It's kind of awful this week.

[Pluto468]

OP here again. At my child’s request, we ended up leaving 3 days in to a 5-day pass and booking new flights home. We had fun in some ways, but it would have been a much better trip had we waited.

If you are traveling from out of state, I would strongly recommend waiting until the ride breakage issues improve. I had Genie+, I bought the ILL, we stayed on property, and I am very familiar with the parks in general. Despite all of that, it just really wasn’t the best trip. The cast members are doing their best from what I can tell, but there’s only so much even the best employee can do. I know many people here have had fabulous experiences this summer, but in my opinion it just isn’t worth risking your valuable vacation time, money, and energy.

I'm so sorry to hear it came to you leaving. That must be beyond disappointing for you and your child

I hope you can get back soon and have a better trip.

 

[Dolewhipt]

Ugh...I'm so bummed for you guys. What did GS and DLH have to say about your concerns?

They were not rude but they weren’t helpful at all. I just now spent an hour being bounced back and forth between apps, chats, call centers, etc. just to let them know I had checked out (I finally had to leave a voice mail with the front desk that no one has bothered to listen to.) I was hung up on once after waiting on hold with the 2nd or 3rd contact I was given. Two different employees said “yeah you probably won’t get a refund” even though I hadn’t even asked for one. I just wanted my folio.

They were kind of almost accusatory, like “Did you really try to check out? What time did you walk by the desk?” I am a frequent traveler beyond just Disney, and this felt a bit condescending.

I have stayed at DLH and GCH many times over the years in addition to our Disney cruises, but I don’t think I’ll go back to either, or maybe we’d look at the new Westin or JW Marriott there if we ever really feel like going back to the parks. I’ve tried the motel style places nearby the park and they were meh, but I’ve never had this indifferent of service at any of them.

 

[tink89]

I think you should go. Only because even if it was super busy and rides were down, just sitting somewhere with a churro and people wat hung sounds delightfully magical right now

Yes any day at DL is better than any day not at DL

Despite the pitfalls we have been able to make each trip fun and enjoyable. My issue is the before times and how the experience now is different. If you temper expectations and keep them reasonable you'll be fine.

I think you’ll have a magical time. The nighttime spectaculars are going..the Parks look great, especially Dland and hellooooo churros, popcorn and Dole whips! Hahaha.

There are positive reports on here with and without Genie+. Disney fan boards are always going to point out more of the negative, has been that way for years. These are all of the Super Fans… filled with amazing knowledge and for the most part productive criticism.

I think we will keep our plans. We had APs before but no MK now and when we went in Feb we did have to adjust to a few things and it was only a 2-day trip and ended up fine. We do go a few times a year if we can so we are not bummed if we can't do it all. we will have a plan and just prepare for the unexpected as we always do. thanks for the positive reinforcement.

 

[BadPinkTink]

And for a completely different viewpoint.

I'm solo, I travel half way around the world from Europe to get to Disneyland, 10 hour flight.

I was in Disneyland the last week of June, my 2nd trip in 6 months. I have now been to Disneyland once a year since 2010.

Yes I experienced ride breakdowns, yes it was crowded, but I still had an amazing time.

I was banned from entering USA from March 2020 to November 2021. When travel to your happy place is taken from you, you learn to appreciate it even more when you get it back.

The magic is still there in Disneyland, each day of my trip, I took a few moments to stand in the middle of the Esplanade and remember watching the videos of the closed gates and empty Esplanade and Downtown Disney.
I remember watching the live streams of the reopening in April 2021 and how emotional everyone was to have our parks back. I wanted to be there but due to travel bans I couldn't.

Just take a moment everyone and just understand what you all have, how privileged you all are to be able to actually go to Disneyland.

I know there are issues at Disney, I experienced it myself a few weeks ago, but I just think everyone needs to just hold up with the complaints and negativity.

I wish some of you could have been in my shoes this time last year, when I didnt even know if I would return to Disneyland. Maybe then you would appreciate what you have a bit more.

 

[Smugpugmug]

I bet things will be different in 2023. I went in May & June this year and had good trips both times even with closures, huge crowds and crazy heat etc. It seems like the trips people have can really vary, even people who are there on the same day. All of our CM interactions were great, and the Disney magic was still there for us.

That's good to hear. We know how to navigate crowded parks but I was getting worried with all of the reports of how badly Genie+ has affected DL/CA. We're thinking of waiting until this year's Halloween festivities start so we can get a feel of how the parks are around then since we really want to do Oogie Boogie Bash since we heard it's better than WDW's Halloween party (have never done either one). We also don't want to deal with flights right now, especially since we're coming from the other side of the country.

