait! Ridiculous. That was at 8:25am. We also had many rides down. Haunted mansion, winnie the pooh, peter pans flight, splash mountain, Presidents hall. Few rides went down when we were on them.. Spaceship earth, people mover, another I forget. We went 4 years ago same dates and had a wonderful time. Its different now. We wont be back and thats very sad. I love Disney. I wish we stayed at the YC and went only to Epcot and Disney Springs.

 

[queensara]

I totally sympathize with you - we saved up and took our twins last August for their first trip and our first trip as a family of five. It was awful! We had great weather but the twins were awful, refused to meet characters, whined and fought non-stop (which they seriously don't do at home) and I'm surprised my 12yo made it out of FL alive as I almost killed him myself numerous times for egging the twins on and causing more drama! Then to top it off, on the last night I broke my foot due to a fall at Ariel's Grotto, it was so embarrassing! I've been so many times, and that was the first trip ever that I couldn't wait to get on the MDE bus and leave. I had such high hopes for that trip and it while we did make some good memories, it was more of a nightmare then a dream trip! I'm looking forward to a do-over, but not until the twins are at least 8 years old!!! And I also agree with your statement that invalidating someone else's experience doesn't make it any less awful for you. That happens way to much on the DIS. Once, years ago, I complained about the lack of taxi's at the Poly at 10pm when I was having a medical issue and needed to go to Urgent Care. I had a couple posters saying that they never had issues getting taxi's so I must be lying. Um no, you weren't there, you have no idea what I lived through! I'm sorry your trip was not a success but I hope that at some point, you get the chance at a do-over....

I'm sorry your twins were beasts........but, I laughed when you said you almost killed you 12 yo numerous times. We've all been there!!!!

 

[rebelbuddhist]

Just read through this thread and am amazed how some attribute everything that goes wrong as WDW's fault! So much of the reported incidents from hell both by the OP and those who replied like lost phones, rain, closing rides for safety maintenance, accidents on the road, overspending your budget, not monitoring credit charges and more are not the responsibility of WDW. Not being prepared or even aware of crowds during Springbreak is an unfortunate lack of preparation. Clearing out one's savings and then feeling "robbed" doesn't seem reasonable. Crowding 12 people into rooms they found too small shows a lack of preparation, also. Perhaps if one did more "looking" before "leaping" into such a major expenditure of $ many of the issues would not have arisen.

 

[Abigail Broughton]

Thank you for your response. I am not offended easily and if people disagree im ok with that. I encourage it and sometimes learn from it. I am only giving my experience. Its sad for me. I love Disney and I never expected to be so disappointed. A do over sounds more logical. My dismay was more with the busyness of the parks, rides broken or closed, just craziness and much too hot! Like I said if your a Floridian and close to Disneyworld its a much different approach and likeness. We or just me will visit again one day but im certainly not in any rush.

 

[Abigail Broughton]

One last comment... No time in Disneyworld is a slow time. Not anymore!

 

[JadeDarkstar]

next time you go
1. get touring plans
2 do not go at high crowd times.
3. plan plan and plan some more. Have 2 or 3 backup plans for rainy days.
4. get ponchos or rain jackets. (my hubs is bringing his duster from rawhide when he worked there. If it rains he is ready.
5. Take deep breaths and try and fp+ or get reservations for most shows.
6. Off-site will give you many more options with 10 kids. Or get the music suite. (we got that with free dining luckily)

As I said we had a bad trip 2006 but I do still remember some good parts too. I know it wasn't perfect, nor was yours but you can try again. Maybe just different times. Also, pay a little at a time for 2 years and it will seem like less.
I think our trip altogether (Disney airplane and food and extras) will be under 8k. However, I've been planning and paying for almost two years.

Good Luck next time you do go.

 

[Abigail Broughton]

I planned! For a year and a half. Every moment I could was Disney vacation dedication. I used Touring Plans the reservation finder and room request was perfection. The plan was not! We got off AK safari at 830ish headed straight to Navi River and the FP wait was 60 minutes! Did I mention the women who injured a man and ran over his family with her scooter? I had ponchos but we had no rain issues. Just crowded and hot! Rides were broken not down due to weather. We were there during a low crowd season. It is what it is for us, dissapointing. And 8k for a Disney vacation is nuts!

 

[Abigail Broughton]

Im not mad at Disney but for the money and planning my hopes were for so much more. Like I said 4 years ago same time was so much better. It was magical. My children have some wonderful memories but no plans of coming back anytime soon.

 

[SCSteve]

Let me preface this by saying, in total we spent slightly over $13,000 for our Disney vacation. I have 10 children, and we stayed at Pop Century for 6 nights. (3 rooms- 2 of my children are under 3 babies)
I am looking back in horror as day after day we had terrible experiences and realizing I could have just spent all that cash on a car. My savings account is completely depleted and I have nothing to show for it but bad memories, 15 loads of laundry and grumpy kids.

