Why do Disney vacationers seem uniquely subjected to social vitriol?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:We are annual WDW visitors (with DVC). We started taking our kids there because it was an easy trip where kid behavior was tolerated, and as kids grew, they could enjoy some degree of independence. Some of the PPs are correct that the Disney Bounding adults are difficult. An example... we took our grandson to the MK Halloween Party in an adorable Donald Duck costume and he wanted to meet Donald, but the line was 1.5 hours long, with the vast majority being 20-somethings. If only Disney would reserve certain times for little kids or have multiples of some characters, etc. I don't want to deny them their fun, but their sheer numbers and passion/exuberance sometimes do make things hard for families.

Disney is for anyone. It’s not “for kids.”

No, it is for kids, pathetic adults have glommed onto Disney as part of their identity.

Nope.

Why does a grown adult want to meet another adult in a costume pretending to be a cartoon character? My kids are only barely interested in meeting characters. I definitely wouldn’t stand in line by myself. Last time we had to stand in line behind two grown men who wanted to meet Moana. I felt bad for Moana having to meet these two creepers.

You don’t need to understand. Their ticket cost more than your kid’s did.

I’m quite sure my family of 5 dropped far more than those creepy losers did during our stay.

Stay mad. Keep name-calling. It will
change nothing. They are just as allowed to stand in line as you are.

I didn’t say they weren’t allowed. I said they were creepy men. If you do that you will be judged.

A PP was saying her grandson should get his own line for Donald Duck with no adults allowed.

Nope. That’s not how Disney works. No matter whom you feel compelled to “judge.”

I can judge all day. And Disney did give all these stunted adults the middle finger when they discontinued the DAS program for all but some kids. Those people were abusing the passes and got cut off and boy, how they howled. Disney knows which visitors pay the bills.

Never said you couldn’t judge. That’s clearly all you do. But those adults are not doing anything wrong or breaking any rules per Disney and little Larlo will need to wait for Donald Duck with them and everyone else. Deal with it.

I don’t deal at all since we do the Premier Pass. We just happened to pass by Moana and it looked like no line except for the creepy dorks. Even my kids wondered what those guys were up to. Hope they weren’t inappropriate with poor Moana.

You seem very unkind and unfriendly. I’m sorry for whoever hurt you.

Oh, if you actually had premier pass (you didn’t) you would know that character meets are not included. Hope that helps!

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The reason people (here) hate it is because it is a cross section of the US population. They are forced to see outside their bubble and acknowledge that yes there are fat Walmart moms among us as well us unrefined slobs wearing shirts and people who yell at their kids. And adults who like rollercoasters and dole whips and parents who make vacation all about the kids. If you can’t unwind and enjoy for a couple of days then keep taking your kids to boring history museums around the world, we’re having way more fun at Disney.

What this post reminds me of is that I don't think any rollercoaster is worth waiting more than 15 minutes for. I have read about the rise of bookable rides, special passes, and all the rest of the revenue extraction mechanisms. I think there is a very poor value for money at Disney on busy days. I remember as a kid deciding that Space Mountain wasn't worth 90 minutes of wait. I eventually got to try it years later and it was a dull experience. I do not like crowds and wasted time. And Dole Whip IS an inferior dessert.

lol ok so basically no fun at all.

PP. How about too smart to overpay for a mediocre experience?

Have you ever been to one of these parks on a low attendance day when you can walk on to rides? That is awesome. Re: rollercoasters specifically, Cedar Point is a good example. In the summer you can wait 2 hours in a line, surrounded by morons who smell like weed, to take one 3 minute ride. Or, on a grey evening in early fall, you can throw on a sweatshirt and ride 10 times. If you actually like roller coasters, which is more fun?

Disney overcharges now. They keep perfecting revenue extraction. When I was a kid, a character "experience" was randomly encountering a costumed worker serendipitous strolling the park. Now it's a paid bookable thing that costs extra. Is it really different to the little kid after? They got a hug and a photo. But the parents now might be $400 poorer.

This is not about pure fun. It's about the fun value per $ ratio.

Here's a Europe example. Going up in the Eiffel Tower costs money and takes a lot of time. And honestly is not that interesting if you don't understand what the tiny ground-level features are that you are looking at. Seeing the Eiffel Tower do its sparkle show at night from across the river is a fun, free, and quick way to "see" the Eiffel Tower.

