DF's Observations, Thoughts, and Opinions From Current Trip

[DizneyFreak2002]

Will be home Friday from a week long visit to Orlando... I'm finishing my packing, but wanted to start this thread tonight... When I get back, I'm going to provide what I saw the last week in Disney and Universal (I will post Universal's in the Uni thread), theme park observations, Magic Band usage, Fastpass Plus, crowds, wait times, New Fantasyland... This will not be a trip report... I don't do those... This will simply be what I saw and experienced this last week, and my opinions about everything... Stay tuned!!!

[VWL Mom]

Looking forward to it :thumbsup:

[Goofy4TheWorld]

I will set my DVR!

[Ms. Mode]

I hope you have a nice time! :thumbsup:

[DizneyFreak2002]

I'm back, but dead tired from a lack of sleep 24 hour train ride... I'll post this weekend, promise!

[Aurora]

:thumbsup: Can't wait to read it.


When I get back, I'm going to provide what I saw the last week in Disney and Universal (I will post Universal's in the Uni thread), theme park observations, Magic Band usage, Fastpass Plus, crowds, wait times, New Fantasyland... This will not be a trip report... I don't do those... This will simply be what I saw and experienced this last week, and my opinions about everything... Stay tuned!!!

Isn't that technically a trip report? ;) :secret: :D

[marlyn]

Isn't that technically a trip report? ;) :secret: :D

:rotfl:

[DizneyFreak2002]

:thumbsup: Can't wait to read it.



Isn't that technically a trip report? ;) :secret: :D

Technically, no.. I'm not detailing every day of my trip... When I read the trip reports, I read people including every minute of their day: what they did, where they ate, and what time they stopped for a potty break LOL... I'm just going to give my opinion on what I saw, not tell you all what I did minute to minute... That is a trip report to me... :)

Ok, ready?

[DizneyFreak2002]

First (Aurora, this will be the only trip reportish style of, um, reporting LOL) let me detail how this trip came about....

I was planning a week in Orlando with a friend of mine, the same friend I usually head to Orlando with... We had planned for a week visit, and only doing Universal for 2 days while kicking back and relaxing (getting away from what has been a rough two years for both of us)... The plan was Islands of Adventure one day and Universal Studios/HHN another, with the rest of the time put aside for kickign back by the pool, sleeping in late, and just hanging out with friends visiting other sites...

Well, during the last year, my friend became a father... So, because of the change of his status from single guy to single dad, he cancelled out... Understandable.... I decided I was going to go alone instead, but still keep IOA/Uni on the agenda.. I wouldn't have done the two parks alone, one of my friends in Orlando had scheduled time off from work to come to the parks with me....

To my shock, my brother, out of nowhere, mentioned he wanted to go to Disney World... I was shocked because, the last time we were there as a family (2001) was the last time he was there... He used to make fun of me for going every year, and the last time (2001) he was bored and said he didn't care to visit again... so yes, I was shocked when he said he wanted to go...

Not knowing if I should take him serious or not, I did not make any move to buy WDW tickets or anything... But, he was serious... With that I purchased a 4 day base ticket (with a free 5th day thanks to Official Ticket Center!!!), as well as our train tickets (no, I do not fly), and the Universal tickets...

There is a little back ground on how this trip came about... Because my brother wanted to go to WDW, even though I didn't, I still purchased the tickets cause I was not going to take that away from him...

Next post will detail my observations and opinions...

[DizneyFreak2002]

From the 5 days I spent inside Disney World theme parks and the week or so at their resorts, here is what I observed and a few opinions about everything...

CROWDS
Where were they? I was expecting to be over run by hoards of people... From reading trip reports and other posts, I was expecting wall to wall sweaty, smelly humans... But, I never encountered that... Except for DTD, which always has crowds anyway... The crowds were no more or less than I remember from previous Octobers... which leads me to:

WAIT TIMES
Most attractions were walk on... Some had a little wait, while the most popular attractions had long wait times... One thing I did notice though, Pirates and HM had abnormally long wait times for the minimal amount of people in queue... and I do mean minimal... How can Pirates have a posted 25 minute wait (was really 45) and HM have a posted 30 minute wait (was also 45) with hardly anyone ahead of us? One answer... FAST PASS... I do believe Rides like HM and Pirates do not need and should not have FP... This is proof FP+ is going to inflate wait times...

MAINTENANCE
I am the first person to jump on Disney/TDO for poor maintenance... And the last 15-20 years, maintenance was as poor as poor can get... I'm also the first person to give props when due... I must say, the maintenance of attractions seems to have picked up... Many of the attractions looked in great shape... Yes, there was the occasional break down ( couldn't do PhilharMagic at all since it was down all day)...The burning Rome smell was powerful on Spaceship Earth... Main Street looked fantastic, the Castle was beautiful... However, there were a few mishaps.. No mermaids on Pirates, Blackbeard's voice could be heard but no mist scene... DHS still stands... Disco yeit still doing is best John Travolta... and again, PhilharMagic was down the day we were in MK... Otherwise, everything looked to be in pretty good working order, and for the most part, show ready... Even Dinosaur had effects working which I haven't seen in ages...

RESORTS
I had a split stay: a few days at Bay Lake Tower, a few days at Saratoga Springs... I've been hearing and reading about the poor condition of the rooms in Bay Lake... These reports troubled me... I love Bay Lake (heck, I did buy into it)... So reading and hearing about the room conditions saddened me.. But then I entered my room and thought "where are these horrible rooms???" My room was in top condition... No paint chips, no broken furniture... AC worked better than I remember

Saratoga Springs is another story... While the rooms are nice, they are horribly out dated... My room had chipped walls, dirty fridge... The AC was horrible, and the sliding glass door to the balcony would barely open... A call to maintenance didn't even do the trick (if they even showed up)... We still had a hard time opening and closing the sliding glass door... Where are my maintenance fees going exactly?

TRANSPORTATION
This trip, I found it to be very reliable... I never waited more than 5 minutes for a bus to anywhere... The monorails need a complete replacement and upgrade, but even so, I did not encounter one break down... The night we stayed in MK during EMH, we had to take the ferry back to TTC, and even then, I found the ferry to be just fine...

[DizneyFreak2002]

FASTPASS PLUS
I want to hate the NextGen program, and I still do... I feel this is a waste of $2.5 billion dollars... In 5 years, Comcast will be spending $2.5 billion on new attractions, hotels and theme park expansions... WDW on something that wasn't broke but now broken... Waste of money... Complete waste of money...

When I read how awesome people find this, I read it notice the feels are of personal and selfishness (not bad selfish, but more like not seeing the over all picture, just worrying about yourself)... if I were to look at this without the objective view, yes I'd love it too... Who wouldn't want to book a ride on Soarin 60 days in advance? And if you are fortunate enough to be able to do that, then great... the system works just fine... But now, look at it objectively... it is a disaster... Soarin and Test Track had over 60 minute wait times all day, and FP were sold out very early in the morning... Hardly any paper FP were available to people not participating in the magic band/FP+ testing, or to guests with RFID KTTW cards... TSMM is another ride where FP were gone very early... I don't believe many, if any, same day FPs were available for these attractions... This is a major failure... Lines at Guest Relations were abnormally long this trip... Came to find out, almost all of the complaints were FP not being available, with plenty of DAS complaints tossed in... This is a nightmare for GR cast members... Wonder why they are hiring so many? Not enough bodies to handle the complaints... Some of us called this a disaster waiting to happen... Seems we were right... This is a program which will collapse under its own weight... Disney has a problem... I have NO faith in them to find a solution... Disney is no longer in the guest satisfaction game... Now, it is all about treating guests in WDW as if they are items on a conveyer belt, squeezing the life out of them (in this case, every last cent you have on you)... And no, it isn't working...

Now, selfish me: FP+ worked fine for me... I booked, in advance, for three attractions in Epcot for the day I arrived... I booked Soarin, Test Track, and Spaceship Earth... Well, I missed my Soarin time (no biggie, we weren't going to rush to the park), but I managed to get on Test Track and Spaceship Earth (which does not need FP either)... So, again, in those cases, yes the system is just fine... In the over all picture, no... it isn't...

And they must remove it for Fantasmic... Fantasmic may become a show I never go see again... Having FP on shows is just stupid... But, this is the new Disney Company where stupid is as stupid does... And in Orlando, they are full of stupid... We went to the 9:00 show of Fantasmic, and because of FP+ getting priority seating (let in first), stand by was not seated until 8:50, and with that it was a stampede of humans pushing, shoving, and trampling over each other just to get into the arena... If this is how it will be, count me out... As for the show, the torches on the canoes failed to work as usual, the projections on the water were crummy, but everything else seemed to have been updated and working just fine... And yes, they are slowly upgrading the show.. In fact, they just upgraded the lighting.. Now update the projections!!!