I consider myself to be the eternal optimist, always looking for silver linings and whatnot. After the 5th day I believe it was, I found myself spending a half a day sleeping alone in my hotel room crying over how terribly bad this trip had gone.

Let me start off by saying, this was a total surprise to my kids. They came home from school and thought they were going to be spending a night or two bear watching at a nearby local cave system. (Spring Break)

The trip down, we traveled in a 15 passenger van. We encountered 11 different delays for accidents from Ohio to Florida via I-75. Aside the delays and antsy kids, it was an okay trip down. It rained the entire time and there were tears of joy as we pulled past the welcome to Disney World sign. -- Our air conditioner went out in the van right after we arrived. Thank God we stayed on property and rarely had to get in the van for anything until we left.

First night there, we check in and I have to say were literally packed like sardines in Pop Century's rooms. I would not suggest them for more than 2 -3 people. We went into the Magic Kingdom. HUGE mistake. Ive been to Disney over a dozen times in my life, and never ever have I seen crowds as horrible as they were. We were herded like cattle through main street and into Tomorrowland. We had literally no other choice to go anywhere else. The very first ride we go on, my sister had her Samsung Galaxy phone in her pocket- a phone she spent over $500 on complete with a beautiful swarvoski crystal case. 20 seconds after she steps off the ride she turns and says, Oh no! my phone must be on the seat, its slipped out of my pocket!-- the cast members check each car as they come in... and surprise, surprise.. someone has picked that bad boy up and kept it. These first few events cast a dark shadowy mood over the first few days of our trip. We go to get on the next ride because we have a fast pass and its down. The wait times are all way too high to actually wait in line anywhere if we want to make it on the NEXT ride for fast pass. So we meander around a bit and wait for our fp time for mine train. At that point, the rest of the party gets in line and I walk our double stroller around with the two little ones in our party. I stayed to the far right at all times and attempted to stay out of everyone's way. At one point, a woman stomps past me, turns and yells, "I'm sick a G-d d*n tired of all these strollers and cars being in my way!" right in my face. I'm feeling like, this is certainly NOT the happiest place on earth. My party exits the ride and we all agree to just go back to the hotel. Everyone is feeling disappointed and let down by our experience. 6 hours in the park and only 2 rides the first day in. We stop at City Hall and pray someone has turned the phone in. Of course not.

Second day we went to Animal Kingdom. It rained and was unseasonably hot- 87 degrees in March. The crowds are again, absolutely obscene. Once again one of our FP rides is down during our fp time, so we end up riding the safari and dinosaur. That. is. literally. it. We went to our restaurant and waited for well over an hour even though we had reservations before we finally said forget it and bought some ice cream from a cart. The kids were covered in melting sticky ice cream so we decide to just scrap the day and head back to the hotel to wash up and swim. No one wants to go back. They actually get very upset when we even talk about going back.

Third day we were at Hollywood studios. The lowest crowd levels we encounter anywhere. We ride Tower of Terror, Star Tours, Toys story- eat at the commissary and catch a Muppet show and then call it a day. It rains for several hours.

Fourth day was Epcot. The crowds, again, off the hook bad. It rains- badly. We ride The living seas, and half our party gets separated after we get off- there are so just SO many people everywhere, lining the walls of the observation area- and we lose our 7 year old who we got separated from for a good 10 minutes. I was nearly hysterical before we finally were reunited. We did space ship earth and the land. We go to eat at our restaurant and its once again overbooked. Everyone is hungry, its raining. We dip into Marrakesh Moroccan place to eat. $180 later and we still have several hungry people who couldn't stomach the food. We take the ferry across the lake and high tail it back to our hotel. By this point, some of the kids are on the bus crying about how this is NOT what they were expecting. I am heartbroken and disappointed. Every single opportunity we can, we are trying to lighten the mood- play fun games, buy little treats and souvenirs. Its lightning and raining so badly, we cannot swim. The kids stay in the room watching tv the rest of the day.

Fifth day we are back at Magic Kingdom. It rains again. I send the rest of my party into the park without me for the first 3-4 hours. I am in bed, literally depressed out of my mind at how bad this entire trip had gone. After housekeeping stops by a 2nd time and notices my flushed, obvious I-had-been-crying face, she gave me a big hug. I decide to suck it up and make the best of whats left. I meet up with my family. We have a fast pass for Haunted Mansion and can I say, this is by leaps and bounds one of the worst experiences we have there. We are herded like cattle through the entire line queue- and there is literally no space whatsoever between people. Had we been in literally any other situation, people would questionably been accused of assault. My 9 year old son is literally smashed between a womans breasts and my sister speaks up and says something to her about having some decency. The woman says, "No one has room- It's Disneyworld!" and shoves him away from her. I am furious at this point and my non-confrontational side fades away and mamabear's claws come out. I shout back at her, "how would you like it if I shoved YOUR child!?" I was SO upset at this point. I am 100% certain that any state inspector would have shut the ride down. Had there been a fire, people would have died or been trampled. It was THAT packed. The 13 of us in my party were easily smooshed into a tight 5x5 ft square. A couple of the kids were crying, "no nevermind we dont want to go on this"- not because of the theme, they were fine with that, but because of the scary way we were all packed so tightly together. (For the record, later that night near 11pm, I take the older 5 kids on that ride again to assess the situation once more and the crowds were absolutely no where even halfway as bad. We all had acceptable space between us.) After that very first ride, a couple of the kids beg to go back to the room. One even says, "I just dont like this place. Its not like how it was in the videos"- a few of the kids stay behind with an adult and watch youtube videos the rest of the day.
We ride another 2 or 3 rides then head back, as the rain is too heavy to continue in the park- even with ponchos. We return that night with the oldest kids to ride space mountain (where 3 college aged boys in front of us made fat jokes obnoxiously about every overweight person they saw for 90 minutes and shined a laser pointer in everyones eyes) then splash mountain, which they genuinely loved- despite the rain.

