This just in: The Magic Kingdom is boring

[donnine]

We spend the least amount of time at MK on all our trips, we'll usually end up spending like 2 1/2 days on a two week vacation.

Definitely our least favorite, most hated park.

I can see why your location is At the Edge of Reason. That's just UNREASONABLE.

[donnine]

I can understand that taking kids for the 1st time at that age would result in that kind of response. I think, if you start taking the kids when they are younger, that the rides are not just entertainment but they become special because of the memories that go along with them. If you are looking for "Great America" type of rides, Disney is not the best place to go. You either understand the "Magic" or you don't. The "Magic" is why I keep going back. I imagine others feel the say way. The thrill rides are great but I would not miss any of the classics for anything.

I COULD NOT AGREE WITH YOU MORE!!!

[Tink#64]

It seems to me that I'm seeing a pattern here, the kids that are raised on WDW still love the magic as teens and older! We took DS's for their first time when they were 4 & 6, now after 6 trips, they still love it!

After visiting 3 years in a row, we started getting the question, "do we have to do this?"! At that point we started alternating years of WDW & beach vacations. This was supposed to be a beach year, until both DS's, 13 & 15, each said seperately, at different times, that they wished we were going to WDW this year! They said they missed it! So guess what, we arrive 3 weeks from tomorrow! Woo Hoo

We begin & end each trip with the MK! Epcot is favored park of myself & DH, both DS's fav's is DHS, with AK being our least favorite! But we still LOVE everything in MK with the exception of Astro Orbiters & Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse!

I firmly believe that WDW isn't for everyone, there are Disney people and there are muggles!

[figmagination]

I'm in the 10-16 age demographic, and I LOVE WDW. I'd go every year if I could. My mom got me into Intercot, and I'm now obsessed over Disney even more! Sounds like this family has been to Universal prior to the trip to Disney. Disney is the farthest thing from boring, especially MK. I've been going since I was tiny, and I'm so glad my family returns every 1-2 years. My brother, who is also a year younger than me, loves Disney. I don't think that Disney is unattractive to kids my age, it's quite fun. I recommend it to everyone.

[McLiberal8]

I want to chime in.

MK, I would say, is my 3rd favorite park. As much as I enjoy the nostalgia of the park, a majority of it seems outdated, to me.

I think I would have a different appreciation for it if I were older. I am 25 years old. I have had the privilege of growing up in a culture where technology (and the expansion of it) has gone into hyperdrive.

The downfall of this is that I have been raised seeing effects grow from animatronics on Jurassic Park to the visual glory of Avatar.

When I go on rides like Jungle Cruise or Splash Mountain, I am humbled by the impressiveness of the technology from the day those rides opened. But I can't enjoy it for much more than that. I don't think this means I have a bad imagination, I just think it means that my imagination hasn't had to work hard. Ever. And I expect more. And to some degree, I expect consistency. It is hard to go on an attraction like Philharmagic or Monsters Inc and then enjoy Pirates of the Caribbean on the same level.

I am in no way trying to badmouth older attractions, and really do highly appreciate them for their connections to Walt Disney. But I can't expect everyone my age or younger to have the same appreciation.

[WDWPrincess]

The Fantasyland expansion does not seem like it will help the issue of the Magic Kingdom's lack of "exciting" attractions for the pre-teen and teenager set. With the new Ariel attraction, they had an opportunity to make a ride that offered a bit more than a version of Snow White and Pooh in a clam shell. I would have hoped they would have brought back some 20,000 leagues creativity.

[tinka]

I have a 13 year old boy and a 16 year old girl. We have been several times, but the last time being 2009. When we asked the kids what they wanted to do for vacation this year, thinking they would say the beach or an island...they both want to go back to WDW. They both LOVE the MK and it is probably our favorite park. I guess it just depends on how the kids have grown up and been taught to use their imaginations!!

[jiminylover]

DD 13 and DS 11. We usually start our trip in the Magic Kingdom, but this time when we go we will be starting in Hollywood Studios because of Star Wars Weekends. My children are actually upset we are not going to MK first. But we can't do Star Wars WEEKENDS during the week, obviously.