I just went to LA at Christmas and I wanted to take my kids to a park, but I skipped it because the crowd estimates indicated that we might only be able to do a handful of rides in exchange for $100+ tickets. And the weather was predicted to be dicey. Universal Studios no longer allows just a studio tour. The price is dramatically inflated because they've added just a few rollercoasters and experience areas. They literally have made things a worse value since I went as a kid. And a lot of the features are from old movies that my kids can't even relate to.

I’ve had some amazing days at Disney. But sure, if you want to mosey into a park at 11 am with no plan or strategy on a school holiday, you’re going to a pay a premium for a miserable time.

Everything is crowded now. Too many people are always trying to do the same things. If it was dead it would probably be because it's run down and nobody wants to go there.

There's a great NY Time article about Disney which juxtaposes the experience of a wealthy man paying whatever to take his daughter through and a working class family that scrimps and saves to make it happen. TLDR is the wealthy dad and daughter have an amazing great trip, see everything and do everything they want while the working class family really struggles and misses out on a lot.

I did not take my kids when they were little, although I went as a little kid and didn't really care for it. Many families around us went and I never judged them for it, it's just not my cup of tea.

That article was weird. The blue collar family was staying for well over a week, missed out on the lightning lane windows, waited in line longer, etc. They could have stayed on property for fewer days, booked the LL 7 days out and done it all spending about the same amount of money in a shorter stay.

Why should you need a degree in Disney just to visit?

Feels like shopping at Safeway where you need to go through the weekly specials, then the digital coupons, then the just4u specials then the online shopping specials then the manufacturer coupons. Or you could just go to Aldi.

In travel terms, just go to a state or national park or a museum.

You wouldn't dare show up to Paris without figuring out how to visit the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Versailles, or any other main attractions first. This is how life is now. Everything is crowded, plan ahead.

Got to a national park? Hope you got your tickets as soon as the window opened. Maybe it as 30 days in advance, maybe it was a year in advance. It all takes planning and coordination. You can't just roll up with your camper to Yosemite on a whim.

I travel.for work with occasional down days and I've had trips where I took the train to places like Florence, Leiden or Ghent and just wandered around and had a great time. You can actually vacation without being constantly on your phone like Disney demands.

With 3 small kids? Sounds like a recipe for disaster. Disney is a family trip. Traveling with a family requires planning. You can't just wander around, sit in a cafe and smoke and read a book pretending to be chic with kids in tow.

Literally did Leiden on impulse with 3 kids (including my nephews) and it went fine. We went to the Hortus Botanicus and the fort and got Stroopwaffles at the market.

People way exaggerate the difficulty of Disney planning. Obviously you had to get transport to Leiden, Google attractions, where to eat, and how to get around. For Disney once you read, um, one paragraph on lightning lanes you are good to go. The difference is actually that Disney has *so much* to do that most people do want to do additional research to decide what to do when.

Basically if you want to ride the major rides you either have to shell out or massively time everything. Otherwise riding the popular rides is over an hour in line.

Jenny Nichols digs into this in that massive Star Wars hotel video (she, like me, is a former employee). The frustration of taking things that were free and putting them behind payrolls and making it harder to go to the parks.

So going to Leiden with my family didn't actually require googling because I was with family who k own the area. But even with a current Disney employee who knows the parks well, you have to watch apps dor ride times and when you can get on rides. It's messy and much more phone dependent than a standard outing.

You chose a city with fewer attractions so it was easier to navigate. Doesn’t take a genius to figure that out. The point about the Disney top rides is that they are the top rides in the world - Guardians of the Galaxy is a $1 billion dollar marvel of engineering and entertainment. So yes it is worth doing the (tiny) amount of planning - likely no different than going to the Eiffel Tower - to ride it. There are like 2 rides at Disney that require that level of planning (Guardians and Slinky) and if you like rides the effort is 100% worth it. You’re comparing apples and oranges and declaring oranges superior. There is zero comparison between Guardians of the Galaxy and having a cookie in a suburban Dutch town.

NP. I vote for the cookie in Leiden any day.

Borrrring

If you've never had a fresh stroopwaffle, you're missing out. A dole whip doesn't come close.

Sure keep telling yourself that your kids really had SO MUCH FUN eating a fresh stroopwaffle in Leiden - they would definitely not have enjoyed Disneyworld at all. Maybe the history of stroopwaffle will become their area of special interest for their college applications in 10 years. Good to think ahead.

This is so deranged.

Also, I have taken my kid to Disney. He's had dole whip. Again, I used to work at the Magic Kingdom. The cult attitude toward basic Disney stuff like soft serve and hot dogs is so bizarre.

