Still the happiest place on earth ... not in my experience.

[Talent312]

I remember being at WDW on new years eve in the 90's and there were no lines!

Not possible these days.
The modern use of CC's (in lieu of "saving for vacation") allows the unwashed masses* to flood theme parks, every day.
*(I include myself.)
.

 

[TravelTime]

So am I the only one who does not wait in lines at Walt Disney World?

 

[paxsarah]

So am I the only one who does not wait in lines at Walt Disney World?

I mentioned that I don't back on page 5, but I forgive you for not noticing it.

 

[TravelTime]

I mentioned that I don't back on page 5, but I forgive you for not noticing it.

So why do some of us wait in lines and some of us do not? If I am not waiting in line, then I do not care of the parks are crowded.

 

[TravelTime]

Did you do a trip in 2018. I am asking because we were planning a feb trip last year and a Jan trip this year using an annual pass. We canceled when the complaints started on disboards about waits of over an hour in a lot of the fast pass lanes along with the slowing of ride capacity generating long lines for everything. I will qualify that a lot of the problems seemed to come from multiple major rides breaking down over and over again. They were giving out fast passes as compensation and it made the parks in general a mess.

This happened to us last August due to some ride breakdowns so we just left and came back later. It is not really that big a deal. You only need to stand in line if you want to wait until the ride is fixed. We never waited more than 10-20 minutes to get on a ride with a FP, often less time. I am going again in May so I will see if this was an anomaly or if my experience was normal. Last August, the trip was so incredibly pleasurable. Even my father said enjoying Disney staying on site and with FPs is a completely different experience than he ever had in the past. He always stays offsite and never used FP.

 

[TravelTime]

I mentioned that I don't back on page 5, but I forgive you for not noticing it.

I missed that page. I am just reading it now.

 

[TravelTime]

I wasn't the one bringing up gas prices. Also europe has huge taxes on fuels so like you said not a good comparison. I do not have the energy to normalize european prices over almost 50 yrs to their inflation rate. I am just trying to point out that disney's increases have outpaced inflation by a large margin. Good for them as it seems they continued to squeeze that golden goose for a long time. Pricing has slowed our trips from every few years to every once in a while and not in about 9 years at this point. Last year I felt the new stuff added balanced out the cost increases and planned to go. In park experience as expressed on the dis boards changed that.

So when was the last time you went to WDW? Do you use FPs? Do you stay onsite? WDW has had terribly long lines since it opened. I would never go to WDW unless staying onsite and using FPs. Otherwise it will be miserable as you have described. Keep in mind that DisBoards and MouseOwners are full of unhappy people who complain a lot. I do not think it is helpful to focus on inflation. In my business, I have raised prices well above the general inflation rate too and I still can't keep up with demand.

 

[TravelTime]

Luxury goods do not act like normal inflation. Luxury goods have been exceeding the CPI. I would not call Disney a luxury good but it is a premium product and a luxury in that it is not needed.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrea...the-richest-people-in-the-world/#504a84791ac8

CPI is an average for a basket of goods. The CPI measures inflation as experienced by consumers in their day-to-day living expenses. It is based on the experience of the relevant average household. Prices vary wildly across products and brands.

https://www.bls.gov/cpi/questions-and-answers.htm#Question_2

 

[TravelTime]

This thread is a great example of how different people (me included) take different data and personal experiences and come up with a different explanation. No wonder our country is so divided!

 

[bluehende]

t

So when was the last time you went to WDW? Do you use FPs? Do you stay onsite? WDW has had terribly long lines since it opened. I would never go to WDW unless staying onsite and using FPs. Otherwise it will be miserable as you have described. Keep in mind that DisBoards and MouseOwners are full of unhappy people who complain a lot. I do not think it is helpful to focus on inflation. In my business, I have raised prices well above the general inflation rate too and I still can't keep up with demand.