 

[Lisa24jks]

And for a completely different viewpoint.

I'm solo, I travel half way around the world from Europe to get to Disneyland, 10 hour flight.

I was in Disneyland the last week of June, my 2nd trip in 6 months. I have now been to Disneyland once a year since 2010.

Yes I experienced ride breakdowns, yes it was crowded, but I still had an amazing time.

I was banned from entering USA from March 2020 to November 2021. When travel to your happy place is taken from you, you learn to appreciate it even more when you get it back.

The magic is still there in Disneyland, each day of my trip, I took a few moments to stand in the middle of the Esplanade and remember watching the videos of the closed gates and empty Esplanade and Downtown Disney.
I remember watching the live streams of the reopening in April 2021 and how emotional everyone was to have our parks back. I wanted to be there but due to travel bans I couldn't.

Just take a moment everyone and just understand what you all have, how privileged you all are to be able to actually go to Disneyland.

I know there are issues at Disney, I experienced it myself a few weeks ago, but I just think everyone needs to just hold up with the complaints and negativity.

I wish some of you could have been in my shoes this time last year, when I didnt even know if I would return to Disneyland. Maybe then you would appreciate what you have a bit more.

I love this post.

I never want to invalidate people's feelings, positive or negative, especially when there's a lot of money being spent on thse trips for all of us. That said, the magic is still absolutely there for so many of us. Then I come on to these boards and I'm like, "Wait... what?" Because, I'm so surprised that what I'm experiencing is the opposite of what everyone else is. It's not to say I'm right and they're wrong, or vice versa. My family has been through a lot of difficult times in the past 5 years, and Disney is still our happy place. And even a day at Disney with issues, is still better than a day not at Disney, in my experience. (I have literally only had one day at Disney that I regretted and that was due to the rare winter rainstorm and a perpetually cranky and miserable family member making it even worse. That one I'd take back. The rest, all good.)

 

[DLgal]

And for a completely different viewpoint.

I'm solo, I travel half way around the world from Europe to get to Disneyland, 10 hour flight.

I was in Disneyland the last week of June, my 2nd trip in 6 months. I have now been to Disneyland once a year since 2010.

Yes I experienced ride breakdowns, yes it was crowded, but I still had an amazing time.

I was banned from entering USA from March 2020 to November 2021. When travel to your happy place is taken from you, you learn to appreciate it even more when you get it back.

The magic is still there in Disneyland, each day of my trip, I took a few moments to stand in the middle of the Esplanade and remember watching the videos of the closed gates and empty Esplanade and Downtown Disney.
I remember watching the live streams of the reopening in April 2021 and how emotional everyone was to have our parks back. I wanted to be there but due to travel bans I couldn't.

Just take a moment everyone and just understand what you all have, how privileged you all are to be able to actually go to Disneyland.

I know there are issues at Disney, I experienced it myself a few weeks ago, but I just think everyone needs to just hold up with the complaints and negativity.

I wish some of you could have been in my shoes this time last year, when I didnt even know if I would return to Disneyland. Maybe then you would appreciate what you have a bit more.

I respect where you are coming from, but you don't get to tell people how to feel about the experience THEY had at the parks, when you were there at a completely different time.

If I've learned anything from being a DL frequent flyer, it's that the guest experience is NEVER consistent from day to day, and some days are just downright awful in the parks. That doesn't mean no one should go back, but it DOES impact your expensive vacation when those days happen to you.

We had one of "those days" on June 16. We use a DAS. From the moment we arrived, every ride we tried to go on broke down. The rides all had 60+ minute waits (seriously). And then we finally got on a ride and my son fell on the stairs, hurting himself. It was a disaster, and we bailed out and went home less than 3 hours after arriving. No biggie, cause we are local, but when a day like this happens on a vacation, it hits different.

And trust me, we suffered during that pandemic closure too. Imagine when you have a child with autism whose entire life is Disney and Disneyland. And not knowing when you could ever go back, and being able to drive by and go to Downtown Disney (eventually) and see those closed park gates that you couldn't go into. It wasn't any easier from this side of the pond. I promise.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

And for a completely different viewpoint.

I'm solo, I travel half way around the world from Europe to get to Disneyland, 10 hour flight.

I was in Disneyland the last week of June, my 2nd trip in 6 months. I have now been to Disneyland once a year since 2010.