To be clear my comment was not about dole whip in isolation. It was about fooling yourself into thinking your kids would rather have a local cookie in a suburban Dutch city than go to Disneyworld.

I mean, literally yes? Because my kid wants to visit his cousins. My kid hasn't asked to go back to Disney.

Not really the flex you think it is.

A lot of kids do grow out of Disney but you shouldn’t discourage your kid from liking kid things.

Sounds like the kid is an only and has to enjoy what his parents want to do because they aren’t into kids.

As a former Disney employee, this is actually more what adults do to their kids. The kid would rather just have pool time or feed popcorn to a bird and the parent is stressing out about making sure their kid rides Haunted Mansion or whatever. And then they get upset when their kid isn't enjoying every second because mom and dad paid so much money to be there.

Then my colleagues and I would swoop in with our little games, pins, and stickers to diffuse the situation. It was surprisingly effective.

As you say, many of them would prefer the pool.

We never took our kids because a family at school described a miserable experience queueing all day for three rides with their kids pleading to go back to the hotel to play in the pool.

We did take them to real medieval castles to play with catapults and bows and arrows, and to the Great Barrier Reef to see the sealife, and to mountains around the world to ski.

Now that they are adults, they haven't taken themselves to Disney World, so don't seem too emotionally deprived

So you are judging something you haven’t tried.

Maybe.

But I don't understand the concept of "having" to take your kids to Disney, which seems to be the result of very effective marketing.

I did take them to some other low key amusement parks, but they didn't require any fast passes or prebooking or in depth research.

No more so than “having” to take your kids to Europe or teaching them to ski.

Taking your kids on a trip to another country broadens their horizons.

Taking your kids to Disney is just inculcating them to be mindless consumers of the plastic garbage of a corporate giant.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:We are annual WDW visitors (with DVC). We started taking our kids there because it was an easy trip where kid behavior was tolerated, and as kids grew, they could enjoy some degree of independence. Some of the PPs are correct that the Disney Bounding adults are difficult. An example... we took our grandson to the MK Halloween Party in an adorable Donald Duck costume and he wanted to meet Donald, but the line was 1.5 hours long, with the vast majority being 20-somethings. If only Disney would reserve certain times for little kids or have multiples of some characters, etc. I don't want to deny them their fun, but their sheer numbers and passion/exuberance sometimes do make things hard for families.

Disney is for anyone. It’s not “for kids.”

No, it is for kids, pathetic adults have glommed onto Disney as part of their identity.

Nope.

Why does a grown adult want to meet another adult in a costume pretending to be a cartoon character? My kids are only barely interested in meeting characters. I definitely wouldn’t stand in line by myself. Last time we had to stand in line behind two grown men who wanted to meet Moana. I felt bad for Moana having to meet these two creepers.

You don’t need to understand. Their ticket cost more than your kid’s did.

I’m quite sure my family of 5 dropped far more than those creepy losers did during our stay.

Stay mad. Keep name-calling. It will
change nothing. They are just as allowed to stand in line as you are.

I didn’t say they weren’t allowed. I said they were creepy men. If you do that you will be judged.

A PP was saying her grandson should get his own line for Donald Duck with no adults allowed.

Nope. That’s not how Disney works. No matter whom you feel compelled to “judge.”

I can judge all day. And Disney did give all these stunted adults the middle finger when they discontinued the DAS program for all but some kids. Those people were abusing the passes and got cut off and boy, how they howled. Disney knows which visitors pay the bills.

Never said you couldn’t judge. That’s clearly all you do. But those adults are not doing anything wrong or breaking any rules per Disney and little Larlo will need to wait for Donald Duck with them and everyone else. Deal with it.

I don’t deal at all since we do the Premier Pass. We just happened to pass by Moana and it looked like no line except for the creepy dorks. Even my kids wondered what those guys were up to. Hope they weren’t inappropriate with poor Moana.

You seem very unkind and unfriendly. I’m sorry for whoever hurt you.

Oh, if you actually had premier pass (you didn’t) you would know that character meets are not included. Hope that helps!

No shit Sherlock. Noticed how I said we were passing by and stopped in because the line looked short? Are you the ding bat who also thinks reservations are 6 months out? You tried to mock me for waiting in line behind the Disney adults and but for one random character meet and greet we largely avoid all those people.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:We are annual WDW visitors (with DVC). We started taking our kids there because it was an easy trip where kid behavior was tolerated, and as kids grew, they could enjoy some degree of independence. Some of the PPs are correct that the Disney Bounding adults are difficult. An example... we took our grandson to the MK Halloween Party in an adorable Donald Duck costume and he wanted to meet Donald, but the line was 1.5 hours long, with the vast majority being 20-somethings. If only Disney would reserve certain times for little kids or have multiples of some characters, etc. I don't want to deny them their fun, but their sheer numbers and passion/exuberance sometimes do make things hard for families.