My last trip was in 2010. Yes I use fastpass and it is the implementation of fast pass + and the more rigorous time window enforcement that has decreased it's value to me. No I do not stay on site. The prices on site place my dollar to value ratio way over the line and to be honest I need to get out of the bubble at times. I disagree with your characterization of disboards. People mentioning rides down due to maintenance issues is not unhappy people complaining. It was threads to help people plan. Giving useful information just like tuggers do. It is full of disney lovers and I have been a member there longer than tug. It has been the last year or two that a lot of complaints have been raised by long term members who feel that the parks are being run differently. No where have I said I blame disney for their price increases. All I am saying is that their prices have risen to the point that I need longer (read more new things) before the value is there for me to go. I brought up inflation numbers because it was commented that everything goes up. If you get value then enjoy your trips. On the other hand I certainly am entitled to my value calculations.

 

[bluehende]

This thread is a great example of how different people (me included) take different data and personal experiences and come up with a different explanation. No wonder our country is so divided!

Really. Someone having a different opinion than you about disney is comparable to the country being divided?

 

[TravelTime]

Really. Someone having a different opinion than you about disney is comparable to the country being divided?

I was joking. Please!

I was going to say if we cannot even agree on Disney, how can we agree on the big issues in life.

Stop taking this so seriously!

We do not need to agree!

 

[TravelTime]

I thought Fast Pass was a great technological advancement. Not everyone agrees. That is completely fine. I have only been to Disney once in the past 34 years and that was last year. I was surprised at the innovation since the 1980s and the LACK of lines and waiting using FP and staying onsite. Was it crowded? Yes. But I did not feel it.

 

[Beachclubmum]

I thought of this thread yesterday when the bill for 2 college textbooks came to $395. My friend said she paid for $375. for her son's single book for physics. No way to get them cheaper (used/rental) due to the packets made specific to the school plus the high cost of the access code. This is happening more and more and I think it's quite the money grab by both the college and the publisher.


In other news, we are Disney pros and never wait in long line for rides. 20 minutes is my max.

 

[Brett]

I was joking. Please!

I was going to say if we cannot even agree on Disney, how can we agree on the big issues in life.

Stop taking this so seriously!

We do not need to agree!

agreed!

how people used to avoid long lines at WDW (not me)
https://www.today.com/news/undercover-disney-deplorable-scheme-skip-lines-6C10131266

 

[TravelTime]

agreed!

how people used to avoid long lines at WDW (not me)
https://www.today.com/news/undercover-disney-deplorable-scheme-skip-lines-6C10131266

That is quite a complicated scheme. There is an easier way...just rent one of those disabled scooters. LOL

 

[bluehende]

I thought of this thread yesterday when the bill for 2 college textbooks came to $395. My friend said she paid for $375. for her son's single book for physics. No way to get them cheaper (used/rental) due to the packets made specific to the school plus the high cost of the access code. This is happening more and more and I think it's quite the money grab by both the college and the publisher.


In other news, we are Disney pros and never wait in long line for rides. 20 minutes is my max.

As an old civil engineering major I remember the shock in 1974 for those technical book costs. When I was a junior i remember a set of books for structures that totaled 150 dollars. Ouch.

 

[paxsarah]

That is quite a complicated scheme. There is an easier way...just rent one of those disabled scooters. LOL

This is not the case. We've rented a scooter for my husband on our last three trips due to a mobility impairment, and on their own don't afford anyone any advantage in line. Although we often park the scooter outside of attractions and walk the queue, many queues have been updated to allow for scooters to navigate and there's a drop-off/pick-up area for the scooters where one would load and unload, if you're able to transfer. Some queues with stairs, etc. have a different entrance for scooters but they still don't generally give you a time advantage. If you're not able to transfer, then you're talking about waiting for a specialized ride vehicle to accommodate the scooter.

 

[TravelTime]

This is not the case. We've rented a scooter for my husband on our last three trips due to a mobility impairment, and on their own don't afford anyone any advantage in line. Although we often park the scooter outside of attractions and walk the queue, many queues have been updated to allow for scooters to navigate and there's a drop-off/pick-up area for the scooters where one would load and unload, if you're able to transfer. Some queues with stairs, etc. have a different entrance for scooters but they still don't generally give you a time advantage. If you're not able to transfer, then you're talking about waiting for a specialized ride vehicle to accommodate the scooter.

