Random Disney Thoughts

Mention the word “Disney” to 100 different people and you will get 100 different thoughts. They say it’s important to be passionate in life, does that apply to the ever controversial “Disney Adult”?

I have been to Walt Disney World over 25 times in the last 15 years and I definitely have opinions on everything from rides and food to resorts and perks. Let’s dive in!

WDW is my second home!

One of the best things about visiting Walt Disney World is staying on property, in the heart of the magic! Disney is not cheap, and has never been cheap! I can understand why families traveling a big group want to stay in a rental home, but it’s not always cheaper.

I am lucky that I get to stay in a Deluxe Resort on most of my visit’s. My usual home away from home is Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa. The resort is large, mostly quiet, with amazing pools! It is walking to Disney Springs, or you can the water ferry. It is also pretty central to each of the theme parks which makes for a shorter bus ride. The rooms have all been recently renovated and are so calming and comfortable. I honestly can’t wait to be back!

Trying to pick my favourite things is a real challenge! I love Magic Kingdom popcorn, chocolate mousse from the France Pavilion in Epcot, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, sing along to songs in the Festival of Fantasy parade and cry at the Happily Ever after fireworks. Being in the parks, even with the hot whether and crazy crowds, is calming to me. Being able to wear themed T-shirts, carry WDW fanny packs and backpacks makes me smile and I’m a sucker for anything with Mickey Mouse on it.

Disney doesn’t owe you anything.

The Walt Disney Company has theme parks, resorts, media and so much more around the world. They offer so much joy and magic but people seem to think they are “owed” more.

People have forgotten that anything over and above what is promised on a ticket, is not something that is owed to anyone.

This is important to keep in mind when buying an annual pass or Disney Vacation Club membership. The sense of entitlement is getting out of control! When Disney does offer discounts, freebies or specials the most common response is “they should be doing more/offering more/etc”. They don’t have to. If you make a decision to purchase a ticket, you are agreeing to the current offerings. Anything that is provided above that is extra and not owed to you.

Also, stop asking for “pixie dust”! Pixie Dust is a term typically used for getting gifted everything from a free snack to a major room upgrade. Now a days, it seems like everyone thinks they should get something for free just because it’s their birthday/anniversary/etc. People have also resorted to lying about beating illnesses such as cancer. It’s gross. I got a free ice cream sundae once and I loved it. I don’t ever expect anything, and if I’m gifted something, I’m grateful.

If I could make a wish…

If I could have a sit down with the powers that be, I’m looking at you Bob, I would make the following wishes:

1. Reusable resort mugs should be able to be reactivated! I love getting a resort mug for my stay. They are $21.99 USD and are active for the length of your stay. They are great for those hot resort days spent by the pool. Wonderful for taking your drink on the go. But what to do with them after the trip. For a company that prides itself on conservation, it would be great if, for a lower fee, we could reactivate it.
2. Less tickets sold for parties. I personally LOVE the Disney After Hours events because the crowd size is much much lower! While the Halloween and Christmas parties are amazing, with so much to offer, the crowds are nuts! You definitely can’t do everything and that can lead to some much disappointment.
3. Crack down on DVC rental companies. Disney Vacation Club is not cheap but one of the biggest perks is being able to stay in deluxe resorts. Sadly, this has become much more difficult in the last couple of years with the emergence of DVC rental companies. These places will book up resorts, often for only a couple of nights, and then advertise the bookings, which makes is really hard for DVC members to make legitimate reservations.
4. Don’t allow people to hold tables! Now I’m talking mostly during the busiest meal times, but in general I don’t think a family just arriving at a quick service dining location should get to save a table for 8 people, when there are families who now have their food looking for a seat. There are a couple of places in WDW where this is especially bad, and I think Disney needs to do something about it.

Just calm down!

Stop blaming the cast members for things beyond their control. The cast member at the ride entrance did not create the ride nor did they decide on the heigh requirements. Standing and screaming at a cast member is only going to accomplish one thing, getting yourself and your family, kicked out and potentially banned for life.

Also, The Walt Disney Company did not create inflation. Yes, it can be incredibly frustrating when prices go up, but it’s really important to keep in mind that the cost of living is going up EVERYWHERE!! You know how expensive groceries are for you? Well, this about the amount of food Disney has to purchase for the parks and resorts. Remember how the cost of lumber went up 400% during COVID? Well, all building materials went up for every one, including Disney. If the cost goes up for us, the cost is going up for them as well. Again, I’m not saying it’s easy to deal with, I get really annoyed as well, but as I’ve mentioned before, Disney was NEVER cheap!!

Everyone wants new rides, updated resorts, great merch and so much more, but where do they think the money is going to come from? Are people expecting The Walt Disney Company to just keep upgrading things without actually making money?

Speaking of rides…

Most theme parks try to create rides that are as inclusive as they can be. Generally this just means, large or small, you can ride. Whenever Disney opens a new ride, the amount of larger guests that complain is insane. Should Disney only be catering to the larger guest? You know who rarely complains about the new rides? Those of us that suffer from motion sickness.

Don’t you think we would love to be on those super fun, amazing rides with our friends and family? But, we accept the fact that large thrill rides are the norm and we carry on. We don’t post crazy Tik Toks or bash the company. We sit with the bags, waiting to hear all about the ride. While I agree that rides should be created to service the majority of people, Disney, like all other theme parks, will make fun and imaginative rides. And if they can’t accommodate you, accept it and move on.

Genie+ isn’t all that bad!

Genie+ (Lighting Lane) is better than Fast Passes. I said what I said! Hear me out. While yes, the fast pass system of old allowed you to pick your 3 rides 60 days prior to your trip, and it was free. However, there was lots of complaints about how you couldn’t get one for the popular or new rides. This also meant committing to your park plans, with very little room to change. Genie+ was announced in early 2019 (not a response to COVID as some believe), although it wouldn’t come into play until years later.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand that budgeting for yet another piece of a WDW trip is aggravating to many, but here’s why I personally thing its better. It levels the field. Everyone has the same chance to get any ride they want (those staying on property have slightly earlier access). You don’t have to commit months in advance and it allows for a certain level of flexibility for your day. I’m not going to lie, it was clunky and little confusing but with a little patience, you could handle it.

The choice is still yours.

Because it was a paid for system, far fewer people used it, this meant that, in general, the standby lines where shorter. Through various updates, perks like photo filters, games and ride photos where included in the purchase. I think it got so much hate because as we came out of the COVID pandemic and park closures, people wanted things to go back to “normal”.

Genie+ has changed again, it is now Lightning Lane Multi Pass/Single Pass. Now you can make 3 selections prior to arriving for your vacation (WDW packages). People are still complaining, but everyone needs to remember, this is here to stay. If you really don’t like it, here are your options. 1. Don’t buy it. So simple! 2. Buy it, use it, have fun! 3. Don’t go to Walt Disney World.

How would Walt feel?

I’m not going to pretend that Walt Disney World, or the Walt Disney Company, are perfect. They are far far from it. However, people seem to hold Disney to different standards but need to remember that they are a company that is in the business of making money. Literally like all businesses. Do people know they have the option of *not* going?

And to those that say “Walt would hate what has become of the parks”, really? You know what a man, a business man, who died over 50 years, thinks? I personally think Walt would want to charge more. I think Walt Disney would want to ensure that that people are getting value for their tickets.

The fact is, we don’t know what he would think. All we can do is continue to believe in the magic.