I’m struggling with deciding if I should go to Disney or not.

[ajollyholidaywithjo]

So this was supposed to be my year off from Disney. After my trip last December, and just how much the quality had gone down for me, I decided to not go for a while.

But. I just miss it so much! But I’m not sure if I’m missing what it used to be, and those feelings associated with it. I don’t know if it’s worth the money if I’m going to feel as poorly as I did last December.

Can someone convince me why I should (or shouldn’t) go? Or, if anyone has some other vacation destinations I should visit instead, that would help fill the void, that would be great too!

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Only you can make that decision based on your financial situation and what you enjoy. Seems to me for every post slamming Disney as not being a place they'll visit any longer, there's another post talking about the magic, the memories, and the CROWDS (it's obvious many are visiting!). If you're missing it, it's probably time to head back and visit again for yourself. No one can answer this question but you.

 

[RoseGold]

So plan your trip for next year? Nothing wrong with taking a year off.

 

[SteveH]

Nope. I can't convince you what you should do. I know for myself we've decided to do other things than Disney for a while. Last Fall we went to Hawaii for the first time, we're going back in about 6 weeks. No Disney trips planned at all, and we're already talking about another Hawaii trip or heading to a Caribbean island. While we've loved Disney for the time being it's not our happy place.

 

[john7994]

Having been in January and May 2022 - with my last visit being in 2017 as a comparative - I have three more trips planned in the next seven months to Disney and likely one in Aulani a year from now. The one thing I came away before my May trip is to take the "free" advice on these boards with a grain of salt.

You do you, commit to a course of action and be happy with the decision. There is no perfection or guarantees in any travel plans. On the other side of it, Disney will still be there next year, and it could be better (or worse) depending on who you listen too - but, trying to time change is like trying to time the market. Best wishes in your future travels!

 

[Marionnette]

So this was supposed to be my year off from Disney. After my trip last December, and just how much the quality had gone down for me, I decided to not go for a while.

But. I just miss it so much! But I’m not sure if I’m missing what it used to be, and those feelings associated with it. I don’t know if it’s worth the money if I’m going to feel as poorly as I did last December.

Can someone convince me why I should (or shouldn’t) go? Or, if anyone has some other vacation destinations I should visit instead, that would help fill the void, that would be great too!

Ask yourself what was it about your December trip that made you decide not to go for a while. If it helps, make a list. Do the same by making a list of why you miss Disney. Are those things still there?

We went in early December last year. We felt that the 50th "celebration" was a letdown. The night-time fireworks were meh. No parades. No Fantasmic! No real character interaction. Masks were still required indoors. We tried G+ in MK and HS. It was a waste if money in our eyes. Standby lines were long. The best part of the whole trip was the $200+ per person Holiday after hours event with a special fireworks viewing area for DVC members. It's true that the more you pay Disney, the better they treat you!

What has changed since then? The 50th is still lackluster and won't improve. The fireworks are still meh. Fantasmic! has no projected opening date. The Festival of Fantasy Parade is back in truncated form. The spectacular steam punk dragon no longer breathes fire. Character meet and greets are back. Masks are optional everywhere. G+ is a wildcard with Disney changing it up in the hopes of improving it.

I'm optimistic that things will improve overall at Disney if they clean house - starting with Chapek and all of his penny pinching, yes men cronies - and focus on what made them a vacation destination that people wanted to return to.

Even after a very unsatisfactory visit in December, we are returning in November. Partly because we have a ton of DVC points to unload. And partly because my younger brother wanted to get all of the siblings together there. I had vowed to rent out our DVC points and not to go back for a while but...family. I want to see my brothers.

 

[MomOTwins]

Disney cruise.

 

[Schneewittchen37]

I'm not going to tell you what to do, but don't let FOMO decide either.

I'm taking a break from Disney. It might be a lot more than a year. It's not just the parks. I'm not happy with their movies, television, Disney+, ABC News....

We went to WDW in April and it was bad. DLR in February was actually pretty good, but it's a pain to get there.

Re: WDW, I feel like the quality of the experience wasn't what it had been back in 2018/2019 and I don't see any indication that anyone is doing anything to address that. Garbage food, trash everyone, terrible souvenirs, useless Genie+, long lines though the parks didn't seem that busy , absent CMs, if you could find one, they're surly, and a lack of services/amenities. And I got food poisoning. Oh, and generally nothing particularly special about this 50th anniversary "celebration".