MAGIC BANDS
For the first few hours of wearing them, I had no issues or complaints... other than the awkward turning of the wrist at the FP or gate entrance turn styles... By late afternoon/early evening, they became annoying... Easy fix: remove from your wrist... They worked just fine, for the most part, for entering the room or theme parks or fast pass lines... We did run into one issue but it was easily corrected... I was told at Bay Lake I did not have to check out, just leave... So, I did and went to SSR... The CM at SSR informed me I was supposed to check out at Bay Lake so they could deactivate my BLT bands and SSR could activate my SSR bands... Hassle if you ask me.. Easily solved: ONE SET OF BANDS!!! But no, we needed two... So, I had to get my SSR bands from the car and have the CM check me out of BLT (from SSR which was pretty nifty!!) and then activate my new bands... Once they did that, everything worked just fine... Like I said, one issue which was easily fixed...

I'll add this here since this does fit with magic bands... As I and a few others stated previously, and again, shouted down, Disney WILL BE tracking you... They have long range and short range readers... Short range examples are your door, FP+ turn styles, park entrance turn styles, or the pay at the register readers... They have long range too... And yes, Disney will know when Dizneyfreak enters Emporium or World of Disney or Gaston's Tavern even before I purchase anything... Before, the only way they knew where you were is by you using your KTTW card as a credit card... they the information registered back that Dizneyfreak was at Emporium... Now, you no longer have to make a purchase... Just entering they will know... I know some people think the tracking is no big deal... But others do have a problem with it... And Disney is not being honest about it... At least Google tells you they are tracking you... Disney doesn't...

What Disney does with the info they gain is the problem, I feel... Disney will be creating (yes I know they already have one) a database on their guests... They will compile information regarding your spending habits (where you spend your time and money and on what)... If you are a big spender, Disney will look to squeeze even more out of you... if you are a not a big spender, don't look for Disney to try to get one more cent from you... You are more of a liability then someone they see dollar signs in, and someone they prefer not to visit the parks.. yes, I know it sounds like a stupid idea, but this is what it is...

[DizneyFreak2002]

THEME PARKS/ATTRACTIONS
As I stated under maintenance, mostly everything looked to be show ready... Dinosaur looked great, Small World looked freshly painted, Splash Mountain looked in great condition minus a few things which will be taken care of during the down time in January... Other things need work...

I'll start with Epcot:

Spaceship Earth needs to have a true ending... That descent back to earth is just lazy and shoddy work... And Judy Dench needs to go... Her voice is so monotone it puts me to sleep... The script she reads from is one a 5 year old could write... No one can beat Jeremy Irons in my opinion...

Test Track: Just okay, nothing spectacular... Creating your car was interesting, but really played no part in the ride in the over all scheme of the attraction... It is basically the same attraction with a more futuristic and Tronish look to it... I didn't hate it, but it didn't impress me either...

Soarin: Dust filled film ruins the experience... Too many dust particles visible on the screen... Time to change the film too... One thing that finally got to me on Soarin this trip: ending in Disneyland during Christmas... Seems kind of awkward being in WDW during Halloween and ending a ride at Disneyland during Christmas... Maybe they should have filled a regular summer night, a Halloween night, and a Christmas night, and swap out the films during certain times of the year... Still fun, don't get me wrong... Just time for a cleaning and an update....

Living With the Land: Jared would love to read this... LwtL is a gem.... A gem which gets no appreciation.... May not have much too it, but still, there is something about it which makes it a must ride... kind of like the TTA/Peoplemover...

Imagination: Nothing to say here... Needs to go... Along with Captain EO and all it's 80's cheesiness.. LOL...

Universe of Energy: Time to go.... Never got to ride it, broke down just as we were to enter the ride portion... Never bothered to check back later to see if it reopened...

Mission Space: Hate it, won't ever ride it again...

Countries: The countries looked just fine... Maelstrom was looking so much better than it did even 2 years ago... Gran Fiesta Tour, no one rides it.. Shame really.. it isn't as good as El Rio but it isn't terrible either...

Illuminations: Best fireworks/nighttime show on property... Hands town the top... Only one I can watch more than once on a trip... You can have your Wishes and Fantasmic... I'll take Illuminations every time...

[DizneyFreak2002]

Animal Kingdom
Said goodbye to Camp Minnie Mickey.... and no, CMM you won't be missed... Watched FotLK for the last time in the current theater before they move to where they belong thematically... In Africa... Performers did another wonderful job with that show...

Tough to be a Bug: Still enjoy it despite it being old... The hornet sting got my brother... he forgot about that part of the show... The netting over your head in the queue, actually, fits the theme and didn't look bad (thematically)... but it is still a quick fix to a bigger problem... You know, like actually fixing the Tree of Life to make sure no more branches fall...

Dinosaur: Effects I haven't seen in years were working... Still too many empty sections of the attraction... The one effect that was not working though was the pterodactyl...

Everest: Poor yeti... barely even visible with the strobe light... Fun coaster, but without the yeti working the way it was meant to, the ride lacks that e ticket feel...

Kali River Rapids: What could have been with this attraction if budget cuts didn't get in the way... Kali is only there to get wet... Otherwise, it is a shame...

Kilimanjaro Safaris: Saw a load of animals thins year, more than any other time... the new jeeps are much more comfortable and less bumpy, much more of a smooth ride... Safaris looked to be in good shape...

Finding Nemo: Best show on property... Another one I can see multiple times and not be bored... Performers are top notch.. And no, FP is not needed and should be removed... I actually booked FP+ for this attraction and didn't need to... Dinosaur was a walk on but would have been a better choice.. I was there with friends who were not using FP and they were seated in standby before FP+ was let into the theater... You could sit anywhere, no dedicated FP+ viewing area... So take it from me, don't waste a FP on Nemo...

[DizneyFreak2002]

Disney's Hollywood Studios
Rip the park down and start over... They would be better off... DHS is not a full day park, and my brother and I were hard pressed to try to make it a full day park... hat saved us was Rock N Roller Coaster went down... of course, during the time I booked FP+ for it... Now is a good time to explain how this worked... The CM at the entrance told us to use either the kiosk or the app and pick a time later in the day... if you had paper FP then you could come back any time... If no FP+ were available, tough luck, choose another option... Luckily, there were (but not for TSMM)... So, I booked the ride for later in the day, early evening... I should have put this in the FP section, but I forgot, so it will go here... Using the app to change FP times worked perfectly... No issues, as long as there are times available... No times, then you are out of luck... But I made a few changes on the fly with no issues.. other people weren't so luck though... Ok, on to the park:

ToT: Best ride in DHS... Wait time was not too bad, but I had FP anyway... ToT is the one ride my brother enjoys the most, but we only got to ride it once...

TSMM: I don't see why this ride is such a big deal... Maybe cause it really is one of the only family friendly rides the park offers... But even still, there is no reason for FP to be gone by 9:15 to 9:30 every day... So, those saying you love FP+ cause you no longer have to run for a FP, well, some people still do... So, looking at it objectively (not selfishly), FP+ does not solve the problem but creates bigger ones...

RnRC: Coaster in dark... fun and yes awesome... Love my coasters....

Great Movie Ride: Alien was working again, but the first scene Footlight Parade: bubbles hardly worked and the dancers were not rotating like they used to... I had the gangster scene... My tour guide was not all that great of a guide, but the gangster CM was pretty good... Oz looked new and fresh... Over all everything looked pretty good...

Star Tours: Love what they did to the ride.. Thank you Burbank for forcing TDO to accept the full refurb... Rode it in 2011 and again in 2013 and still love it... Much better than the original... Say hello to more Star Wars!!!

Muppets: Sorry Muppet fans but Muppetvision either needs to go or get an update.... And this is coming from a Muppets fan...

Streets of America were dead... Say bye bye... Hopefully...

Indiana Jones: Enjoyed the stunt show for the first time in years... But, pretty soon we will have to say bye bye...

Beauty and the Beast: Too chopped up... Felt awkward and badly paced... They should just end the show now and replace it sooner rather than later....

Mermaid: Tells the story of Little Mermaid much better than the ride does... Will be going too but this one should go later not sooner... Still an enjoyable show to watch...

Pirates of the Caribbean walk through: Nicely themed inside... Nice little effect making Jack Sparrow appear on the Black Pearl... nice little deviation... But not worth a 30 minute wait... Would only do again if there it is a walk on, other wise, waste of time waiting 30 minutes or more for it...

Fantasmic: again, getting updates, best I have seen it look in a long time, though still many areas needing upgrades, mostly now the projections on the water... and again, NO FASTPASS DISNEY!!! Such a disaster on Fantasmic...

[DizneyFreak2002]

And the one everyone is waiting for, I know...

