"Absolute Hell" as Guests at Disney World Resort Face Extreme Circumstances - Inside the Magic

Comments for “Absolute Hell” as Guests at Disney World Resort Face Extreme Circumstances

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney's Hollywood Studios Celebration

Credit: Disney

66 Comments

  1. Gustavo Rodriguez

    Apparently you people are new to theme parks because people that Frequent them know hour lines are normal in the summer and Christmas. That’s why locals go to them during none turist times.

  2. Chris

    Not sure where all this discontent is coming from. We rarely have a problem while visiting the parks. Guess it’s just bad luck for some people or they don’t know how things work. Most of the time we only have issues with food workers getting orders correct or someone farting in line. Savages.

  3. MMM

    Thought about going back in January….but nope! The Disney of old days when you could wander a park, get on rides in under 30 minutes and make dinner reservations at Epcot in the morning at a kiosk at the park entrance are long gone… I didn’t mind FastPass or booking 90 days in advance for dinner but the magic is gone. I noticed the signs of fatigue 3 years ago…silly things like out light bulbs and dirty bathrooms. Cast members that have had it and SHOW IT. Disney has changed. I’m not arguing the demise with anyone…just not returning.

  4. Shayna

    We went in September. Didn’t purchase Genie, did stand by. Crowds were higher than we expected, but manageable at all parks but Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom was so busy! 30 minute wait for Its a Small World! We were told it was because we went the day after a Halloween party. Did not know that bit of info! But as for Hollywood Studios, it wasn’t too bad. We just had to be flexible. If one ride was high wait time, we just went to another instead. Stayed until 1, went back to our room, then came back at 5 until close. Everyone runs to Rise at open. We did not. Went to Mickey, then Tower, then Aerosmith. 15 minute waits for all three. After, we did Smugglers and Toy Story Mania, both at 20 minutes. Did Rise an hour before close at 20 minutes. Never did Slinky because it was over 45 minutes all day (that’s the only ride there we didn’t notice dips in wait time, it stayed steady) and we don’t like it enough to wait more than 20 minutes, lol! Star Tours and Muppets walk on all day, we did Star Tours three times. Walked on Tower before close too. I couldn’t justify getting genie. Being told when to go to various rides so your whole day is mapped out, AND have to pay for it? No thanks. Us just playing it by ear worked just fine. Not that I would do this high crowd seasons. But, I wouldn’t go high crowd seasons either, lol!

  5. JJi

    We have just returned to the UK after 2 weeks in Orlando. In short I would personally call it Walt Misery World – there was no joy in spending £446 for 2 people to enter Park for one day only to queue for over an hour for rides that broke down. Only managed a few rides in the day and that was because we used single rider lane – horrific experience.

  6. Mg

    Whoever writes for this “publication” … needs a punch in the face.

    A) As of July this year LL worked great and made our trip awesome. We did everything and everything and barely waited in line.

    B) Grow up…be better… this site is basically slander trash

  7. NETA

    I wouldnt call it Hell. We kinda expected these things. What we didn’t expect is how high fooď and souvenirs have got in 2 years since last visit. We just got back from Disney. I guess we had a little bit of luck because only 1 ride was down they was interested in for a very short period of time. Some rides was at least an hour wait but once again it was kinda expected but sucks.

  8. Sheldaine

    “…guests are left wondering the Park??”

  9. Kate

    I go to Disney World 6 times a year and I’ve never had problems. You gotta wait in line, deal with it and grow up. The whole world is there, wait your damn turn and if the Genie+ doesn’t cater to you, get over it. Nothing is perfect.

  10. Lee Chase

    As a native Disneyland person, I can say this trip to DW was such a bust. The cost is so over the top. The crowds are unreal and this Genie system? It worked out okay for Epcot, and AK. but we only got one ride out of it for Hollywood. Animal kingdom is such a tiny park, and there is not that much to even do there. It was packed.
    I feel like the paying extra money to ride the top rides is such a greedy cash grab. Disney World is so expensive already. Disney World takes in $19.68 million per day. I will never return to DW. The crowds, the lines, the expense. Luckily I got a nice airbnb with pools and hot tubs and lakes and beaches and it has been lovely.