I'm spending my money on a trip to Puerto Rico instead of all the random little WDW trips we would have had.

Still planning to go to Universal in the Fall. I had a really wonderful experience there in November.

And in the Spring, when we would have done our annual long WDW trip, I'm going to Tampa & Orlando to do other things. Air boat tour, Gatorland, Discovery Cove, Ybor City, Busch Gardens, etc.

 

[ajollyholidaywithjo]

Nope. I can't convince you what you should do. I know for myself we've decided to do other things than Disney for a while. Last Fall we went to Hawaii for the first time, we're going back in about 6 weeks. No Disney trips planned at all, and we're already talking about another Hawaii trip or heading to a Caribbean island. While we've loved Disney for the time being it's not our happy place.

YES YOU CAN STEVE (this is joke by the way)

 

[ajollyholidaywithjo]

I'm not going to tell you what to do, but don't let FOMO decide either.

I'm taking a break from Disney. It might be a lot more than a year. It's not just the parks. I'm not happy with their movies, television, Disney+, ABC News....

We went to WDW in April and it was bad. DLR in February was actually pretty good, but it's a pain to get there.

Re: WDW, I feel like the quality of the experience wasn't what it had been back in 2018/2019 and I don't see any indication that anyone is doing anything to address that. Garbage food, trash everyone, terrible souvenirs, useless Genie+, long lines though the parks didn't seem that busy , absent CMs, if you could find one, they're surly, and a lack of services/amenities. And I got food poisoning. Oh, and generally nothing particularly special about this 50th anniversary "celebration".

I'm spending my money on a trip to Puerto Rico instead of all the random little WDW trips we would have had.

Still planning to go to Universal in the Fall. I had a really wonderful experience there in November.

And in the Spring, when we would have done our annual long WDW trip, I'm going to Tampa & Orlando to do other things. Air boat tour, Gatorland, Discovery Cove, Ybor City, Busch Gardens, etc.

I really wanted to take a break for World and do Land this year, it’s been awhile since I’ve been. But jeez, I can’t find decent hotel prices over in Anaheim lately.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

Might I suggest a resort only stay, or DLR/Aulani if you can afford it? Or even veto beach or Hilton head? Something Disney but not disney

 

[Schneewittchen37]

I really wanted to take a break for World and do Land this year, it’s been awhile since I’ve been. But jeez, I can’t find decent hotel prices over in Anaheim lately.

We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel and loved it. I know, it's too expensive. But oh man, I do love that place. The CM at the front desk when we checked in at 4 am was amazing/wonderful. The food is still good at DLR for the most part. And the lines weren't so bad. And Genie+ actually worked there.

If they ever re-open from their remodel, Candy Cane Inn is great and they had a really nice continental breakfast buffet included. Comfy rooms, beautiful property, easy walking distance to the parks, etc. It's funny, I think they back up against Cars Land in DCA.

The Anaheim Hotel isn't bad either. Easy walk to the parks. Big rooms. They've done a lot of remodeling as well.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel and loved it. I know, it's too expensive. But oh man, I do love that place. The CM at the front desk when we checked in at 4 am was amazing/wonderful. The food is still good at DLR for the most part. And the lines weren't so bad. And Genie+ actually worked there.

If they ever re-open from their remodel, Candy Cane Inn is great and they had a really nice continental breakfast buffet included. Comfy rooms, beautiful property, easy walking distance to the parks, etc. It's funny, I think they back up against Cars Land in DCA.

The Anaheim Hotel isn't bad either. Easy walk to the parks. Big rooms. They've done a lot of remodeling as well.

We are staying at a good neighbor hotel (Fairfield Marriott Anaheim) and flying into SNA which helped reduce costs. My parents also get deals and discounts through their jobs which is how we are renting a car. It is doable (and we are going late summer)

 

[ajollyholidaywithjo]

We are staying at a good neighbor hotel (Fairfield Marriott Anaheim) and flying into SNA which helped reduce costs. My parents also get deals and discounts through their jobs which is how we are renting a car. It is doable (and we are going late summer)

I checked that hotel, but it was still more expensive than a value resort in WDW. Almost $100 more. Ugh. I’m going solo so I’m trying to keep my cost down, so I can spend more on extra.

