My Slow Divorce from Walt Disney World

[Mirabell Rose]

I think there is something to be said in regards to the equal in the parks post. Over the recent years this has gotten away. For 95% of the U.S., Disney is a pricey splurge. So, even if your budget put you at a value resort, you still had equal access in the parks. You had the same fast passes ahead as those at the deluxe resorts and the same access to dining reservations. You had the same ability to go direct from the airport to your resort in the same motorcoach as the deluxe and villa guests.

For those who aren’t in the top 5% economically, the usual mode was/is pay for every little extra, whereas the top group pay a higher overall price but have lots of extras included. (Think airplane travel)

When you got off the plane, and Disney made all that part of the visit but at different levels, value/moderate/deluxe, you felt valued and special for a change - or as some say ‘magical’.

I think a lot of that has gone away. While this may mean they are getting more $$ out of the top 5%, they don’t and can’t fill up the parks and have lots and lots of other places to go and feel special.

BTW - had to do Disney over the years with a child who used a wheelchair. Disney was the one place where we could find a way to do almost anything. Yes, always harder with a disability than not, as is life, but still by and far away the most magical place for that child.

 

[DCLMP]

I've only read first post and the recent stuff since the thread was revived, but I know that even though I initially found this site while planning a Disney trip, I now spend much more time on the community board. I have friends here I wouldn't want to stop socializing with even if I stopped going to WDW.

That said, I haven't stopped, just slowed down. I get the "slow divorce" analogy in the title. My last WDW trip was 2018, and though I will very likely go back at some point, I would now go through a travel agent - the planning is just too ridiculously complicated to be fun anymore.

I come here mainly for the cruise line forum. I don't think this would be a place I'd visit if I no longer was interested in WDW, DCL, or worse couldn't do either for some reason. We took a 5-year break from WDW in the past, but cruising has been a big part of our life for 13 years. I think will be taking another break from WDW until they fix some things.

 

[leahgoogle]

Boy it’s interesting to see all the comments that I have thought or said in the last ten years. We have been going to Disney for 40 years. But We actually included a jaunt to universal studios Fla. this year and we’re incredibly surprised by the free Express pass. Rode many more rides than at Disney because of it. We have been to universal before but this was easily our best visit. And now they are adding another park! Disney better watch out! Their number one park status is in jeopardy

We told our daughter that we would take her to Universal/IOA after she finished the Harry Potter books. Hadn't been in 20 years. We ended up buying annual passes and went twice from out of state last year. If you love HP, those areas are incredibly immersive and done so well! I can't wait to see Epic Universe! It is overall a more relaxed trip. The Express Pass is wonderful and included with a premier hotel stay.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

I recently read Robert Iger's book 'The Ride of a Lifetime'.
It tracked his career through ABC to to WDW and included all the ins and outs of the pixar and espn and abc disney deals.

It really opened my eyes...my very naive eyes, to the realization that my 'disney', being mickey mouse and the magic kingdom and my resort stay and fast passes, is a tiny speck on a cog of the company called Walt Disney World.

WDW is a mega business running multiple money streams with the #1 purpose of making money for its stock holders...as is every other public-held business.

It put things into perspective for me and made me feel a bit silly, thinking they cared about fast passes or my park experience.

We b*tch and moan about their greed but what about clorox, apple, Sony, Walmart, Home Depot and all the other large corporations? Their #1 reason to exist is to make money.
Period.

I agree with the OP and all of his sentiments. And it's sad, isn't it? WDW was such a fun place and now it's work. And most folks can't afford to go, or certainly can't afford multiple trips.

That's where I think the rubber hits the road, when everyone has gone post-pandem, but can't afford to return.

I don’t think you are wrong Disney is a publicly trade company that owes a duty to it share holder first.

That having been said, anybody that knows anything about business knows you don’t stay in business alienating your core customer group….

Return customers are what keep a company in business….. do you think Amazon ‘s business model is a new customer for each transaction ????

Disney know they have to balance customer service with profit…. Or at least they should know that….

I’m under no allusion the Disney’s primary goal is to make us all happy.

However, Disney takes guest feed back seriously. A GFY to a 20 something selling popcorn may not get you anywhere, however, it had been my experience that a professional written, ( don’t do it angry) gets you a lots of traction.

When enough guess make the same suggestion, correctly, Disney listens.

As far as the cost of Disney, as much as I don’t like the political direction soon of their recent choices, the truth is the cost of a Disney vacation has gone up Because of factor well outside there control.

Insurance, labor, energy, all cost money….
If you are going to pay someone a living wage…. You customer have to bear the brunt of that.

Trucking is expensive, If you are trucking resource in from all over the country.