  11. Lee Chase

    We are here now. We are born and raised on Disneyland. This has been hell. Animal Kingdom was wall to wall people with all lines super long.
    We did manage to use Genie to get on the few it offers. Waited an hour for the Avatar ride, which was a real disappointment, the video/film looks old, it is faded and blurry in some parts and stutters. The entire ride felt worn and tired. Animal kingdom feels sad to me. We saw a few animals and they looked mangy and bored. There is a huge lack of places to sit down as well. Next day was Epcot, which was much much better. This was the only park I felt I got my moneys worth from the Genie. Wall to wall people by mid day made it very unpleasant, but we went home and came back to wait an hour for our virtual queue for the Cosmic Rewind, which was quite good and then see the Harmonious show from an okay spot on the side of the show. Great fireworks.
    Hollywood. Now that was horrible. We got one ride using the Genie for the entire day. What a waste of money. Did single rider for smugglers, and waited 90 min for rise of the resistance. Not wowed. Enjoyed our one ride with the Genie, Tower of Terror. Then we went home. It was wall to wall people and horrible. Our final day will MK. Which we are dreading really. I feel like Disney is pure greed right now. They over pack the parks, and you have to pay extra to ride the best rides and parking is 25 bucks a day. The rides you remember or want to get on have serious long waits. Disneyland cuts off attendance at a certain amount, and it is not like this. This is some next level packing people in and pure greed in not allowing people to ride some rides that should be included in your very expensive tickets and Genie. As a lifelong Disney lover, I am done. I am truly done with any Disney theme parks. I do not support them and how they are doing things right now.

  12. Cathy

    We just returned this week for a 2-day visit to Animal Kingdom and Epcot. We bought annual passes but our other family members had park tickets. We spent hours trying to add everyone to one account so we could buy the genie for LL options. 1. Disney’s IT is the worst. 2. We paid extra for the LL and then realized they do t include the popular rides and if they do include them they are either not available or CLOSED.
    3. DISNEY IS NO LONGER THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH

    Our family spent thousands of dollars for two days of hell. The employees are not happy and not helpful at all. We we’re celebrating two birthdays and in two days I think only 3 employees said HBD to our party. Years ago that was not the case. They always made us feel happy. The new system only benefits the bottom line for Disney. They no longer care about a guest having a good experience. Those days are gone. My suggestion is to avoid Disney and try Universal.

    Disney also keeps the characters in hiding. We looked around for Mickey and it was impossible to find him for a picture let only meeting. The kids went home feeling disappointed. We felt bad because we spent so much money that we saved for this special trip.

    1. DK

      You have to schedule meet and greets with the characters and I think it costs money. That’s messed up.

  13. m_toyman

    Flew into Jacksonville late Aug for the Steelers preseason vs the Jags on Saturday. Well, we decided to make it a longer weekend and drive down on Sunday with my niece and her boyfriend (they live in Jax and he’s from the Pitt area like me). Everyone said it was a “slow” time as kids return to school. The last time I was there was for a week in March 2002 and my wife and I stayed at the Contemporary. Heck – I think we spent more money in one day for 4 people than we did for the entire week for two (minus hotel). It was hot -but whatever it was August. The lines were miserable, no cast members in sight – unless in a store or food kisok, no bands in Main Street, shops were crowded. Like how many do they let in? The parking seemed empty too. I have fond memories of DW from the 70’s as a little kid. Also of DL…. But I don’t think I’ll ever go back. Way too expensive for what you get. I can go other places with my remarks (about other visitors) but I’ll just leave that alone too – we’ll except that they are in the USA…. Don’t yell at a cast member for not speaking your language. (I saw it more than once – grown ups getting angry at cast members for not undergo their language).

  14. Tom Peters

    No need to raise prices,, Just cut Chapeck’s bonus. I never got a bonus if I saved someone’s life.

  15. LAGreg

    I live in Los Angeles. I can go to Disneyland anytime I want but I don’t. I couldn’t afford it… and I have a really good job! The prices are astonishingly high to get in, to eat, to park and get souvenirs. And when I leave, I’m home in 45 minutes. I can’t imagine also having to pay for hotel, flights and meals outside the park. There is an entire population in America that can never go. In fact, there are thousands of people who live within a few miles of Disneyland who will never get to go. Never. The guy who works at the car shop just down the road could never afford to bring his wife and three kids even for just one day. It would be a month’s salary. What does that say…?

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