Firstly, it’s expensive and prices don’t seem to be decreasing. It also can be a hassle to plan for, especially with the new Genie+ and Lightning Lane systems in place. Making sure you have all of your restaurant reservations as well as getting showtime and Park hours correct can be quite the feat.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip is no small task. Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane were released last year to much criticism and frustration, leaving many Guests feeling confused by the service. In theory, this paid service should enhance Guests’ experience at the Parks, but in practice, it seemed to just be an expensive itinerary planner, according to some. At Disney World, for $15.00 per day per Guest, you can skip the long standby queue by making a Lightning Lane reservation (new FastPass) and returning at that time.
Recently, one Guest ran to social media after having a not-so-great experience and asked others how they can enjoy Walt Disney World.
See the full post on Reddit from u/OK_Judge3497 below:
how do people enjoy Disney world?
I just went to Disney world for the first time in my life with my wife and some of our family, including some young nieces/nephews.
I was really looking forward to this trip as I’ve never been and although I’m not a huge Disney fan I do like star wars and amusement parks so I thought this would be a great trip.
After three days and three parks (Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot), I feel like I have been completely scammed.
The lines where so insane, worse than any other park I’ve ever been to (Bush Gardens, Cedar Point, Six Flags, Sea World). We waited 2.5 hours for Space Mountain the first day and didn’t do anything else because of how bad the lines where.
Then we thought we’d get Genie+ because even though it was more money, we’d at least get to ride some rides. Well, that was a mistake because Genie+ is not really a fast pass since it can only be used to book/schedule one ride at a time (and can’t even be used on some rides at all unless you’re staying in a Disney resort).
Credit: Disney
Without a doubt, however, the worst part of the full experience was the food. I was really looking forward to the food because I heard its supposed to be amazing. The food is all wildly expensive and mediocre at best (like a cheesecake factory). $30 to $40 per person is absurd. The best meal we had was at the ABC commissary. Even the sit-down restaurants are ridiculously expensive and slow. I tried to get ice cream and ended up waiting thirty minutes. The restaurants in the resorts and Disney springs where just as overpriced, slow, and aggressively mediocre.
We where able to ride a few more rides at Epcot, all extremely boring and from a few decades ago. The best part of the trip was the Star Wars part in HS and the fireworks in Magic Kingdom and Epcot. But the cost still wasn’t worth it.
This doesn’t even consider how frustrating the entire WDW process is, from buying tickets to trying to order food on their terribly designed app. WDW feels like a theme park created by an airline: everything is extremely expensive, you pay for every little thing, and you’re crowded and uncomfortable the entire time. So little information is provided by WDW, the only way to figure anything out is to sift through the scores of blogs about the parks.
Credit: Disney
I could have gone to any other theme or amusement park and spent a fraction of the money and had much better time.
How do people go to these parks year after year and enjoy them? They are so expensive and the return for the cost is negligible. I am so frustrated with the experience, I feel like I’ve been scammed. I’ve had more fun at fairground carnivals.
Edit: thanks everyone for the feedback and advice. I feel less frustrated by the trip now and I think I’m more likely to go back. I didn’t realize how much the pandemic affected the trip or how short staffed WDW is. I think next time I go to a WD park it will be DL, off season, and I’ll avoid table service restaurants.
Many in the comments share their condolences for the disappointed Guest as well as share their thoughts on the current state of the Walt Disney World Resort. User u/Bladex72 commented:
The sad thing is, these places are running at 1/3 staff, but the staff is still being paid the same wages, and the customers are paying the same ever increasing prices. The ones at the top are still making their money one way or another while the other parties suffer.
Disney is a nut case right now. There is no low season anymore, which right now is usually low season, the pent up demand from 2 years of canceled trips plus Disney is missing 30k employees from the report they gave. Yeah, it’s going to ruin a lot of trips. Disney will probably make a comeback to what it was but I don’t think anytime soon.
User u/lokisloverx criticized the new “FastPass” system:
The new system is extremely difficult to use & has cause lines to skyrocket while also making fastpasses much less accessible. Most people who love Disney (including myself) love it for the nostalgic value. Most would agree that the new system sucks.
User u/nicolelynnejones shared some simple advice:
Honestly…. my experience with WDW was similar. My advice is go to Disneyland instead, if you want to give Disney another chance. Way better food, shorter lines, better entertainment.
A trip to Walt Disney World can be incredibly stressful, especially if it’s your first time visiting. In Magic Kingdom alone there are dozens of rides, attractions, and shows that can easily be missed if you are not careful. Figuring out whether to eat at Peco’s Bill Tall Tale Inn, Harbour House or Casey’s Corner can feel like life or death when you only have such a limited time in the Park.
Do you agree with any of the Guest’s points about Walt Disney World? Let us know in the comments below.
Let the expert team at Academy Travel help you plan your next magical vacation to Disney World’s water parks, four theme parks — Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios — and the Disney Springs shopping and dining district!
At Magic Kingdom there is so much to see and do! Cinderella Castle is decked out for the 50th anniversary and soon Festival of Fantasy and Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire will return. You can ride the three big mountains: Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain, or calm things down on Peter Pan’s Flight. Rope drop the Park to get on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and then enjoy a mid-day snack with some Dole Whip. Be sure to meet Mickey Mouse and enjoy the firework show, Disney Enchantment!
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Credit: Disney