 

[mdoc]

The one thing I'll say about my last trip (my first since pre-pandemic) - MK seemed very very crowded, at a time when I didn't expect huge crowds. I've been to WDW dozens of times during Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks. I've been during Easter week and prime spring break time. This time I went on a Wednesday in early March (not Mardi Gras week) and the lines seemed as bad as at those busy times. Part of it was not having the Fast Pass system I had previousy mastered. We used Genie+ and it helped, but I wasn't terribly impressed and I hope they figure out how to make that better. The parks seemed understaffed and somewhat disorganized, although I had no complaints about the CMs who were there. I didn't find anything special about the 50th anniversary celebration.

The saving grace was that this trip was to introduce my 2 year old granddaughter to Disney, and that was a great success. She loved it. We were only there for a day, and we weren't trying to ride the headliners, so we weren't disappointed with that (we would have been if we wanted to ride those). So I'd say, if you're going to get a dose of the magic, and you get that just by being at Disney and experiencing a few favorite attractions, and you don't mind it being (or at least seeming) crowded, go for it. If your expectations are higher, you might be disappointed again. That said, we're going back in November for a longer trip, and I expect we'll keep going as long as my granddaughter is having fun and we're enjoying experiencing WDW through her eyes. I had my turn 50 years ago, our kids had their time at Disney as youngsters, and now it's her turn. Things have changed, some not for the better, but I can still find the magic.

 

[Smugpugmug]

This is just my 2 cents. I'm not trying to convince you of anything. Like others said, only you can decide whether to go or not.

I was at WDW from May 7-15 and while I had a good time, I definitely felt like things were off compared to previous trips. Not even talking about Genie+. Our group had great success using Genie+ on some days and skipping it on others. Well, more like I was the only one using Genie+/ILLs since no one else I went with knows how it worked. The parks were very crowded and I found myself feeling bad for a lot of the Cast Members. A lot of them looked stressed out and exhausted. We also felt like the 50th celebrations were very lackluster and were not fans of Harmonious (we didn't see Enchantment). What bugged me the most was how on site amenities and perks have been stripped away since pre-Covid. I missed when early entry was 1 hour instead of 30 minutes.

I don't plan on going back for a while, at least until Disney irons out some of their issues. Instead I'll be going to the Disney Hilton Head resort in August with my entire family. It has enough Disney theming to tide me over but none of the hassle. I don't know if you would be willing to do a beach vacation as Hilton Head is not connected to a theme park but if you are I recommend it 100%. It's a great resort and has excellent restaurants within driving (or biking) distance.

I was also considering doing a Disneyland trip during Oogie Boogie Bash in the distant future but I'm holding off for now for the same reason. After Hilton Head, I don't know what I'll do. I do plan on skipping WDW when Epic Universe opens and checking that out. I also want to start saving up for a trip to Japan with Tokyo Disneyland and Disneysea added on. Those parks are not owned by Disney and IMO are way better than what WDW has to offer, that was the case even pre pandemic. The major financial hurdle is the plane tickets so I'll most likely be staying home and saving.

I totally get having FOMO (I have it whenever I see trip reports) and ultimately it's your choice in whether you want to go despite the state of the parks at the moment. I wish you luck in whatever you decide to do!

 

[The WDW 3]

Don’t go. More room for me to dance!

 

[ajollyholidaywithjo]

This is just my 2 cents. I'm not trying to convince you of anything. Like others said, only you can decide whether to go or not.

I was at WDW from May 7-15 and while I had a good time, I definitely felt like things were off compared to previous trips. Not even talking about Genie+. Our group had great success using Genie+ on some days and skipping it on others. Well, more like I was the only one using Genie+/ILLs since no one else I went with knows how it worked. The parks were very crowded and I found myself feeling bad for a lot of the Cast Members. A lot of them looked stressed out and exhausted. We also felt like the 50th celebrations were very lackluster and were not fans of Harmonious (we didn't see Enchantment). What bugged me the most was how on site amenities and perks have been stripped away since pre-Covid. I missed when early entry was 1 hour instead of 30 minutes.