Magic Kingdom
Main Street looked great... Castle looked beautiful (from my BLT room I was able to watch them test the Christmas lights when the park was closed, WOW)... Best I have seen the park look even 2 years ago..

Fantasyland, including New Fantasyland
The old section needs so much work now thatthe new section is nearly complete... Pan and Small World look out of place next to the Tangled area... For bathrooms, the area looks fantastic... This is the job we know and come to expect from WDI... Now, if they can start doing that with attractions again in WDW, a new course may be set...

Pan was down for refurb... Small World looked freshly painted... Philharmagic down all day... New Fantasyland was just what I expected... Lots of style but no substance... Looked beautiful, which I never denied it looking... But they needed more.... Little mermaid dark ride is plastic... Felt plastic... Felt fake... No cohesive storytelling of the Little Mermaid... Just a hodgepodge of scenes tossed into the attraction... Not worth any kind of wait... Luckily I walked right on during EMH... No way would I wait even 10 minutes for it... Just to think that ride cost more than Forbidden Journey... Disney spent poorly... And as for substance, I don't even think the 7D Mine Train will add any... Over all, I rate New Fantasyland a B for style but D for substance... And I am including Be Our Guest in the style category... Thanks to Jared, I booked a FP for the restaurant for lunch... Food was pretty good, no complaints... Pretty cool how they just bring the food to your table by TRACKING you... Ballroom was well designed, West Wing was out of this world... In the end, it is just a restaurant... Gastons Tavern, well, nothing to really say about it... it serves the purpose of added dining capacity for counter service.. LeFou's Brew by the way, was good but nothing like Butterbeer.. Butterbeer kicks the LeFou out of the Brew... Storybook Circus, well done and an upgrade over Mickey's Toontown... The children were having fun with the Casey Jr water section... And that is all that matters... The section isn't meant for me, as an adult without children... That's fine... Kids were having a good time, that is what matters with areas like this in theme parks...

Tomorrowland needs an over haul... NOW... Space Mountain, though recently refurbed, is still very rough... Buzz needs work (and no is not better than its counterpart TSMM nor is it even close to MiB)... Stitch, well, it is Stitch... Didn't get on CoP or see Monsters Inc Laugh Floor...

Adventureland looked in good shape despite the condition of Pirates... No mermaids, no Blackbeard mist though his voice could be heard... Remove the mermaids since they either don't work or no one sees them (very bad effect when they do work) but leave the mermaid skeleton on the beach... Please replace the sound system.. Most of the volume in the attraction was low and couldn't be heard... otherwise everything else was in decent working order... Like the new boats too, which they seem to be getting around to fixing.. My boat didn't leak, but many others were still leaking.... Slowly but surely they are fixing the leaking boats... Jungle Cruise was in great shape... The skippers were excellent... Giving them their due... They played with the guests, and even teased me about my Superman shirt (I was wearing a backwards Superman S which, if anyone follows or followed Superman, would know that was Bizarro... I wouldn't expect many to know that though)... The skippers always made the attraction, and a bad skipper would lead to a bad experience... our skipper was excellent... No Tiki Boards on this trip...

Frontierland looked pretty good as well... Big Thunder Mountain looked great... the gushers were working... I FP'd the attraction so I skipped the interactive queue so no opinion about it... The ride was smooth though, as I remember previous rides being rough... Splash Mountain was in great condition, minus a few effects still needing work... The jumping water was not working on my ride... and I know this is one of the effects which, despite the refurb, is still hit and miss, and is on the schedule to be taken care of during the upcoming down time... Every scene was crisp, fresh, and sound was perfect... I noticed though, the hidden Mickey in the scene with the river boat at the end of the ride was gone... Did I miss it?

Liberty Square looked good too... Liberty Belle was running... HM was in tip top shape... The hitch hiking ghosts effect was hit or miss lately as they install on ride photo ability, but it worked during my ride... Still hate the interactive queue, and now it seems a lot of the interactive items are breaking and not getting fixed right away....

Wishes, you can have it... I'm over it... Soon WDW will be too ;)

MSEP, please put it out of its misery... Spectro is gone, not coming back.. but MSEP needs to go along with it... I took notice to some of the floats... While I know they move slow, some of them looked to be just chugging along and were on the verge f breaking down... We watched from Liberty Square by the Liberty belle, and by time the floats got to us, they looked to be ready to break down... Plan as I continue to hear it is, once Festival of Fantasy starts in March/April, MSEP is closing down for a long 6 month refurb and FoF will play twice a day, and will even become the night parade until MSEP comes back...

[DizneyFreak2002]

Sorry for the long posts everyone... But I wanted to give each park their own, and detail and give opinions on what I saw and remember...

I met with a few people this trip, and some discussion had taken place... A lot of what we already knew, but some new info... Info I cannot vet, so if I decide to post it, I ask you all to take the info with a grain of salt and treat it as a discussion topic based on rumors, not based on facts...

Over all, yes the trip was fun and I had a blast... And yes, mostly because this was my brother's first time down in 12 years... But Disney needs more in WDW... The parks are still stale... More needs to be done... Routine maintenance shouldn't be celebrated... It should be the norm and expected... And they are getting back on track... But this is it for Disney for me unless and until they prove to me they want my hard earned money, instead of just expecting me to open my wallet and volunteer to hand it to them for nothing in return... the value isn't there anymore... But it can be again... They just need to wake up before it is too late...

FP+ will be a disaster... I predicted it back then, saw it for my own eyes, and continue to predict it based on what I saw and learned... WDW vacations are not going to be fun and magical anymore... They will be mechanical... The good thing is, there are more options for everyone out there... people just need to know you aren't cheating on mickey... Cant cheat on someone who doesn't care about you and only uses you... You won't melt if you leave Disney property... there is a world of adventure out there once you leave property... Fun can be had... And I strongly suggest you all give it a try one time... I promise, you won't regret it!!!

[PirateLover]

Thank you :clappy: I have read through all of your posts and really appreciate your insights. I think you gave a fair analysis, ESPECIALLY when it comes to FP+. I have always felt that people being wooed by the low volume test phase will be in for a rude awaking when they return and it has fully been rolled out. (Unless it does become pay-to-play as many suspect, and many on this very board have said they'd be more than willing to do [which makes my blood boil] so maybe they still would love it;))

There are two particular takeaways from your posts that stand out to me:
Having a FP+ reservation for a ride breaking down and ONLY being able to ride that same ride if a later time is available? Ummm no. So not right, since under the old system your paper FP is good for the remainder of the day. You should get a re-ride pass, not be subjected to the FP+ luck of the draw! I will say it till I'm blue in the face- they took a system that WORKED and was FAIR to all and they've made something that is frustrating, confusing, and unfair. Just look at this board, most of the questions now are about MDE/MyMagic+/FP+ and many of us can't even answer because many at disney can't even answer!! :bang:

The second thing that I didn't realize was that Mermaid cost MORE than Forbidden Journey????? I enjoyed the LM ride well enough but that fact makes me absolutely cringe as Forbidden Journey is lightyears ahead of it.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Thank you PirateLover... I tried to be objective... When I went on the trip, I went in with an open mind... My goal was to have fun... My goal was to make the trip fun for my brother who hasn't been since 2001... I accomplished that... Yes, I did have fun... Yes, my brother did too... But, I do have to be objective... And I try to make sure I am...




There are two particular takeaways from your posts that stand out to me:
Having a FP+ reservation for a ride breaking down and ONLY being able to ride that same ride if a later time is available? Ummm no. So not right, since under the old system your paper FP is good for the remainder of the day. You should get a re-ride pass, not be subjected to the FP+ luck of the draw! I will say it till I'm blue in the face- they took a system that WORKED and was FAIR to all and they've made something that is frustrating, confusing, and unfair. Just look at this board, most of the questions now are about MDE/MyMagic+/FP+ and many of us can't even answer because many at disney can't even answer!! :bang:

The CM had stated the FP+ holders had to use a kiosk or the app and book RNRC at a later time (with no guarantee the ride will be back up that day) or change RNRC for another offering... Then, if you want to ride RNRC, wing it... My understanding is, if the ride does not come back up, and you made the later reservation (if able to, once everyone is on this, availability will not exist), you are given a choice for a FP+ the next day... If you are doing a Disney theme park the next day, and it is not the park the ride broke down in, doesn't matter... you'd get a 4th choice along with the three you already booked, based on availability... The CM did not tell us that, probably because they weren't at the point of no return for the day... Basically, though, I wanted to point out not the policy but how easy it was to go sign into the app and make a FP+ change on the fly... of course, this won't be as easy when everyone is booking FP+ and there are none left... Then you basically will be FPing trips to the bathroom cause that is all that will be left...