Busses and boats burn diesel fuel… diesel is expensive….

I could continue, but yes Disney is a business looking out for the shareholders first.

Yes, Disney has made choice that have driven guest away and driven prices up….

However, if enough people voice the same concern, it has been my experience they listen….

 

[Disneychick75]

We divorced Disney World about 6 six years ago. This year though we're going for a reconciliation trip. Our grandchildren's stepmother ( long story not getting into) is being stationed in S. Korea for 4 yrs so we'll only see the children 4 times from now until 2027. My husband HATES Disney World but is making an exception so that we can have a wonderful trip with our grand little ones before they leave.

 

[Ms.Minnie]

We divorced Disney World about 6 six years ago. This year though we're going for a reconciliation trip. Our grandchildren's stepmother ( long story not getting into) is being stationed in S. Korea for 4 yrs so we'll only see the children 4 times from now until 2027. My husband HATES Disney World but is making an exception so that we can have a wonderful trip with our grand little ones before they leave.

I hope you have a magically wonderful time at WDW. Hopefully you all will look back on this trip with many fond memories.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

We divorced Disney World about 6 six years ago. This year though we're going for a reconciliation trip. Our grandchildren's stepmother ( long story not getting into) is being stationed in S. Korea for 4 yrs so we'll only see the children 4 times from now until 2027. My husband HATES Disney World but is making an exception so that we can have a wonderful trip with our grand little ones before they leave.

Like I said in an earlier post: No one is going to judge you for hooking up with the ex in this case....

edit: the "ex" being the one you divorced, Disney

 

[Disneychick75]

Like I said in an early post: No one is going to judge you for hooking up with the ex in this case....

I'm not hooking up with anyone except my husband, lol. Our daughter is not in the picture but the children's father has been wonderful about allowing us to see our grandchildren whenever we want. My husband and I are so grateful for that and for him allowing us to take the grandchildren to WDW for this "goodbye for a while" trip with them.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

I'm not hooking up with anyone except my husband, lol. Our daughter is not in the picture but the children's father has been wonderful about allowing us to see our grandchildren whenever we want. My husband and I are so grateful for that and for him allowing us to take the grandchildren to WDW for this "goodbye for a while" trip with them.

sorry, that was lost in translation.....

 

[Disneychick75]

sorry, that was lost in translation.....

No problem - I knew what I meant but sometimes the meaning is not clear when I post.

 

[DawnM]

We did not go to Disney for 5 years. So I guess you could say we went through a long separation.
After counseling, we decided to try again. We got APs this year and have gone 3 times so far. I guess we are back together, although it is still undecided if we will stay together. But for now, we are "dating" again.

However, we dont' usually stay on property, so that aspect hasn't bothered me. We have always done Disney as economically as we can. It has gotten higher priced for sure, but we find ways to make it work.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

I recently read Robert Iger's book 'The Ride of a Lifetime'.
It tracked his career through ABC to to WDW and included all the ins and outs of the pixar and espn and abc disney deals.

It really opened my eyes...my very naive eyes, to the realization that my 'disney', being mickey mouse and the magic kingdom and my resort stay and fast passes, is a tiny speck on a cog of the company called Walt Disney World.

WDW is a mega business running multiple money streams with the #1 purpose of making money for its stock holders...as is every other public-held business.

It put things into perspective for me and made me feel a bit silly, thinking they cared about fast passes or my park experience.

We b*tch and moan about their greed but what about clorox, apple, Sony, Walmart, Home Depot and all the other large corporations? Their #1 reason to exist is to make money.
Period.

I agree with the OP and all of his sentiments. And it's sad, isn't it? WDW was such a fun place and now it's work. And most folks can't afford to go, or certainly can't afford multiple trips.

That's where I think the rubber hits the road, when everyone has gone post-pandem, but can't afford to return.

You know this really hits it on the head. At the end of the day, Iger or anyone else in Disney management could give two sh*** about whether we had a magical experience or not. Maybe it "hurts" a little more with Disney than with other companies because fans want to feel the magic, and they know what that magic feels like. While I love Apple products, my computer and phones are just that, devices. I don't have some emotional relationship with Apple Computer. But I do, did, like many of us, with Disney, and that's a bitter pill to swallow when the company has changed so much. But like my 12 year old son said to me recently, "I've seen WDW dozens of times. I want to see the world!" So that's where we'll concentrate our travel in the future. Although we will hit the Tokyo park in a couple of years.