I don't plan on going back for a while, at least until Disney irons out some of their issues. Instead I'll be going to the Disney Hilton Head resort in August with my entire family. It has enough Disney theming to tide me over but none of the hassle. I don't know if you would be willing to do a beach vacation as Hilton Head is not connected to a theme park but if you are I recommend it 100%. It's a great resort and has excellent restaurants within driving (or biking) distance.

I was also considering doing a Disneyland trip during Oogie Boogie Bash in the distant future but I'm holding off for now for the same reason. After Hilton Head, I don't know what I'll do. I do plan on skipping WDW when Epic Universe opens and checking that out. I also want to start saving up for a trip to Japan with Tokyo Disneyland and Disneysea added on. Those parks are not owned by Disney and IMO are way better than what WDW has to offer, that was the case even pre pandemic. The major financial hurdle is the plane tickets so I'll most likely be staying home and saving.

I totally get having FOMO (I have it whenever I see trip reports) and ultimately it's your choice in whether you want to go despite the state of the parks at the moment. I wish you luck in whatever you decide to do!

Thank you for this perspective! It’s nice to hear honestly from someone who has been more recently. That really helps!

 

[AprilsZoo]

It sounds like you aren’t local to WDW, so if you have to travel anyway— consider a trip to the left coast instead. DLR seems less plagued by the issues at WDW… Genie+ works better; ILLs a little easier to get; no need to compete @ 7 am for LL or ILL (you have to scan into the park first and they’re available for a longer period of time… all the way to afternoon sometimes). Hotel accommodations are less expensive (off site is the norm), trams are operating again, and the up-charge for park hoppers is less (same $ for all ticket lengths), plus hopping starts at 1 p.m. instead of 2.
In addition, all the nighttime stuff (Fantasmic, World of Color, Main Street Electrical Parade) is back, and the parades are running too.
DLR is my happy place, true… but I had been planning to go to WDW this fall. Had it more or less all planned, DGDs first Disney trip…. But I keep wondering if I ought to just switch it all to DLR instead. I don’t want to have DS & DiLs first Disney trip together (DiLs first trip to any Disney park) to be a bust, and have her soured on DLR too, since she won’t know how different they are).
Truth is, for what we’ll spend on WDW… we can do DLR and stay on-site there probably for the whole time— something we never do. Of course, the trip will be shorter. But it might be less stressful. I just don’t know…

So OP, I get where you’re coming from. Just thought I’d throw another option out there to get your fix.

 

[ctl]

So this was supposed to be my year off from Disney. After my trip last December, and just how much the quality had gone down for me, I decided to not go for a while.

But. I just miss it so much! But I’m not sure if I’m missing what it used to be, and those feelings associated with it. I don’t know if it’s worth the money if I’m going to feel as poorly as I did last December.

Can someone convince me why I should (or shouldn’t) go? Or, if anyone has some other vacation destinations I should visit instead, that would help fill the void, that would be great too!

Just because you always went doesn't mean you have to go this year. You told yourself you would take a year off for a reason. I too am not going this year. I went last year and was really disappointed by the whole trip. Also with inflation how it is and flights being canceled all over due to pilot shortage, it may be a better time to vacation closer to your home.

I'm not going to tell you what to do, but don't let FOMO decide either.

I'm taking a break from Disney. It might be a lot more than a year. It's not just the parks. I'm not happy with their movies, television, Disney+, ABC News....

We went to WDW in April and it was bad. DLR in February was actually pretty good, but it's a pain to get there.

Re: WDW, I feel like the quality of the experience wasn't what it had been back in 2018/2019 and I don't see any indication that anyone is doing anything to address that. Garbage food, trash everyone, terrible souvenirs, useless Genie+, long lines though the parks didn't seem that busy , absent CMs, if you could find one, they're surly, and a lack of services/amenities. And I got food poisoning. Oh, and generally nothing particularly special about this 50th anniversary "celebration".

I'm spending my money on a trip to Puerto Rico instead of all the random little WDW trips we would have had.

Still planning to go to Universal in the Fall. I had a really wonderful experience there in November.

And in the Spring, when we would have done our annual long WDW trip, I'm going to Tampa & Orlando to do other things. Air boat tour, Gatorland, Discovery Cove, Ybor City, Busch Gardens, etc.