The second thing that I didn't realize was that Mermaid cost MORE than Forbidden Journey????? I enjoyed the LM ride well enough but that fact makes me absolutely cringe as Forbidden Journey is lightyears ahead of it.The entire Wizarding World was done for 200 to 250 million with FJ said to be around 100 million of that... Mermaid is said to have cost as must as or slightly more than FJ... and in my opinion, a total waste of money... Mermaid, while not completely horrible, some scenes are well done and Ursula's AA is pretty cool, the ride itself lacks substance... It fails on telling the story... Seems like WDI just took the songs and tossed them into the ride without a cohesive flow... It is really not a ride I would ever desire to be on again...

[DizneyFreak2002]

I should have also mentioned this... I don't know if it is because of the new system or if the CM had no clue what he was doing, but I did online check in for BLT and SSR... When I arrived at BLT, one of the greeters asked me how she could help... Told her I did online check in, so I was just basically there to report in... She escorted me to the desk where the CM attempted to help me with my reservation... They had no record of me checking in online... I filled out my cell number, even a credit card number despite not setting up charging to the room... Not one piece of information was on the system... They had no record of me checking in online... I had to go through the entire process... Had to wait until 3 for a room to be ready for me... Frustrating...

However, at SSR, they had a record of me checking in online... My welcome packet was waiting for me.. Handed to me by the greeter.... Still had to see a desk CM to activate my SSR bands and check me out of BLT, otherwise the online check in saved me a lot of time with SSR.... Room was ready upon check in....

So it failed for one resort, worked for another...

[DizneyFreak2002]

And I forgot to talk about the Cast Members... I don't think I ever encountered a group of miserable people ever during any Disney trip... While there were a few bright spots, they were far between... the Jungle Cruise CMs were great... The resort greeters were very friendly and extremely helpful... I needed a cab one day, and they got one for me in no time...

However, the CM at the theme parks (excluding the JC) had attitudes... No one smiled, no one greeted you, no one said hi, and no one interacted... In previous trips, they always (or at least for the most part) said hello or smiled or interacted in a positive way... This year, they all seemed to be miserable... They seemed unhappy, as if they didn't want to work there... And this was at all 4 WDW theme parks... When not on the clock (or posting on WDW fan forums), they really let their hair down... The things you learn and hear about... Oh boy... LOL...

[Gregandmel]

Thank you for such an open and honest opinion of your recent trip. I feel you were very objective about everything you wrote! That being said - it makes me sad to see that this is the direction WDW has gone recently. Our past 2 trips were 2 of the most amazing and wonderful trips I have spent with my family - but that was with an early October and late April visit with the regular FP system in place. We knew how to use it and did so with gusto! We have been on the fence about returning with the upcoming changes. I wanted to see how it all played out before we spent our hard earned money on another trip. Our vacation dollars are not easy to come by so I want to make sure they are spent in the most enjoyable way possible. You highlighted exactly what I was thinking might happen as I have been reading the slow roll out of everything. I'm sure the CM's attitudes are largely based on some negativity they are continually hearing from guests on the new system happening.

That being said - we are choosing to spend our vacation $$ on Universal Studios next summer. We have never been and my family has been pushing to visit that theme park for a while. We have also been on the fence about trying to plan a day trip to Magic Kingdom while we are there but I believe that we will now skip it. Too many unknowns about getting a ticket the "day of" without the ability to get a FP+ for our favorites. AND - we are visiting in the summer when the heat & crowds will add to the level of stress....and we don't own a smartphone.

I have no doubt we will return to WDW at some point - too many wonderful memories for me but I don't want it to be ruined as they roll out this new system of reservations, magic bands and FP+. Again - thank you for your level of detail and honest opinions. I will keep the magic memories I have for now and visit other areas of Orlando in the meantime. I haven't given up on WDW - just choosing "for now" to visit other areas while they get a better handle on the flow of things. You did a wonderful job!:thumbsup:

[Jared]

Stopped reading after Living with the Land. ;)

[DizneyFreak2002]

Thank you for such an open and honest opinion of your recent trip. I feel you were very objective about everything you wrote! That being said - it makes me sad to see that this is the direction WDW has gone recently. Our past 2 trips were 2 of the most amazing and wonderful trips I have spent with my family - but that was with an early October and late April visit with the regular FP system in place. We knew how to use it and did so with gusto! We have been on the fence about returning with the upcoming changes. I wanted to see how it all played out before we spent our hard earned money on another trip. Our vacation dollars are not easy to come by so I want to make sure they are spent in the most enjoyable way possible. You highlighted exactly what I was thinking might happen as I have been reading the slow roll out of everything. I'm sure the CM's attitudes are largely based on some negativity they are continually hearing from guests on the new system happening.

Thank you for taking the time out to read... I know it was a lot LOL... Like I said before, i try to be objective.. I stopped wearing pixie dusted glasses a long time ago... But I also put away that "doom and gloom" hat... After changing my plans and making them with my brother, I began to get really excited about the trip, despite not wanting to go to WDW... I am glad I did... I did have a good time even though we ran into some hiccups...



That being said - we are choosing to spend our vacation $$ on Universal Studios next summer. We have never been and my family has been pushing to visit that theme park for a while. We have also been on the fence about trying to plan a day trip to Magic Kingdom while we are there but I believe that we will now skip it. Too many unknowns about getting a ticket the "day of" without the ability to get a FP+ for our favorites. AND - we are visiting in the summer when the heat & crowds will add to the level of stress....and we don't own a smartphone. I don't think you'll regret it... Just a word of advice: Go to Universal without comparing everything to Disney, or thinking it is Disney... It isn't... But it is still fun and truly an up and coming resort destination... In 10 years, the parks will be different...



I have no doubt we will return to WDW at some point - too many wonderful memories for me but I don't want it to be ruined as they roll out this new system of reservations, magic bands and FP+. Again - thank you for your level of detail and honest opinions. I will keep the magic memories I have for now and visit other areas of Orlando in the meantime. I haven't given up on WDW - just choosing "for now" to visit other areas while they get a better handle on the flow of things. You did a wonderful job!:thumbsup:Again, thank you for the kind words... I have given up on WDW... For now... I do think the parks, even though stale and now a massive headache just to plan, are still fun... But the vacation planning is now just crazy, and you are no longer a valued guest... You are now treated as just a wallet or an ATM machine... While they never cared about you before, they at least faked it very good... Now, there is no faking... They just don't care...

This trip did not change my feelings.. They need to win me over again... I don't like the FP+ system, but I'll use it and get used to it... And the magic bands weren't and aren't a breaking point... They worked as intended, though I don't see how these made anything easier... I do have to laugh when people say "Now we don't have to take out KttW card out of our pocket." I never thought that was such a hassle to so many LOL...

Ohhh one thing DOLE WHIPS!!!! That is all...


Stopped reading after Living with the Land. ;)

I know, you read how I too love LwtL and you went off into dream land :) lol... I gave ya kudos for sending me to the Be Our Guest FP site too... Was well worth it :thumbsup: Thanks for that!

[JerseyDad]

And I forgot to talk about the Cast Members... I don't think I ever encountered a group of miserable people ever during any Disney trip... While there were a few bright spots, they were far between... the Jungle Cruise CMs were great... The resort greeters were very friendly and extremely helpful... I needed a cab one day, and they got one for me in no time...

However, the CM at the theme parks (excluding the JC) had attitudes... No one smiled, no one greeted you, no one said hi, and no one interacted... In previous trips, they always (or at least for the most part) said hello or smiled or interacted in a positive way... This year, they all seemed to be miserable... They seemed unhappy, as if they didn't want to work there... And this was at all 4 WDW theme parks... When not on the clock (or posting on WDW fan forums), they really let their hair down... The things you learn and hear about... Oh boy... LOL...


....ditto ditto ditto on the attitudes of the CM's. We were there last week of August ...and the "long" faces and attitude started the second we got to the resort check-in counter (POP). CM there was full of p!ss & vinegar attitude ...didn't care one bit to help with room location (as requested many times) ...refused to get a supervisor to see if they could work things out ....and even continued with attitude when dealing with the room-fridge fiasco and the $15/night credit. Same attitude seen through all the parks ....

....so it wasn't just me (as confirmed by your report) and was also confirmed by my oldest daughter ...who has friends that are CM's (in parks, and one is a lifeguard at WL) ...and another that's an 'imagineer' in the art department. They all confirmed to her that there is a substantial decrease in morale ...all across the board. CM's in parks not happy about hours ....revised shifts ....decreased shifts ...added workload. I saw it too with CM's that are LONGTIME cashiers at the POP food court ...one of which we have seen there for the past 7 years. The usual smile, happy greeting ...and small talk chit-chat (she's from our area) ...we noticeably absent.

....and ...when the bartender at Petals tells us the same type of story ...you know that something is amiss.

....I'm currently working on a letter to Disney to express my complete displeasure with this past trip ......and that's something that I honestly can say I would NEVER have thought I'd need or want to do.