 

[mmouse37]

We just got back from 4 nights at WDW....Usually I get so very excited but the thought of planning my park reservations, dining, trying to figure out Genie +, dealing with MDE, etc. left me frazzled. I don't really enjoy the planning process anymore. Used to be such fun but now it seems like a burden sometimes. We had fun when we got there, especially because it was 2 of our grandkids' first time there and love seeing through their eyes but the whole process before getting there is harrowing!! We did stop and eat at the Polynesian since we were there for our honeymoon and it happened to be our 44th wedding anniversary so we took some pics in the lobby.......the price back in 1979 was only $65 per night!!! I still have the invoice.

I prefer planning a DCL cruise so much better!!!

 

[BlueStarryHat]

We went on our latest trip September 2022 for the 50th. Genie+ worked like a charm for us and we got to see a heck of a lot more than we would have otherwise, because it was so crowded it was like a literal sea of people. Add that to the fact that it was hotter than the surface of the sun, Genie+ saved our vacation from being a sweat-soaked disaster. So I am a convert. We had a mixed time on that vacation. Neither my sister nor I am exactly svelte (well, I'm getting to svelte but that doesn't apply to this trip) or young. We're 50-somethings and we felt it because of the heat. We swore we would most likely never go back. Divorce was a go.

Then I started making excuses for my ex. 'Well, it *was* too hot.' 'Well it was way more crowded than the time we usually go.' Then I found myself missing my ex, and so was my sister (I guess we were sharing the ex.) So, we've decided to give it another try. My sister and her husband are taking a couple of big trips in late 2023 and in 2024, so we have decided to go at our usual time, December. But not until 2025. It's make or break, really. This future trip will be the test to see if we're still compatible. Of course, I'll have to start saving in mid-2024 to make it work.

 

[_19disnA]

I think there is a difference between things that are expensive vs those where you just feel ripped off by an excessively high price. Even those who can afford Disney, have LOTS of choices where to go on vacation and spend their money. If they don't perceive a 'value' for what Disney costs for the experience, they will likely choose to spend their vacation dollars elsewhere regardless of their budget.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

I think there is a difference between things that are expensive vs those where you just feel ripped off by an excessively high price. Even those who can afford Disney, have LOTS of choices where to go on vacation and spend their money. If they don't perceive a 'value' for what Disney costs for the experience, they will likely choose to spend their vacation dollars elsewhere regardless of their budget.

This is an important point. As WDW has progressively gotten more expensive and I see how far my travel dollar can go in other places (like New Delhi, Krakow, or Bangkok), I'd just prefer to go to those places as I feel I will get a richer experience with a better value to boot. I still love going to the World once in a while, but just can't go more often. There's a big world out there. This is also the number one reason I won't do DVC.

 

[GAN]

This is an important point. As WDW has progressively gotten more expensive and I see how far my travel dollar can go in other places (like New Delhi, Krakow, or Bangkok), I'd just prefer to go to those places as I feel I will get a richer experience with a better value to boot. I still love going to the World once in a while, but just can't go more often. There's a big world out there. This is also the number one reason I won't do DVC.

The best way to get to New Delhi, Krakow, or Bangkok is to rent out your highly valuable DVC Points and use that cash to discover these places! Been doing it for many years -including trips to Disney stuck in there every once and a while. Absolutely, ZERO regrets!

 

[Smugpugmug]

This is an important point. As WDW has progressively gotten more expensive and I see how far my travel dollar can go in other places (like New Delhi, Krakow, or Bangkok), I'd just prefer to go to those places as I feel I will get a richer experience with a better value to boot. I still love going to the World once in a while, but just can't go more often. There's a big world out there. This is also the number one reason I won't do DVC.

The price increases at WDW are making it so that you could see the countries presented in the World Showcase for the same price or cheaper. Plus you can eat food that isn't the cafeteria level quality at the Epcot festivals lol

 

[DawnM]

This is an important point. As WDW has progressively gotten more expensive and I see how far my travel dollar can go in other places (like New Delhi, Krakow, or Bangkok), I'd just prefer to go to those places as I feel I will get a richer experience with a better value to boot. I still love going to the World once in a while, but just can't go more often. There's a big world out there. This is also the number one reason I won't do DVC.

We do Disney cheap and find ways to do it, but I hear you. We are going back to Africa next summer and for a 3 week stay AND airfare, it is going to be a relatively inexpensive vacation.

 

[shh]

So what do you call it when you pop in for a one night holiday party, but otherwise refuse to associate in any way, shape or form? I guess that would be a one-time hookup with your ex?

WDW holiday parties are pricey, but it's the only way to do disney old-school style these days: no genie, no reservations, no plans. Just pay the ticket price, enter the park and you get 7+ hours to enjoy what you like, when you like- with plenty of nighttime MK fun!

A party every few years is my WDW fix for now.