[EeyoresBestFriend]

On our last trip, we were with a large group, mostly first timers.

Our day at MK, we get to the park at 10am and by 12:30pm my SIL takes her kids(nephew 6 & niece 4) back to the room because, and I quote, "THERE IS NOTHING FOR THE KIDS TO DO HERE"!!!

Are you kidding me?!?!?!? NEVER again . . . .

[ronandjulie]

We are locals and Annual passholders to WDW and Universal, and we always will be. The MK is boring but I love it. I know it's not fair to compare Universal to WDW but I do every time I visit. It appears to my family that Universal has heard the WDW complaints and is offering the solution. They are building bigger, better, more exciting, more relevant attractions that will attract everyone from teen to adult. They have a small section of IOA for the little ones, but that's clearly not their target audience. They have Harry Potter and people love it! Meanwhile, Disney is focusing all of their resources on Fantasyland. Fantasyland is going to be incredible, but it is for the really young children. WDW is always busy and the MK is always the busiest so I don't think WDW is too worried but many, many companies have lost business or closed in America because they rested on their past succceses and did not change with what the consumer wanted. It used to be that everyone came to Florida and just went to WDW. Then they came and went to WDW and also visited Universal for a day. How long until they come primarily to visit Universal and go to WDW for just a day or two? I don't think it's out of the question.

[ChipNDale79]

We are locals and Annual passholders to WDW and Universal, and we always will be. The MK is boring but I love it. I know it's not fair to compare Universal to WDW but I do every time I visit. It appears to my family that Universal has heard the WDW complaints and is offering the solution. They are building bigger, better, more exciting, more relevant attractions that will attract everyone from teen to adult. They have a small section of IOA for the little ones, but that's clearly not their target audience. They have Harry Potter and people love it! Meanwhile, Disney is focusing all of their resources on Fantasyland. Fantasyland is going to be incredible, but it is for the really young children. WDW is always busy and the MK is always the busiest so I don't think WDW is too worried but many, many companies have lost business or closed in America because they rested on their past succceses and did not change with what the consumer wanted. It used to be that everyone came to Florida and just went to WDW. Then they came and went to WDW and also visited Universal for a day. How long until they come primarily to visit Universal and go to WDW for just a day or two? I don't think it's out of the question.

I'll freely admit that it's been years since I've been to Universal nor am I all that familiar with booking a trip through them.

But speaking as someone who stays on property at WDW, WDW makes it very hard to leave their property. Typically if I go to Orlando I'm going to WDW for at least 4 days, a day at each park. I've thought about doing Universal on the remaining days, but do I spend the extra money to go to Universal, or do I pay just a few dollars more to stay at WDW?

The price difference between days at WDW really drops off afer 4-5 days. For example, with park hopper it only cost $7 more for an 8th day in a WDW park vs a 7th day.

I'd love to go to Universal,I just have a hard time justifying spending the extra money to go sometimes.

I've recently started reading the Harry Potter books (yeah i know, I'm years behind), but this very well could be the thing that pushes me over the edge to visit Universal. We'll see though.

[Brian McFan]

I think its a generational thing. Every year I tell friends I'm going to Disney, their usual first quip is "What are you like 10 years old?" Like most, I live a stress filled life. The "magic" of WDW in general and of the Magic Kingdom in particular is its instant ability to make you feel "10" years old again. This is no fluke. Its was the main intent of Mr. Disney himself, and the many Imagineers who followed this basic tenet after he passed. That's the magic folks. Don't fight it, embrace it. Many young people can't understand this just yet. Let life come to them and they'll understand. I can almost guarantee that.

[MonkeyBaby]

That's the magic folks. Don't fight it, embrace it. Many young people can't understand this just yet.

I think it's because society tries to grow our kids up too quickly. Maybe some kids look at their parents and think they have to grow up like them... either way it's sad. My girls know I am just a big kid at heart and they couldn't be happier at Magic Kingdom Maybe they cue in on my excitement, wonderment and overall awe everytime I step onto Mainstreet...