Yes I experienced ride breakdowns, yes it was crowded, but I still had an amazing time.

I was banned from entering USA from March 2020 to November 2021. When travel to your happy place is taken from you, you learn to appreciate it even more when you get it back.

The magic is still there in Disneyland, each day of my trip, I took a few moments to stand in the middle of the Esplanade and remember watching the videos of the closed gates and empty Esplanade and Downtown Disney.
I remember watching the live streams of the reopening in April 2021 and how emotional everyone was to have our parks back. I wanted to be there but due to travel bans I couldn't.

Just take a moment everyone and just understand what you all have, how privileged you all are to be able to actually go to Disneyland.

I know there are issues at Disney, I experienced it myself a few weeks ago, but I just think everyone needs to just hold up with the complaints and negativity.

I wish some of you could have been in my shoes this time last year, when I didnt even know if I would return to Disneyland. Maybe then you would appreciate what you have a bit more.

I remember feeling this way the first few times I went back after the parks reopened. We were more than happy to accept that the experience was less than it used to be because we were so grateful to be back and understood that Disney was having to start over like the rest of the world. The low capacity made the missing stuff much more palatable.

Fast forward to today. It’s been over a year since the parks reopened and Disney has increased prices, cut food portions and services, taken away free fast passes, introduced a service that has made the ride lines insanely long and requires you to pay if you don’t want to wait hours in line, is not maintaining rides leading to daily frequent breakdowns in both parks, and is inadequately staffed for the crowds and yet is packing them in with almost no limits.

Disney is being greedy and thinks fans will continue to come regardless of all this. I don’t think they will. People pay more for the Disney experience because it’s the best … except it isn’t anymore. It makes me sad. Disney needs to do better.

 

[Dolewhipt]

I certainly apologize if this seemed overly privileged or negative. My intent was only to share the experience that my little girl and I were having, in hopes of helping other people who might be on the fence to know what to expect right now before spending $5k and a week of PTO. As I said upthread, there is always fun to be had at Disneyland and my other trips have mostly been great, but this trip had some serious drawbacks.

The past few years have been hard on everyone, everywhere. Neither myself nor my child is “spoiled” or “entitled” for wishing that the trip was as good as previous trips.

 

[BadPinkTink]

People pay more for the Disney experience because it’s the best … except it isn’t anymore. It makes me sad. Disney needs to do better.

Compared to whats in my country, Disneyland on the worst day ever is far superior in everyway, from customer service to the standard and quality of rides, to the immersive theming, to the actual user experience to anything in my country.

You know that crappy mom and pop amusement park that you have in your county, the one which has basic generic rides, and you hate going there becuase its so bad? Well thats all we have in my country, ONE of them.

Thats why I travel half way across the world, because Disneyland IS the Best and world leader at what they do.

 

[Aspencreek]

I think it is helpful and important to let people feel free to share their actual experiences (good or bad). There are some negative threads on here on occasion but there are also tons of positive threads which balance those out - and I enjoy reading both perspectives. Only by knowing the full-story and truth of what to expect (as far as possible) can people set their expectations realistically and have any chance of Disneyland exceeding their expectations even in a tough re-opening environment where they are still dealing with issues like Covid, staffing, maintenance, app/technology, etc.

For instance, last year before we went (mid-July 2021) I'd seen tons of threads about food shortage issues at the parks and crazy long wait times for walkup food service. That let us be prepared to plan ahead and bring extra snacks and know to mobile order a bit in advance of when we thought we'd be hungry or in off-peak times. Worked out perfect and we had ZERO food/order issues all week, while other visitors had problems getting meals because they didn't know about that in advance. I recall mobile ordering Dole Whips one evening and while we were a few places back in the mobile pickup line about to get ours there must have been 20 people walk up in succession trying to order then, only to get told by the CM at the end of the mobile line to head around the corner to the restaurant to walkup order but that line looked to be hundreds of people long.

Anyway, that is just one example. If visitors know what issues are currently happening in the parks they can make the choice for themselves if it sounds doable to go or not. And then if they happen to have ride breakdowns or long lines or whatever they will more happily be able to deal with it because they knew it was highly likely. If all they hear in advance are the extremely positive nothing-is-ever-wrong-at-all messages then their expectations will be so high even DL at its best will be hard pressed to not disappoint in some way. Maybe others will disagree - but I'd rather be under-promised and over-delivered than the other way around.

