Disney World Guest Says “Never Again” After Horrible Recent Experience

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EPCOT Food and Wine Crowds

Credit: Inside the Magic

Disney World Guests are plenty. The Disney Resort found in Orlando, Central Florida attracts millions year after year, with post-pandemic attendance seeing a boom, especially after international travel to the United States resumed. However, there are parts of the year that many Guests look to avoid. While some lean into seasonal times like Halloween, Easter, and Thanksgiving, a lot of fans will steer clear. And for one Disney World Guest, she says it’s “never again” for her family after a recent visit to The Most Magical Place on Earth.

Child wearing Mickey Mouse hat with parents in front of Cinderella Castle
Credit: Disney

Even with the Park Pass and Park Hopper services in place, Disney World retains its notoriety of being one of the busiest theme park Resorts on the planet. Boasting four theme parks, including Magic Kingdom Park and EPCOT Park, Disney World brings in millions to Orlando, Florida, each year.

Disney Parks revenue increased in Fiscal Q1 thanks to heightened prices across Park tickets, Resort stays, food, beverage, and merchandise, in addition to the utilization of Disney Genie+ and the a la carte Individual Lightning Lane Selections. Many fans have called out the expense of a Disney World trip, even with perks like Early Theme Park Entry and certain dining offers, with newly reinstated CEO Bob Iger also calling out theme park pricing. But that hasn’t stopped attendance from spiking, leaving some days completely out of Park Passes and even selling out of Disney Genie+.

Mickey Mouse in front of Cinderella Castle during the 50th Anniversary
Credit: Disney

Related: Disney Issues Statement Regarding TRON Lightcycle Fiasco at Magic Kingdom

Currently, the Parks are entertaining Spring Break crowds — something which saw both Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios fully booked for those wanting to visit the Parks at rope-drop last week. This, teamed with Annual Passholder previews for Disney World’s newest attraction TRON Lightcycle / Run in Tomorrowland, has made for a busy Resort this March.

And for one Guest, she and her family have said they are “totally over” visiting the Lake Buena Vista-located Disney Resort at peak Spring Break time.

TRON Lightcycle / Run Lightcycles operating under the Upload Conduit at night
Credit: Disney

Disney World Guests say never again.

Writing for Insider, Jill Robbins details her experience as a family of four navigating Spring Break 2022 at Walt Disney World Resort and why she is now firmly on the “never again” side of things. Robbins begins by stating that they planned to rope-drop Magic Kingdom, but judging by the “wall-to-wall” bodies, they weren’t the only family with this idea. Aiming for the Park’s Lightning Lane attraction, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, the family was disappointed that the popular coaster was already posting a 65-minute wait in the standby line.

Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom
Credit: Disney

Robbins goes on to say that the “pure chaos” at Orlando International Airport (MCO), the main transportation link for those traveling into Florida to visit the Parks, added to the overall stress of the Disney vacation. The Disney World Guests also detailed their plight to get Disney Genie+ to work favorably for them during their visit but to no avail; the family ended up waiting over three hours for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in EPCOT’s World Showcase. The wait for the attraction left “everyone grumpy,” says Robbins.

Remy's Ratatouille Adventure
Credit: Disney

She ends by saying that due to the crowds, Genie+ troubles, and general travel chaos of MCO, her “family is done with the annual mess of long lines and extra costs.”

Spring Break crowds are here.

While this happened in 2022, the Spring Break season does not look to be slowing down one year later. In fact, Orlando International Airport is expecting 7.3 million travelers to pass through the airport between March 4 and April 18. The airport tweeted:

Spring Break is here and it’s about to be busyyyy! Approximately 7.3 million travelers are expected to pass through the airport over the 46-day Spring Break travel period which starts tomorrow, March 4th, and runs through April 18th.

Related: Disney Park Overtaken By Massive, Hectic Crowds

The airport said the 7.3 million travelers expected accounts for a 13% increase — or another 1 million people — versus last year’s same-like period. The busiest day at MCO, according to their own website, is March 25, 2023, which will see an estimated 172,929 passengers arrive or depart from Orlando International.

A tourism hub in the Sunshine State, it can be expected many of these passengers will be heading out to the theme parks Florida has to offer, such as Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort. The period acknowledged by MCO also encompasses Easter weekend.

Have you ever been to Disney World over Spring Break? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!

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