The last day we are there, again it rains for a few hours in the afternoon. The crowds arent as bad as they had been the prior few days but still thick. We ride a handful of rides, grab a bite to eat and head back to the room to return later since the park was open until 2 am. That night we come back briefly, but apparently so does the rest of the park and lines are once again very long. By 1 am, we leave- completely defeated.

The ride home, we encounter many more accidents. Forcing us to stay in Georgia just south of Macon. We are woken up at 7am-ish as a tornado passes through. I felt a little like Alanis Morissette... isn't it ironic? at this point, nothing could surprise me anymore. Until I get home and realize our card had been charged several times for various purchases at the art of disney, and the pizza place in Disney. The hotel in Georgia, overcharges each of our rooms by $55 each room as well and being Sunday I cant do anything about it. I total up the amount spent (assuming we get duplicate charges removed from our debit card-) $13,155 for a week of absolute hell and disappointment.

I love Disneyworld, but its very very likely we will never ever return.

In the meantime, we are out a ton of money. We paid up front for everything and had been saving for this trip for over 2 years. I feel absolutely robbed.

Taking 2 children under 3 to Walt Disney World. - Very difficult but success my be possible.
Taking 10 children, including 2 children are under 3 to Walt Disney World. - Success very unlikely..
Taking 10 children, including 2 children are under 3 to Walt Disney World DURING SPRING BREAK!! - Success impossible!!!!!!

It was easier to land men on the Moon and return them safely to Earth......

 

[Abigail Broughton]

Its nice you defend Disney like a child and I am in no way mad at Disney its just changing. Its busy no matter when you travel and very expensive. Vacations cost money and thats great but its dissapointing when you plan, save, be flexible and many things within Disney parks make it difficult to fullfill your magical wishes! For me as much as I love Disney I cannot in a realistic frame of mind think a return trip next year is a good idea! Maybe a few years and not expect as much. Just enjoy a resort maybe one park, few nice dinning experiences and shopping. Like our Floridian friends who live there and enjoy Disney much more than we ever could.

 

[SCSteve]

My post was in NO WAY a defense of Disney, sorry you took it that way. I just stated fact. It was simply impossible to pull off a successful vacation with that many children at any time of the year, especially during the most crowded time to go! In my opinion, Disney does NOT care about the customer experience at their theme parks. Folks keep visiting WDW anyway, I agree, the parks are way too crowded all the time, even what we used to call "off Peak" times. Anyone who has gone to WDW over the years has seen the decline of the customer experience in all areas; over crowding, decline in food quality, less cast member presence everywhere, operating hours cut so they can add more Hard Ticket Events. And don't get me started about FastPass Plus!!! It turned attractions that used to be "walk- on" that did not even need a fast pass, into attractions with long standby lines...

 

[Abigail Broughton]

Its sad for me because Im not eager to return. My daughter just said yesterday she wanted to go back to Disney and I asked what did you love so much and she said the pool! We loved the Yacht Club but they're are wonderful resorts with beautiful pools near our home during the summer although now we are discussing putting an inground pool in our yard then we wont even have to leave. I just wish we could go back and just take a nice trip to the mountains. Its beautiful, close to home and a lot less expensive.

 

[CrankyDad]

No clue how OP blames Disney for this. Drama for nothing

 

[arubio0801]

Im sorry but Disney is not to blame for you not being well prepared for this trip. I've gone at very busy holiday times and as long as you plan make reservations its fine. What does crying in a room do to help the situation? Nothing! I get its a lot of money that you feel was wasted but its only wasted bc you didn't plan enough.

 

[happymommy]

The more in your group, the more challenging a trip to WDW is. My favorite trips in the past were just me and my DH, a few with the 4 of us, and just me and my youngest. It's easier to do things on the fly, change plans if something gets too crowded or you need a break.

I can't understand "feeling robbed" though.

Even at a value resort, a Disney vacation costs more than lots of other options. We can go to an all-inclusive in Mexico for much less; even an adult only one with top shelf liquor and butler service costs less than a Disney trip. We just returned from one, and it was $1,500 per person, including air. The ones that allow children are much less.

It's certainly not Disney's fault that you didn't have a good experience.