 

[Pluto468]

I certainly apologize if this seemed overly privileged or negative. My intent was only to share the experience that my little girl and I were having, in hopes of helping other people who might be on the fence to know what to expect right now before spending $5k and a week of PTO. As I said upthread, there is always fun to be had at Disneyland and my other trips have mostly been great, but this trip had some serious drawbacks.

The past few years have been hard on everyone, everywhere. Neither myself nor my child is “spoiled” or “entitled” for wishing that the trip was as good as previous trips.

You don't sound spoiled or entitled at all. We all want to have a good trip, especially after saving up the money and waiting for years to get back to the Happiest Place On Earth

Even when I was an AP and went weekly, some visits were worse than others. It's ok to want every trip to be fun, whether you go once a week or once every 5 years.

My favorite thing to do at Disneyland (besides ride Peter Pan) is to sit on Main Street and smell, see and listen to Disneyland, which may seem weird but I just love BEING there. But that doesn't mean it's not a drag if we run into all sorts of problems on a trip.

 

[Sophie’smom]

My daughter and I just visited 7/17-21. We stayed at the GCH. We flew in from Philadelphia. We had a good time.

- no construction at our hotel, pool area was lovely, staff were friendly and helpful. It makes a huge difference.I saw the construction at DH and understand how it ruined things. The food at TT was not so hot either.

I’m sad you guys felt you had to leave, it’s disappointing but you needed to do what’s best for you. It’s bad that you are getting such a dreadful runaround to talk to them about leaving. Your concerns should be discussed.

We loved some of the food(Storytellers dinner) and were disappointed in others (LL, and Plaza)

The character interaction was great! Lots of roaming characters and the Plaza breakfast rotation ones took a lot of time to interact and play. best character meal I’ve had.

We weren’t affected by the breakdown delays and rode what we wanted to, waiting in line sometimes for the hour,other times using using Genie+ andLL . As others have said, everyone’s experience is unique even on the same day.

 

[DLgal]

I certainly apologize if this seemed overly privileged or negative. My intent was only to share the experience that my little girl and I were having, in hopes of helping other people who might be on the fence to know what to expect right now before spending $5k and a week of PTO. As I said upthread, there is always fun to be had at Disneyland and my other trips have mostly been great, but this trip had some serious drawbacks.

The past few years have been hard on everyone, everywhere. Neither myself nor my child is “spoiled” or “entitled” for wishing that the trip was as good as previous trips.

You do not need to apologize and nothing you said sounded spoiled or entitled. You didn't expect ANYTHING in return, from either us or Disney. You didn't ask for your money back or anything. You were sharing your experience, and I completely sympathize with you. I hate that you had that experience, but I believe you 100% because *I* have also had terrible experiences there (along with the amazing experiences).

Disney should be held to a higher standard and they seem to think so by the prices they are charging, but they are not keeping up their end of the bargain at the moment.

Just because someone lives in a crappy place with crappy theme parks doesn't make them justified in saying that people who complain about their bad experiences at Disneyland are being whiny and entitled. It just shows that they don't understand how to consider other people's perspectives.

 

[Dolewhipt]

You do not need to apologize and nothing you said sounded spoiled or entitled. You didn't expect ANYTHING in return, from either us or Disney. You didn't ask for your money back or anything. You were sharing your experience, and I completely sympathize with you. I hate that you had that experience, but I believe you 100% because *I* have also had terrible experiences there (along with the amazing experiences).

Disney should be held to a higher standard and they seem to think so by the prices they are charging, but they are not keeping up their end of the bargain at the moment.

Just because someone lives in a crappy place with crappy theme parks doesn't make them justified in saying that people who complain about their bad experiences at Disneyland are being whiny and entitled. It just shows that they don't understand how to consider other people's perspectives.

Yes, I would never say, “Hey you live in a nice green place with castles and historic pubs and guaranteed time off. I live in a state that’s running out of water and the oldest building in town dates from 1993, so you cannot complain about your country.” We all love Disney and my cruise in April was absolute perfection, but sometimes you need to talk about Bruno, you know?

 

[Genie+]

Just because someone lives in a crappy place with crappy theme parks doesn't make them justified in saying that people who complain about their bad experiences at Disneyland are being whiny and entitled. It just shows that they don't understand how to consider other people's perspectives.

Agreed. It’s like saying “Here, eat this moldy bread. Doesnt matter if it cost you a nickel or $6 because there are kids starving in ishkabib.” Nobody would tolerate it from Panera, but should we because how lucky we are to have such a popular establishment in our neighborhood?