[marlyn]

Thank you for such a thorough report! I'm hoping all the glitches are gone by my trip in August!

One question....they have fast pass for Be Our Guest? Did I misunderstand that? Isn't this a restaurant?

[faline]

One question....they have fast pass for Be Our Guest? Did I misunderstand that? Isn't this a restaurant?

They were testing fast pass luncheon reservations - not sure where things stand with this now.

[marlyn]

They were testing fast pass luncheon reservations - not sure where things stand with this now.

Seriously? So would that use up one of the three you are allowed? I would never use a FP for dining over an attraction....

If I could use FP for dining without taking away from how many I was allowed for attractions, then I would do it. Seems crazy to me....but then waiting 60 min to get QS lunch at Be Our Guest also seems crazy.

[Jared]

Seriously? So would that use up one of the three you are allowed? I would never use a FP for dining over an attraction....

If I could use FP for dining without taking away from how many I was allowed for attractions, then I would do it. Seems crazy to me....but then waiting 60 min to get QS lunch at Be Our Guest also seems crazy.
The Be Our Guest Fastpass+ isn't connected to the rest of the system. You don't lose an attraction entitlement if you take advantage of it.

[marlyn]

The Be Our Guest Fastpass+ isn't connected to the rest of the system. You don't lose an attraction entitlement if you take advantage of it.

Hmmmm, interesting. Well I would consider that if it is still offered in August. I would like to eat there at lunch so I could see it. Don't care about dinner as I don't believe it is worth the cost.

[DizneyFreak2002]

....ditto ditto ditto on the attitudes of the CM's. We were there last week of August ...and the "long" faces and attitude started the second we got to the resort check-in counter (POP). CM there was full of p!ss & vinegar attitude ...didn't care one bit to help with room location (as requested many times) ...refused to get a supervisor to see if they could work things out ....and even continued with attitude when dealing with the room-fridge fiasco and the $15/night credit. Same attitude seen through all the parks ....

....so it wasn't just me (as confirmed by your report) and was also confirmed by my oldest daughter ...who has friends that are CM's (in parks, and one is a lifeguard at WL) ...and another that's an 'imagineer' in the art department. They all confirmed to her that there is a substantial decrease in morale ...all across the board. CM's in parks not happy about hours ....revised shifts ....decreased shifts ...added workload. I saw it too with CM's that are LONGTIME cashiers at the POP food court ...one of which we have seen there for the past 7 years. The usual smile, happy greeting ...and small talk chit-chat (she's from our area) ...we noticeably absent.

....and ...when the bartender at Petals tells us the same type of story ...you know that something is amiss.

....I'm currently working on a letter to Disney to express my complete displeasure with this past trip ......and that's something that I honestly can say I would NEVER have thought I'd need or want to do.

I won't be writing a letter to Disney, though maybe I should... I never did before, but there is always a first time for everything... As for the CMs, some that I met this trip have stated they very frustrated with the way management is treating them, how they are being fed to the dogs with this NextGen nonsense, and the Guest Relations CMs have excessive stress dealing with a really P.O.'d public.... Plus, they get no support from management... Morale is low... They also know, once this tracking of guests really gets into the flow of things, they will start seeing decreased hours because less CMs will be needed... Guest Relations CMs are looking to leave their positions, and are being stopped... Disney has even gone to more extreme measures regarding CMs posting on fan sites... So, if you read a Cm posting positive information about this failed program, they are either doing it cause they are being watched and are scared to speak the truth, or are being paid by Disney to spread false positive information to counter act the truthful negative news...


Thank you for such a thorough report! I'm hoping all the glitches are gone by my trip in August!

One question....they have fast pass for Be Our Guest? Did I misunderstand that? Isn't this a restaurant?

Yes, you read it correctly... They offer FP for Be Our Guest... There is a special website you can use to sign up... People were receiving emails inviting them to FP testing, but the link has been placed out there to the public... I was not invited, but still was able to use it...


Seriously? So would that use up one of the three you are allowed? I would never use a FP for dining over an attraction....

If I could use FP for dining without taking away from how many I was allowed for attractions, then I would do it. Seems crazy to me....but then waiting 60 min to get QS lunch at Be Our Guest also seems crazy.

As others have said, the FP for Be Our Guest did not count against the three attractions/experiences choices... In the future, who knows? I do understand that if testing for FP at Be Our Guest is successful, that choosing a restaurant FP will start counting against your three... But that has not been confirmed, and if happens, won't happen for a while...


Hmmmm, interesting. Well I would consider that if it is still offered in August. I would like to eat there at lunch so I could see it. Don't care about dinner as I don't believe it is worth the cost.

If the FP is still offered in August, I recommend using it... But only if it does not count against your other choices... I would never wait 60 minutes for Be Our Guest, or anything really... Nothing is worth that wait... But if you could FP BOG, then do it... The place is well themed and the food was good... But not so much where I'd wait 60 minutes... It isn't that good LOL...

[marlyn]

I find it sad that the CM are not happy and feel they are not being treated well by management. I wonder how Walt feels about this if he is looking down on things? Wasn't his philosophy such that if you treat your employees well, then they treat the public well....It was Disney's key to success wasn't it? Happy employees = happy public =success in the company= $$$
It would do the company well to remember this simple business philosophy.

[MrPeetrie]

DizneyFreak2002, thank you for a very thorough and objective review of your stay. I've been following your posts here for a while and I was anticipating your impressions.

Regarding FastPass+ on unnecessary rides (POTC, Haunted Mansion), you confirmed my fears. FastPass+ exacerbates wait times unnecessarily on these rides. They can handle a tremendous ride-through volume and do not need FastPass+ during normal seasons. (Maybe during the busiest of season, but not in October / November).

I am truly sad for CMs. It appears an undue stress is being placed upon them. And the shame is: Walt Disney World's original system was the best in the business -- FOR FREE!!!!!!!!!

[Jared]

Hmmmm, interesting. Well I would consider that if it is still offered in August. I would like to eat there at lunch so I could see it. Don't care about dinner as I don't believe it is worth the cost.
I wouldn't go to Be Our Guest without a Fastpass at this point. The line outside is absurdly long. I waited the soon after it opened because I really wanted to experience the new restaurant. But now that I've eateh there three times over the past year, I can't bring myself to wait an hour for lunch.

[marlyn]

I wouldn't go to Be Our Guest without a Fastpass at this point. The line outside is absurdly long. I waited the soon after it opened because I really wanted to experience the new restaurant. But now that I've eateh there three times over the past year, I can't bring myself to wait an hour for lunch.

Maybe the novelty of it will wear off by August.....Bah, who am I kidding. I used to think the novelty would wear off Toy Story Midway Mania as well :confused:

[Altair]

I predict a great big price increase in the near future, once they run off all the day guests. :(

[rkmemkc]

And I forgot to talk about the Cast Members... I don't think I ever encountered a group of miserable people ever during any Disney trip..

BTW, thank you for your reports! Awesome, honest and fair.

I have to agree with some CM's attitudes, :ack:.
Getting on the TTA yesterday, dressed in our Ravens jerseys with my DD (10) the CM said, "Ravens ****, go Steelers."

Now, I can handle friendly competition about my team and I respect Steeler fans but I don't need negative opinions from my friendly neighborhood CMs with my daughter right next to me....c'mon man! :thumbsup:

[Jared]

BTW, thank you for your reports! Awesome, honest and fair.

I have to agree with some CM's attitudes, :ack:.
Getting on the TTA yesterday, dressed in our Ravens jerseys with my DD (10) the CM said, "Ravens ****, go Steelers."

Now, I can handle friendly competition about my team and I respect Steeler fans but I don't need negative opinions from my friendly neighborhood CMs with my daughter right next to me....c'mon man! :thumbsup:
A Cast Member said "s uck" to a guest with a small child nearby" Wow.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Thanks for the comments... There are a few of you I do want to respond to, but will do that later, need to run for a bit... I do want t mention one thing (I forgot to mention this before, and as I remember small little things, I'll update)...

A lot of us complained about Starbucks coming to the parks... Some complained because they thought there would be a visual intrusion, some because the Bakery was going away for Starbucks, others cause Starbucks coffee is horrible...

I complained because I hate Starbucks coffee and hated the loss of the bakery... but I never thought it would be a visual intrusion... and it isn't... You wouldn't even know Starbucks was there if you didn't look specifically for the small sign... And in Epcot, Fountainview is still Fountainview, just with a much more futuristic looking facade... Kept the name... Wouldn't even know it was a Starbucks... So far they have been very well done and blend in nicely... Still can't stand the coffee though.. Burnt mud... :ack:

[AgentC]

I wouldn't go to Be Our Guest without a Fastpass at this point. The line outside is absurdly long. I waited the soon after it opened because I really wanted to experience the new restaurant. But now that I've eateh there three times over the past year, I can't bring myself to wait an hour for lunch.

