Walt Disney World Resort may be The Most Magical Place on Earth, but it’s no secret that it takes months of planning for a successful Disney vacation. From making Park Pass Reservations to Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT to booking dining reservations throughout the Disney Parks, Resort hotels, and Disney Springs, it can be intimidating for first-time Guests!
The planning doesn’t stop when you arrive. Guests can purchase Disney Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes to skip lengthy attraction wait times, but both services require booking ride arrival windows. Even if you go without Lightning Lane, some attractions require waking up at 6 a.m. to book a free virtual queue.
This week, first-time visitor Kelsey Rhae (@thekelseyrhae) spoke to her 800,000 followers on TikTok about not enjoying her Spring Break trip to Walt Disney World Resort. The Guest said it was the last visit for her extended family of eleven people as they struggled to find places to eat and schedule ride times with Genie+:
@thekelseyrhae Replying to @pearsonalexis31 honest disney review
“You have to schedule your ride, and sometimes you find yourself still waiting,” Kelsey said. “In my personal opinion, sometimes the ride that we rode… weren’t that great.”
“Unless you make reservations at a restaurant, which, there was no reservations anywhere, the food’s disgusting,” she continued. “Which makes sense because you can’t serve a lot of people in a short amount of time with high-quality food, so I understand that.”
Kelsey said she didn’t regret coming but felt her kids would most remember dancing in the rain over any Walt Disney World Resort attractions. “I could spend five to ten thousand dollars taking my kids out of country to really experience something that’s going to impact their life in a massive way.”
Many Disney Parks fans commented, explaining that planning a successful large family vacation at Walt Disney World Resort takes a lot of work. “This is giving ‘I didn’t know what I was doing, so my experience was horrible,’” said @jordanleegreenwel.
“I just don’t understand people who drop $10k on a vacation and don’t research in advance to make the most of it,” @sarahb9871 agreed.
Thousands of comments echoed similar sentiments. “I suggest never traveling out of country because it requires just as much pre-planning if not more than Disney,” @swannimal wrote. “Everything is online – it’s on you.”
After responding to a few comments, Kelsey posted another video affirming her stance:
@thekelseyrhae Replying to @miss_anna_bea absolutely not. Disney is the real $cam
“The amount of people in my comments section saying, ‘Oh well, it was a bad experience because of poor planning. Oh, well, everyone knows you’re supposed to make reservations to eat at a restaurant 60 to 90 days in advance.’ Clearly, no. Not everybody knows that,” Kelsey said. “And what the f**k am I doing spending $2,000 on tickets to get into this Park if I have to plan a year in advance?… It don’t make no f**king sense.”
“This is going to p*ss a lot of people off, but Disney is over f**king rated,” she continued. “You are wasting your money, and at the end of it, you’re stressed the f**k out.”
Kelsey said that her kids’ favorite part of the trip was the pool at their vacation house and reiterated that she planned to take them on an international vacation next instead of going to the Disney Parks.
“All the kids will be able to say, ‘Yes, I’ve went to Disney,’” she concluded. “But I can promise you; we will never go again.”
Do you think a Walt Disney World Resort vacation requires too much planning? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments.
Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on a personal Disney Parks Guest experience. No two Guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Park operations.