 

[fly girl]

And yes I will say it , all the complaints I see, I just think how spoiled and entitled you sound.

And yes I will say it, I disagree 100% with this statement.

If anyone knows your posts, we understand you absoultely love Disney you will find ZERO fault with them. I am happy for you, but remember that is YOU! Other people have every right to determine Disney is not perfect, and they have the right to express their opinions without being called spoiled and entitled.

OP didn't demand or create a scene. She was expressing her disappointment. Geez.

I certainly apologize if this seemed overly privileged or negative. My intent was only to share the experience that my little girl and I were having, in hopes of helping other people who might be on the fence to know what to expect right now before spending $5k and a week of PTO. As I said upthread, there is always fun to be had at Disneyland and my other trips have mostly been great, but this trip had some serious drawbacks.

The past few years have been hard on everyone, everywhere. Neither myself nor my child is “spoiled” or “entitled” for wishing that the trip was as good as previous trips.

You have nothing to apologize for. NOTHING!! You were sharing your trip, and unfortunately it was not what you had hoped or planned. And you have every right to feel upset and frustrated after spending thousands of dollars and using PTO time for an experience that was not up to Disney standards -- even post covid standards. I am so sad that you reached your breaking point and had to check out. Such a bummer.

Personally, I would probably send a letter to the manager of DLH. Explain what had happened at the hotel including the check out debacle. Not only would the constructive information be useful for this not to happen to another family, they may do something to try and make your next trip a positive experience. It never hurts, and can be cathartic to get it all out to someone who can make a change.

I would also write a letter to guest services (hopefully someone on here can give that email address as I am blanking on it at the moment) to express how rough it is in the parks with the constant ride breakdowns. Not only for guests, but CM's as well. If they don't hear about this, nothing will be done. Move it up the chain in hopes of change.

Again, I am so sorry you left early. It is very telling how deflating your trip was when your daughter asks to go home early. Disney needs to hear this.

 

[twodogs]

Disney set a very high standard, themselves…. Now they are failing to live up to it in many ways. And what is more disappointing than that, there are many in the organization who don’t seem to care that they are doing this. Disney set the bar high, and charged for it. Now they are way below the bar in a lot of ways, and they are charging even more for it. I think people can be disappointed about this without being spoiled and entitled.

 

[Jgc014]

Compared to whats in my country, Disneyland on the worst day ever is far superior in everyway, from customer service to the standard and quality of rides, to the immersive theming, to the actual user experience to anything in my country.

You know that crappy mom and pop amusement park that you have in your county, the one which has basic generic rides, and you hate going there becuase its so bad? Well thats all we have in my country, ONE of them.

Thats why I travel half way across the world, because Disneyland IS the Best and world leader at what they do.

I certainly commend having a good attitude and seeing the positive as I think it can effect your experiences for the better.

That being said, I don’t think this is fair. Only one person in the world truly has the hardest life of all, but that shouldn’t invalidate the feelings of others who have hard times or bad experiences. Life can be difficult. Life has hard moments for all. Yes, some have more hard moments than others, but that doesn’t make others hard times less valid.

Life is certainly not black and white - someone can be both grateful for what they have (such as the ability to take a trip to DL) and disappointed in a poor experience (such as a disappointing trip that didn’t go as planned).

 

[evilmommie]

They were not rude but they weren’t helpful at all. I just now spent an hour being bounced back and forth between apps, chats, call centers, etc. just to let them know I had checked out (I finally had to leave a voice mail with the front desk that no one has bothered to listen to.) I was hung up on once after waiting on hold with the 2nd or 3rd contact I was given. Two different employees said “yeah you probably won’t get a refund” even though I hadn’t even asked for one. I just wanted my folio.

They were kind of almost accusatory, like “Did you really try to check out? What time did you walk by the desk?” I am a frequent traveler beyond just Disney, and this felt a bit condescending.

I have stayed at DLH and GCH many times over the years in addition to our Disney cruises, but I don’t think I’ll go back to either, or maybe we’d look at the new Westin or JW Marriott there if we ever really feel like going back to the parks. I’ve tried the motel style places nearby the park and they were meh, but I’ve never had this indifferent of service at any of them.

Well, shoot. DLH and DLR really missed the mark for your trip. And, I really hate the tone it appears they used with you. Certainly hope that you reach out directly to the DLH GM. Hopefully, you and your daughter were able to have a good time on the remainder of your vaca at home. And, keeping my fingers crossed the next time you venture to Disneyland it's extra extra extra magical! BTW, The Westin is amazing!