Agreed. I've eaten there twice. I enjoyed it but probably wouldn't wait again. My husband and I waited 30 minutes in mid October.


BTW, thank you for your reports! Awesome, honest and fair.

I have to agree with some CM's attitudes, :ack:.
Getting on the TTA yesterday, dressed in our Ravens jerseys with my DD (10) the CM said, "Ravens ****, go Steelers."

Now, I can handle friendly competition about my team and I respect Steeler fans but I don't need negative opinions from my friendly neighborhood CMs with my daughter right next to me....c'mon man! :thumbsup:

It's funny because I haven't had that experience with cast members at all and I've visited twice this September and twice this October. I am not doubting anyone's experience. I'm just amazed how inconsistent the the cast member / guest experience is. On our last trips we had several above average experiences.

In September a cast member at a store sprinkled "pixie dust" on my daughter's head to help "protect" her in the Haunted Mansion. In October we were in line to get a new pack of SotMK cards and the line was long. A cast member recommended we go to the other site to get them because the line there would be shorter but he said because of an upgrade we might need to play before we could get new cards. He took my card, checked for me and then told me the location I had to play before getting new cards, so I wouldn't waste my time in line.

I did come across some cast members who were not overly enthusiastic but no one who was rude to me.

[AgentC]

Wouldn't even know it was a Starbucks... So far they have been very well done and blend in nicely... Still can't stand the coffee though.. Burnt mud... :ack:

I keep the the non coffee refreshers. Much yummier. :thumbsup:

[thejens]

Thanks for your excellent objective report.

I figure that if I want Starbucks I'll just stop on my way to work. No need to go t WDW

[Jared]

I've seen both Starbucks locations in person and don't have any problem with them. I'm not a coffee drinker, but I recognize that for many guests, this is a major improvement from what was offered previously.

I thought I would lament the loss of the "real" Main Street Bakery, but it turns out I don't. The aesthetics of the place still work. That ultimately is all I care about.

The new Fountain View looks awesome.

[TheVBs]

Wow! Thanks for putting in the time and effort to give us such a detailed.... um..... non-report. ;) :mickey: It was a very interesting read and I appreciate that you shared your experiences. I do think you should write that letter. I can certainly understand why you would be hesitant to make the effort, but I think it's important that Disney knows why they're losing someone's business.

[waymickey]

FASTPASS PLUS

MAGIC BANDS
For the first few hours of wearing them, I had no issues or complaints... other than the awkward turning of the wrist at the FP or gate entrance turn styles... By late afternoon/early evening, they became annoying... Easy fix: remove from your wrist... They worked just fine, for the most part, for entering the room or theme parks or fast pass lines... We did run into one issue but it was easily corrected... I was told at Bay Lake I did not have to check out, just leave... So, I did and went to SSR... The CM at SSR informed me I was supposed to check out at Bay Lake so they could deactivate my BLT bands and SSR could activate my SSR bands... Hassle if you ask me.. Easily solved: ONE SET OF BANDS!!! But no, we needed two... So, I had to get my SSR bands from the car and have the CM check me out of BLT (from SSR which was pretty nifty!!) and then activate my new bands... Once they did that, everything worked just fine... Like I said, one issue which was easily fixed...

I'll add this here since this does fit with magic bands... As I and a few others stated previously, and again, shouted down, Disney WILL BE tracking you... They have long range and short range readers... Short range examples are your door, FP+ turn styles, park entrance turn styles, or the pay at the register readers... They have long range too... And yes, Disney will know when Dizneyfreak enters Emporium or World of Disney or Gaston's Tavern even before I purchase anything... Before, the only way they knew where you were is by you using your KTTW card as a credit card... they the information registered back that Dizneyfreak was at Emporium... Now, you no longer have to make a purchase... Just entering they will know... I know some people think the tracking is no big deal... But others do have a problem with it... And Disney is not being honest about it... At least Google tells you they are tracking you... Disney doesn't...

What Disney does with the info they gain is the problem, I feel... Disney will be creating (yes I know they already have one) a database on their guests... They will compile information regarding your spending habits (where you spend your time and money and on what)... If you are a big spender, Disney will look to squeeze even more out of you... if you are a not a big spender, don't look for Disney to try to get one more cent from you... You are more of a liability then someone they see dollar signs in, and someone they prefer not to visit the parks.. yes, I know it sounds like a stupid idea, but this is what it is...

So if I don't spend much in the parks other than food, Disney is going to look at me as a liability? Do they consider how much was already spent on the resort?
Do they also track you in your room? .."Waymickey just walked into the bathroom boy she is in there a long time. She is not spending money turn off the hot water !" lol
Or do they see that I am waiting at the bus stop forever waiting for the MK bus and will they send out another bus to get me to the park so I can spend big $$$$$$? Or since I am not a big spender will they slow that bus down..:thedolls:

[JerseyDad]

So if I don't spend much in the parks other than food, Disney is going to look at me as a liability? Do they consider how much was already spent on the resort?
Do they also track you in your room? .."Waymickey just walked into the bathroom boy she is in there a long time. She is not spending money turn off the hot water !" lol
Or do they see that I am waiting at the bus stop forever waiting for the MK bus and will they send out another bus to get me to the park so I can spend big $$$$$$? Or since I am not a big spender will they slow that bus down..:thedolls:

......to all of the above ....I'd say yes ...but maybe not the bathroom thing. Though ...there is a motion sensor on your room thermostat ...so there is a potential for some kind of spying :D

[rkmemkc]

A Cast Member said "s uck" to a guest with a small child nearby" Wow.

Yes he did! :thedolls:

[DizneyFreak2002]

I wanted to respond to a few, so forgive me for this long post...


Regarding FastPass+ on unnecessary rides (POTC, Haunted Mansion), you confirmed my fears. FastPass+ exacerbates wait times unnecessarily on these rides. They can handle a tremendous ride-through volume and do not need FastPass+ during normal seasons. (Maybe during the busiest of season, but not in October / November).


Thank you for reading and following... I went into this trip with an open mind, and as I said, a goal to make sure my brother and I had fun... and we did... I just happen to be looking at the bigger picture, not a narrow view... FP+ has caused a ton of bad feelings from guests towards WDW... As for the lines, well, I still want to know where these huge crowds were... The crowds were no larger than normal in October... So there was no reason for Pirates or HM to be 45 minutes... None... Remove FP from these two rides, and wait times will shrink...


I wouldn't go to Be Our Guest without a Fastpass at this point. The line outside is absurdly long. I waited the soon after it opened because I really wanted to experience the new restaurant. But now that I've eateh there three times over the past year, I can't bring myself to wait an hour for lunch.

I would agree with Jared here... No way I would do BoG again without FP... While the restaurant is well themed, the food is good but not great... Not worth an hour wait... But in reality, nothing is worth an hour wait... I wanted to experience it, I did... Now, if I can FP it, maybe I'll eat there again... If not, then no skin off my back if I don't dine there...


Maybe the novelty of it will wear off by August.....Bah, who am I kidding. I used to think the novelty would wear off Toy Story Midway Mania as well :confused:

The novelty will wear off, but I don't think the line will slow down until end of 2014, 2015... Remember, 7D opens next year... People will still be visiting the new Fantasyland area, and wait times for BoG will stay long for the foreseeable future...


I predict a great big price increase in the near future, once they run off all the day guests. :(

That's like predicting snow in the winter in Canada... We know it will happen, just a matter how how much... LOL...



I have to agree with some CM's attitudes, :ack:.
Getting on the TTA yesterday, dressed in our Ravens jerseys with my DD (10) the CM said, "Ravens ****, go Steelers."



I never understood why Cast Members or Universal's Team Members had to mock any shirt a guest was wearing... I can understand liking the shirt, engaging in conversation, but mocking the guest? That's childish behavior... Remember when Disney fans used to bash Universal employees for mocking Disney shirts? Now Disney CMs do the same thing... It is not in fun and games... it is childish, immature, and honestly, trashy... I felt that way when I had a fight with a Universal Guest Services manager when she mocked my Pirates of the Caribbean jersey several years ago (BTW, not one Universal TM mocked or made fun of me wearing a Disney shirt to the parks this year)... This year, when I went to Epcot on my final day, I was mocked and teased for wearing my Universal tee shirt... I let it go in one ear and out the other... Want to know why? When you are scared and getting your brains beat in by the competition, the only thing you can do is make fun of them and their fans... WDW is now in that position...


It's funny because I haven't had that experience with cast members at all and I've visited twice this September and twice this October. I am not doubting anyone's experience. I'm just amazed how inconsistent the the cast member / guest experience is. On our last trips we had several above average experiences.