My eleven year old can't wait to get to MK... I take pride in that

-Dave

[TinkerbellT421]

Wow, I can't believe I have missed this thread!

Very interesting discussion, I enjoyed reading all the comments. And love the OP's description in her post, I couldn't agree more.

This topic brought me to a situation that happened at Test Track when we were there in January. We were behind a father with two sons, aged about 9 and 10, he turned to the sons in line and said "Okay, after this we are going to Magic Kingdom" and the kids started whinning "Dad, do we have to, I don't like that park!" the father said "You're going, and you're going to like it" which made me and DBF bust out laughing of course, and the father looked at us and said "They have been whinning the whole time about how there are no 'good rides'" while rolling his eyes, so he turns to them and says "And if you whine about it anymore we are going to sit in the Presidents show ALL DAY!" DBF looked at the kids and said "Be careful around here, you might actually learn something" and the father said "EXACTLY!!" so needless to say we had fun going back and forth with them throughout the line and in our car, they were with us.

This thread literally brought me back to that moment and me thinking to myself, how can these children not appreciate the magic and the value? How can they ONLY care about thrill rides. I don't get it, but I also don't have children and I am of the "old school" mentality with life, like what we have no to what we didn't have then. So, basically, is it because the children of this generation just have too much of the best? And cannot appreciate the "wow's of the past"? I personally think so.

[Stu29573]

As I have said on this thread before, my daughter is now 22 and the Magic Kingdom has always been her favorite park. Maybe it's because I explained what movies certain attractions came from, or what was going on in the world when something was designed (although I'm now a school counselor, I taught history for quite a while), but I don't really think so. I think its just because it suites her temperament better than thrill ride filled parks. So maybe that's the key. Different strokes for different folks!

[forever a child]

I firmly believe that WDW isn't for everyone, there are Disney people and there are muggles!

I can't believe this thread is still going!

[jwallace378]

I'm a 33 year old male and I still love MK. I loved it as a kid and even a teenager. Now, as an adult with my own wife and son, I walk into MK and leave the "real world" behind. I enjoy watching my son having the time of his life. Maybe I'm just nostalgic for my memories from my childhood in MK.

[ronandjulie]

I firmly believe that WDW isn't for everyone, there are Disney people and there are muggles!

So NOT true. I grew up Disney. I Love WDW. I always will. The MK will always be Magical to me and my family. We go to the MK at least 3-4 times a month and it never loses it's magic. That being said, we absolutely love Universal. It is an amazing place. faster pace, more energetic, way way way less strollers . The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is, in my opinion, the best themed area of ANY theme park I've ever been in. My family is proof that you can truly love both places for different reasons. When we want to have a magical fun filled day, we go to WDW. When we want a fast paced exciting day, we go to Universal. We are true to each place. We never wear Universal swag at WDW and we never wear WDW gear at Universal. We are purists! lol.

[wiltsan]

No such thing as boring, just boring people.....

Perhaps in today's day and age, with all the devices (myself and my DD/7 included) MK might seem boring but true believers know that it's not about the biggest thrill or most violent, action packed attraction but it is about the themeing (read: imagination when you go to a Disney park). You can go to Universal, SeaWorld, Six Flags or Great Escape and you will never get the same type of themeing that is provided at Disney.

Perhaps senses are dulled due to the devices? Many people aren't even lucky enough to go to WDW once so I suggest anyone that gets to go at all is grateful.

For my part, at 45 years old, the minute I walk through the gate of MK and see the Castle looming down main street, I get goosebumps and well up. Young at heart and I am teaching my daughter to appreciate the same.

[Goes4FastPass]

Why are we discussing this? - and I realize I'm 'bumping' this thread by replying.

What do you tell a kid who complains about being board? "Go find a box and fill it with things from your room to donate to the Salvation Army"?

I can't think of ANYONE more boring in the universe than someone who complains about the Magic Kingdom being boring! Can't we just tell these schlubs, "Then go someplace else. Please. Immediatly." "What? Me convince you that the Magic Kingdom isn't boring? No thanks! I would find that to be very boring."