When I was with my elderly aunt last summer, we rented a scooter. Sometimes it did not save time but it often did. Fast Passes are the way to go. The scooters can make life easier in the parks due to reduced walking. I had huge blisters and swollen feet on the first day. The times I used my aunt’s scooter, I was a lot more comfortable and relaxed. Combining that with the Fast Passes made the parks easy to get around and like I have said, I barely noticed the crowds and lines.

 

[clifffaith]

How much does a Fast Pass add to the cost of a ticket that is already over $100?

 

[bluehende]

How much does a Fast Pass add to the cost of a ticket that is already over $100?

There is no additional cost. It gives you another access to 3 rides of different categories.....think the old e vs d rides. If you are staying on site you can book them 60 days in advance. Off site it is 30 days. At thirty days many of the rides will be gone. There are still some lines with fast pass but they are much shorter. Usually a few minutes. There have been some reports of long waits in those lines too especially when other rides go down and those fastpasses are basically exchanged for others over the normal amount given. There is a program that let you buy some more if you stayed at a premium level of some resorts. The fastpass gives you a window also and is not good outside the window.

 

[MichaelColey]

Paper FastPasses used to be a great help. We were able to rope drop, get FPs, and do pretty much every ride in the park easily. I was always the designated FP runner, racing back and forth across the park every time we were eligible to get another FP. On one day, I got 7 sets of Toy Story FPs. At MK, especially, we NEVER had to wait for anything. It wasn't difficult to collect 10-15 sets of MK FPs.

Now (if you're not staying on site), the FPs are only marginally helpful. We were there two weeks in early December, and checking 30 days in advance we were not able to get FPs for any of the newer attractions (Flight of Passage, Na'vi River Journey, Mine Train, and Slinky Dog Dash). Several others (Toy Story Mania, Soarin', Test Track, and Frozen Ever After) were not available on most days and only times that didn't help us on other days. We ended up using FPs for second-tier attractions that ten years ago were often "walk on" (but now aren't). Even some of those second-tier attractions had poor FP availability. Many times, we didn't even get three that were useful.

We adjusted our plans accordingly to minimize our waits. But in doing so, we accomplished quite a bit less than we used to be able to do.

Looking up numbers, I see that MK attendance increased from 17.23 million in 2009 to 20.45 million in 2017. EPCOT grew from 11 million to 12.25 million. AK grew from 9.5 million to 12.5 million. HS grew from 9.7 million to 10.75 million (and closed about half of the attractions). On average, they have 20% more people in the parks every day than they did less than a decade ago. With the growth in attendance, they really need to open up a bunch of new high-capacity attractions. (And I'm talking about ADDITIONAL attractions, not just closing some and building new ones in the same space.) And as much as I like FP, I think FP just exasperates the situation. When about half of the people riding are using FPs, it takes twice as long to move the standby line through. That's why many attractions (like Spaceship Earth) that seldom used to have a wait now have fairly sizeable wait times now that they have a FP line.

 

[bluehende]

Paper FastPasses used to be a great help. We were able to rope drop, get FPs, and do pretty much every ride in the park easily. I was always the designated FP runner, racing back and forth across the park every time we were eligible to get another FP. On one day, I got 7 sets of Toy Story FPs. At MK, especially, we NEVER had to wait for anything. It wasn't difficult to collect 10-15 sets of MK FPs.

Now (if you're not staying on site), the FPs are only marginally helpful. We were there two weeks in early December, and checking 30 days in advance we were not able to get FPs for any of the newer attractions (Flight of Passage, Na'vi River Journey, Mine Train, and Slinky Dog Dash). Several others (Toy Story Mania, Soarin', Test Track, and Frozen Ever After) were not available on most days and only times that didn't help us on other days. We ended up using FPs for second-tier attractions that ten years ago were often "walk on" (but now aren't). Even some of those second-tier attractions had poor FP availability. Many times, we didn't even get three that were useful.