I don't doubt your experiences, but what you describe has become the exception, not the rule... I had friends come back from trips, just this week actually, and they said the same thing.. CMs were miserable and rude... Not saying there weren't a few good CMs, there were... But they were very few and far between... I can remember counting on 1 hand how many unhappy CMs I would meet... This year, I could count on 1 hand how many good CMs I met...


The new Fountain View looks awesome.

And again I agree with Jared... Actually, Fountainview in Epcot looks great... So much better than before...

BTW, Joffery's coffee is just as bad as Starbucks... Made a pot one night in the room, and tossed it right out.. Went to Walmart and bought Dunkin Donuts coffee... HMMMM finally, good coffee in WDW.. :)


Wow! Thanks for putting in the time and effort to give us such a detailed.... um..... non-report. ;) :mickey: It was a very interesting read and I appreciate that you shared your experiences. I do think you should write that letter. I can certainly understand why you would be hesitant to make the effort, but I think it's important that Disney knows why they're losing someone's business.

It is a waste of time... I know many people who write to Disney complaining just to get freebies from them... And Guest Relations loves to hand them out... I don't look for freebies... The only complaint I ever lodged was with Universal several years ago... I'll tell the story one day but over in the Universal thread... Led me to cancelling my Annual Pass... When I got home, I called and lodged the same complaint... A manager got on the phone and offered me two free park hopper passes for my next trip... I wasn't going to accept them, but in 2009 I did... And I saw a major turn around in the Universal parks... led me to buy tickets in 2011 and 2013, and now considering buying the Universal AP again...

But even if I do write the letter, they won't care... Why? Cause they will replace me with a family of 4 going for their first time, in a heartbeat... And the fact I am a DVC member won't matter either... They already treat us like dirt... Cause they already have our money... But who knows? Maybe I'll write one just to see what kind of response they give me...


So if I don't spend much in the parks other than food, Disney is going to look at me as a liability? Do they consider how much was already spent on the resort?
Do they also track you in your room? .."Waymickey just walked into the bathroom boy she is in there a long time. She is not spending money turn off the hot water !" lol
Or do they see that I am waiting at the bus stop forever waiting for the MK bus and will they send out another bus to get me to the park so I can spend big $$$$$$? Or since I am not a big spender will they slow that bus down..:thedolls:

Let me see if I can explain this a little better... You know how companies have rewards programs? Spend more, get more? Well WDW will kind of become the same way... Now, some could argue they already do that... Stay in a deluxe (spending more for your room), you get more than someone staying in Pop Century... While true, it isn't the rule... Everyone, no matter where they stay, gets the same treatment in the parks... Everyone has access to free dining or discounted rooms (mostly)... This new program will not reward low spenders... At least, it isn't designed to, which I think is a waste of the program... Guests spending thousands on hotel rooms (staying in deluxe hotels) may get codes for free nights or discounts... Those spending a lot on merchandise may get coupons for discounts on tee shirts or plushes... Those spending big on dining may get free dining offers... To me, that doesn't make sense... WDW is already getting their money.. But they want more of it... waymickey, who may not buy much merchandise, may actually be costing WDW more then making from him/her... waymickey may not get that free dining offer, or a discounted hotel stay... why reward you? That is their feeling...

Now, what I would do is opposite... You know you are getting the high spenders' money anyway... Target the low spender... Target waymickey who may only spend $500 on merchandise... Send him/her a text with a coupon code for 15% off a tee shirt while he/she is standing in Emporium... Maybe he or she will now buy that shirt when before, he or she wouldn't... So, waymickey only stays at value resorts? Let's send him or her a discounted stay at a moderate hotel, with a possible upgrade to a deluxe, again with a discount... Now waymickey is spending a bit more on hotel stays, while getting a sense of value (even though no WDW resort is worth the price they charge)...

As for the tracking, no I don't believe they are or legally can track you in your room... But they will know when you are in your room, just like they do now... The tracking will be done on property (in the parks, DTD, etc)... But not in your hotel room... And again, no evil intentions behind it, but when you look at the over all picture, people will wind up hurt.. mostly CMs who will no doubt lose their jobs... Better crowd control means less CMs needed, means less CM jobs... WDW really is the only one who benefits from this program, even though some Disney fans actually and falsely think this is a guest benefit.. It isn't...

Ya know, the buses are a good place to start with this tracking nonsense...While I had no issues with the buses this trip, there were plenty of trips in the past where the bus service was unreliable... With RFID, they should be able to determine how many people are waiting for resort or park buses and send out as many buses as needed to keep up with the passenger demand... Technically, they should be doing that now, but no one will ever accuse WDW management of having any clue about resort guest demand LOL...

[waymickey]

Let me see if I can explain this a little better... You know how companies have rewards programs? Spend more, get more? Well WDW will kind of become the same way... Now, some could argue they already do that... Stay in a deluxe (spending more for your room), you get more than someone staying in Pop Century... While true, it isn't the rule... Everyone, no matter where they stay, gets the same treatment in the parks... Everyone has access to free dining or discounted rooms (mostly)... This new program will not reward low spenders... At least, it isn't designed to, which I think is a waste of the program... Guests spending thousands on hotel rooms (staying in deluxe hotels) may get codes for free nights or discounts... Those spending a lot on merchandise may get coupons for discounts on tee shirts or plushes... Those spending big on dining may get free dining offers... To me, that doesn't make sense... WDW is already getting their money.. But they want more of it... waymickey, who may not buy much merchandise, may actually be costing WDW more then making from him/her... waymickey may not get that free dining offer, or a discounted hotel stay... why reward you? That is their feeling...

Now, what I would do is opposite... You know you are getting the high spenders' money anyway... Target the low spender... Target waymickey who may only spend $500 on merchandise... Send him/her a text with a coupon code for 15% off a tee shirt while he/she is standing in Emporium... Maybe he or she will now buy that shirt when before, he or she wouldn't... So, waymickey only stays at value resorts? Let's send him or her a discounted stay at a moderate hotel, with a possible upgrade to a deluxe, again with a discount... Now waymickey is spending a bit more on hotel stays, while getting a sense of value (even though no WDW resort is worth the price they charge)...

As for the tracking, no I don't believe they are or legally can track you in your room... But they will know when you are in your room, just like they do now... The tracking will be done on property (in the parks, DTD, etc)... But not in your hotel room... And again, no evil intentions behind it, but when you look at the over all picture, people will wind up hurt.. mostly CMs who will no doubt lose their jobs... Better crowd control means less CMs needed, means less CM jobs... WDW really is the only one who benefits from this program, even though some Disney fans actually and falsely think this is a guest benefit.. It isn't...

Ya know, the buses are a good place to start with this tracking nonsense...While I had no issues with the buses this trip, there were plenty of trips in the past where the bus service was unreliable... With RFID, they should be able to determine how many people are waiting for resort or park buses and send out as many buses as needed to keep up with the passenger demand... Technically, they should be doing that now, but no one will ever accuse WDW management of having any clue about resort guest demand LOL...

I like your idea of sending texts to guests who are in a gift shop or maybe a restuarant. This would work on me. I probably would be more likely to buy a t-shirt if I got 20% off text while standing in the store. I would be more likely spend more on food too if I got some kind of discount close to dinner time. As it is right now I eat off the kids menu whenever possible. It is enough food for me and a bit cheaper.

I really wish they would use the tracking for buses. I usually have no problems but my last trip bus service was so horrible that I did not bother going to the park my last night there. I just could not bear waiting for the bus again , on either end.

[DizneyFreak2002]

I like your idea of sending texts to guests who are in a gift shop or maybe a restuarant. This would work on me. I probably would be more likely to buy a t-shirt if I got 20% off text while standing in the store. I would be more likely spend more on food too if I got some kind of discount close to dinner time. As it is right now I eat off the kids menu whenever possible. It is enough food for me and a bit cheaper.

And this may wind up the way they go... I really don't think they know what they are going to wind up with or how they will ultimately run the program... They are still making changes on the fly with everything... When all is finally up and running, maybe better business sense prevails... Honestly, that is the only way this program will work and increase guest spending... Which is what this program is all about... Milking more money out of guests to force guests to increase spending...

[DizneyFreak2002]

OK, here is one for ya to chew on regarding the trashy guests I encountered...

One night, walking through World of Disney, I encountered something I never encountered anywhere before..

I was in one of the tee shirt sections, right by where the boys toys are, looking at one of the Grumpy tee shirts, when I thought I saw a female remove her top... I thought my eyes were deceiving me, so I turned and looked again... And I saw what I thought I saw.. a female removed her shirt and tried on a Monsters Inc hoody... She was standing there, in just her bra, in front of families with children... I was in shock... I walked away in disbelief...

after meeting up with my brother, and walking back to the tee shirt section I was just in, we came across her again... This time she was with some other guy, maybe her brother I don't know... She had on her shirt, but proceeded to take it off again to try on more Disney shirts... She would try them on, take them off, hang them back up, and try on more... While standing there, in her bra, again, in front of other guests... The girl appeared to be a teenager... That point, I was so shocked, I went over to a CM and reported what I just witnessed... The CM looked to be shocked by what I told her... She said she would go get a manager, but I didn't stay around long enough to notice what occurred... Probably nothing...

I know people want to emulate the white trash of Honey Boo Boo, but to go topless in a store full of young children when they have dressing rooms only a few feet from where you are standing? Humanity has hit new lows...

[tiggerbuddy]

I totally agree !!!!:thumbsup:

Spaceship Earth needs to have a true ending... That descent back to earth is just lazy and shoddy work... And Judy Dench needs to go... Her voice is so monotone it puts me to sleep... The script she reads from is one a 5 year old could write... No one can beat Jeremy Irons in my opinion...

[stephicakes]

DF – thanks so much for your detailed report! I always enjoy reading your posts and yours are one of the few that literally have me laughing out loud now and again. :D I do like it when you take off your “doom and gloom hat” – your witty dry sense of humor gets me smiling. Great job on the report!!


THEME PARKS/ATTRACTIONS
Living With the Land: Jared would love to read this... LwtL is a gem.... A gem which gets no appreciation.... May not have much too it, but still, there is something about it which makes it a must ride... kind of like the TTA/Peoplemover...

Agree 100%! If I wasn’t such a tough girl I would probably could cry every time I get on these two rides. If I could just please get a pillow and close my eyes for a nap on either one of these for a continuous loop – I would be in my Happy Place…


Disney's Hollywood Studios
TSMM: I don't see why this ride is such a big deal... Maybe cause it really is one of the only family friendly rides the park offers... But even still, there is no reason for FP to be gone by 9:15 to 9:30 every day... So, those saying you love FP+ cause you no longer have to run for a FP, well, some people still do... So, looking at it objectively (not selfishly), FP+ does not solve the problem but creates bigger ones...

Yep, agree here too. This is a “must do” for DH but I really could leave it. I enjoy the music and ambiance of the queue and it brings me right back to the movies, but the ride… MEH. I have the Wii game at home and it has the same effect on me – once in a while it’s ok for a few minutes, but otherwise it stays in the box. I guess if I had little ones I may look at the ride differently…



A lot of us complained about Starbucks coming to the parks... Some complained because they thought there would be a visual intrusion, some because the Bakery was going away for Starbucks, others cause Starbucks coffee is horrible...

I complained because I hate Starbucks coffee and hated the loss of the bakery... but I never thought it would be a visual intrusion... and it isn't... You wouldn't even know Starbucks was there if you didn't look specifically for the small sign... And in Epcot, Fountainview is still Fountainview, just with a much more futuristic looking facade... Kept the name... Wouldn't even know it was a Starbucks... So far they have been very well done and blend in nicely... Still can't stand the coffee though.. Burnt mud... :ack:

Agree here too. I only visited the one in EPCOT and not on Main Street MK, but the appearance/façade didn’t bother me at all at either location. But… I make better coffee at home.


OK, here is one for ya to chew on regarding the trashy guests I encountered...

One night, walking through World of Disney, I encountered something I never encountered anywhere before..

I was in one of the tee shirt sections, right by where the boys toys are, looking at one of the Grumpy tee shirts, when I thought I saw a female remove her top... I thought my eyes were deceiving me, so I turned and looked again... And I saw what I thought I saw.. a female removed her shirt and tried on a Monsters Inc hoody... She was standing there, in just her bra, in front of families with children... I was in shock... I walked away in disbelief...

after meeting up with my brother, and walking back to the tee shirt section I was just in, we came across her again... This time she was with some other guy, maybe her brother I don't know... She had on her shirt, but proceeded to take it off again to try on more Disney shirts... She would try them on, take them off, hang them back up, and try on more... While standing there, in her bra, again, in front of other guests... The girl appeared to be a teenager... That point, I was so shocked, I went over to a CM and reported what I just witnessed... The CM looked to be shocked by what I told her... She said she would go get a manager, but I didn't stay around long enough to notice what occurred... Probably nothing...

I know people want to emulate the white trash of Honey Boo Boo, but to go topless in a store full of young children when they have dressing rooms only a few feet from where you are standing? Humanity has hit new lows...

Ok... that's just GROSS... lol


Thanks again for reporting. Well done!
steph :)

[mickclub1955]

OK, here is one for ya to chew on regarding the trashy guests I encountered...

One night, walking through World of Disney, I encountered something I never encountered anywhere before..

I was in one of the tee shirt sections, right by where the boys toys are, looking at one of the Grumpy tee shirts, when I thought I saw a female remove her top... I thought my eyes were deceiving me, so I turned and looked again... And I saw what I thought I saw.. a female removed her shirt and tried on a Monsters Inc hoody... She was standing there, in just her bra, in front of families with children... I was in shock... I walked away in disbelief...

after meeting up with my brother, and walking back to the tee shirt section I was just in, we came across her again... This time she was with some other guy, maybe her brother I don't know... She had on her shirt, but proceeded to take it off again to try on more Disney shirts... She would try them on, take them off, hang them back up, and try on more... While standing there, in her bra, again, in front of other guests... The girl appeared to be a teenager... That point, I was so shocked, I went over to a CM and reported what I just witnessed... The CM looked to be shocked by what I told her... She said she would go get a manager, but I didn't stay around long enough to notice what occurred... Probably nothing...

I know people want to emulate the white trash of Honey Boo Boo, but to go topless in a store full of young children when they have dressing rooms only a few feet from where you are standing? Humanity has hit new lows...
Saw this our first trip to AK except it was a man in his underwear:blush:. It was in the clothing store in Africa across from Tusker House. My dad reported him. He was foreign and evidently this is what they do. He didn't understand why he couldn't try things on out in the store.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Saw this our first trip to AK except it was a man in his underwear:blush:. It was in the clothing store in Africa across from Tusker House. My dad reported him. He was foreign and evidently this is what they do. He didn't understand why he couldn't try things on out in the store.

That may have been part of the problem here... She wasn't America, that was for sure... She did speak a foreign language, couldn't tell what language she spoke... Then again, many Americans speak the language of their heritage, especially if they relocate to this country from another... I don't want to classify this girl incorrectly, but it is entirely possible she was a foreigner on vacation, and in her country removing your top in front of everyone to try on clothes may be acceptable...

[Tekneek]

We just came back from WDW. First big thing I noticed was seeing CMs eating, in guest areas, in full costume/uniform. Worse than that, they were often discussing backstage things and some were even talking disparagingly of guests amongst themselves. It really blew my mind and confirmed the trend we've been noticing over the years.

We found Disney transportation to be hit and miss. Good in the mornings, awful at night. Coming back from MNSSHP, I was holding a sleeping baby. A CM directed me away from the newly arrived, and empty, bus to a standing oom only bus. I told him I could not stand on the bus while holding a baby and he told me I would just have to wait for yet another bus. I waited at the MK bus stop for POR for over 1 hour holding a baby. Pretty amazingly awful guest service.

RnRC broke down while we were in the queue. A CM walked through telling everyone we would get a FP on the way out to come back. When we got to the exit, the CM there says, "Sorry, we're all out of fast passes." I would've feared for his life, if I had not been so appalled by his lack of customer service skills. I went to Guest Relations at DHS about that one. Apparently this CM should have asked us to wait while they got more FPs instead of shrugging and trying to get us to leave empty handed.

I agree that maintenance appeared to be on an upswing. Cleanliness was pretty good as well. Little details regarding "show" appear to be overlooked in lots of ways, but Joe Public may not be noticing or even care. General CM quality and guest service appear to be continuing negative trends. The older CMs appeared to be the better ones, but there were exceptions to this in both directions. I honestly believe the low quality CMs are not entirely to blame for their performance, because I bet they simply do not know they are bad (management problem).

[Daisy'sMom]

Interesting. I remember a time in the early nineties that we were very disenchanted with Disney. Parks were dirty, cms were crabby and uninformative, food was horrible, and most attractions broke down on a daily basis.
The past few times we have gone, we left saying we thought we had gone back in time. We left each time wondering if we were going to attempt another visit or let our passes expire.
It's sad to see others are seeing the same thing. Come on Disney, get with the program. You are better than this!

[Tekneek]

Parks were dirty, cms were crabby and uninformative, food was horrible, and most attractions broke down on a daily basis.


Some CMs were great, some were average, and some were horrible. The spread seems to be allowing for way more average ones and slightly more horrible ones than great. The really good ones stand out from the crowd. The really bad ones also stand out very obviously. There were some that were extremely unpleasant to be around. I understand being jaded, but guest facing roles simply should not be staffed by people who hate their jobs.