We adjusted our plans accordingly to minimize our waits. But in doing so, we accomplished quite a bit less than we used to be able to do.

Looking up numbers, I see that MK attendance increased from 17.23 million in 2009 to 20.45 million in 2017. EPCOT grew from 11 million to 12.25 million. AK grew from 9.5 million to 12.5 million. HS grew from 9.7 million to 10.75 million (and closed about half of the attractions). On average, they have 20% more people in the parks every day than they did less than a decade ago. With the growth in attendance, they really need to open up a bunch of new high-capacity attractions. (And I'm talking about ADDITIONAL attractions, not just closing some and building new ones in the same space.) And as much as I like FP, I think FP just exasperates the situation. When about half of the people riding are using FPs, it takes twice as long to move the standby line through. That's why many attractions (like Spaceship Earth) that seldom used to have a wait now have fairly sizeable wait times now that they have a FP line.

I am the same way. I loved the old fastpass system. I clocked a lot of miles getting them for the family. You are a pro getting 7 for Toy Story. My best was probably 2 I see why disney switched to a new fast pass system that fills the rooms. The spaceship earth comment is disheartening. We went early December when my youngest was still napping. My older son and I would meet the wife coming back from nap at spaceship earth. We would ride the ride over and over again until my wife showed up. That was always a slow time. After Thanksgiving and before the Christmas rush. Was that trip this year? I know last december was a nightmare. The hope was it was an aberration due to the Hurricanes.

 

[TravelTime]

We were able to use our 3 Fast Passes and book more as well as change before the visit and during the visit. We rarely had any problem getting what we want. I changed our plans almost daily. I guess Fast Passes are for obsessive-compulsives like me.

 

[TravelTime]

Paper FastPasses used to be a great help. We were able to rope drop, get FPs, and do pretty much every ride in the park easily. I was always the designated FP runner, racing back and forth across the park every time we were eligible to get another FP. On one day, I got 7 sets of Toy Story FPs. At MK, especially, we NEVER had to wait for anything. It wasn't difficult to collect 10-15 sets of MK FPs.

Now (if you're not staying on site), the FPs are only marginally helpful. We were there two weeks in early December, and checking 30 days in advance we were not able to get FPs for any of the newer attractions (Flight of Passage, Na'vi River Journey, Mine Train, and Slinky Dog Dash). Several others (Toy Story Mania, Soarin', Test Track, and Frozen Ever After) were not available on most days and only times that didn't help us on other days. We ended up using FPs for second-tier attractions that ten years ago were often "walk on" (but now aren't). Even some of those second-tier attractions had poor FP availability. Many times, we didn't even get three that were useful.

We adjusted our plans accordingly to minimize our waits. But in doing so, we accomplished quite a bit less than we used to be able to do.

Looking up numbers, I see that MK attendance increased from 17.23 million in 2009 to 20.45 million in 2017. EPCOT grew from 11 million to 12.25 million. AK grew from 9.5 million to 12.5 million. HS grew from 9.7 million to 10.75 million (and closed about half of the attractions). On average, they have 20% more people in the parks every day than they did less than a decade ago. With the growth in attendance, they really need to open up a bunch of new high-capacity attractions. (And I'm talking about ADDITIONAL attractions, not just closing some and building new ones in the same space.) And as much as I like FP, I think FP just exasperates the situation. When about half of the people riding are using FPs, it takes twice as long to move the standby line through. That's why many attractions (like Spaceship Earth) that seldom used to have a wait now have fairly sizeable wait times now that they have a FP line.

It sounds like Disney needs to expand and open up new parks. I would love to see them open a new park in a really cool destination. Not sure if this is true or not, but I heard they wanted to expand into Mexico but Mexico said no bc they did not want their culture usurped. Mexico would have been an amazing location.