Disney is for anyone. It’s not “for kids.”

No, it is for kids, pathetic adults have glommed onto Disney as part of their identity.

Nope.

Why does a grown adult want to meet another adult in a costume pretending to be a cartoon character? My kids are only barely interested in meeting characters. I definitely wouldn’t stand in line by myself. Last time we had to stand in line behind two grown men who wanted to meet Moana. I felt bad for Moana having to meet these two creepers.

You don’t need to understand. Their ticket cost more than your kid’s did.

I’m quite sure my family of 5 dropped far more than those creepy losers did during our stay.

Stay mad. Keep name-calling. It will
change nothing. They are just as allowed to stand in line as you are.

I didn’t say they weren’t allowed. I said they were creepy men. If you do that you will be judged.

A PP was saying her grandson should get his own line for Donald Duck with no adults allowed.

Nope. That’s not how Disney works. No matter whom you feel compelled to “judge.”

I can judge all day. And Disney did give all these stunted adults the middle finger when they discontinued the DAS program for all but some kids. Those people were abusing the passes and got cut off and boy, how they howled. Disney knows which visitors pay the bills.

Never said you couldn’t judge. That’s clearly all you do. But those adults are not doing anything wrong or breaking any rules per Disney and little Larlo will need to wait for Donald Duck with them and everyone else. Deal with it.

I don’t deal at all since we do the Premier Pass. We just happened to pass by Moana and it looked like no line except for the creepy dorks. Even my kids wondered what those guys were up to. Hope they weren’t inappropriate with poor Moana.

You seem very unkind and unfriendly. I’m sorry for whoever hurt you.

I’m sorry you feel called out and are very defensive here.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:We are annual WDW visitors (with DVC). We started taking our kids there because it was an easy trip where kid behavior was tolerated, and as kids grew, they could enjoy some degree of independence. Some of the PPs are correct that the Disney Bounding adults are difficult. An example... we took our grandson to the MK Halloween Party in an adorable Donald Duck costume and he wanted to meet Donald, but the line was 1.5 hours long, with the vast majority being 20-somethings. If only Disney would reserve certain times for little kids or have multiples of some characters, etc. I don't want to deny them their fun, but their sheer numbers and passion/exuberance sometimes do make things hard for families.

Disney is for anyone. It’s not “for kids.”

No, it is for kids, pathetic adults have glommed onto Disney as part of their identity.

Nope.

Why does a grown adult want to meet another adult in a costume pretending to be a cartoon character? My kids are only barely interested in meeting characters. I definitely wouldn’t stand in line by myself. Last time we had to stand in line behind two grown men who wanted to meet Moana. I felt bad for Moana having to meet these two creepers.

You don’t need to understand. Their ticket cost more than your kid’s did.

I’m quite sure my family of 5 dropped far more than those creepy losers did during our stay.

Stay mad. Keep name-calling. It will
change nothing. They are just as allowed to stand in line as you are.

I didn’t say they weren’t allowed. I said they were creepy men. If you do that you will be judged.

A PP was saying her grandson should get his own line for Donald Duck with no adults allowed.

Nope. That’s not how Disney works. No matter whom you feel compelled to “judge.”

I can judge all day. And Disney did give all these stunted adults the middle finger when they discontinued the DAS program for all but some kids. Those people were abusing the passes and got cut off and boy, how they howled. Disney knows which visitors pay the bills.

Never said you couldn’t judge. That’s clearly all you do. But those adults are not doing anything wrong or breaking any rules per Disney and little Larlo will need to wait for Donald Duck with them and everyone else. Deal with it.

I don’t deal at all since we do the Premier Pass. We just happened to pass by Moana and it looked like no line except for the creepy dorks. Even my kids wondered what those guys were up to. Hope they weren’t inappropriate with poor Moana.

You seem very unkind and unfriendly. I’m sorry for whoever hurt you.

Oh, if you actually had premier pass (you didn’t) you would know that character meets are not included. Hope that helps!

No shit Sherlock. Noticed how I said we were passing by and stopped in because the line looked short? Are you the ding bat who also thinks reservations are 6 months out? You tried to mock me for waiting in line behind the Disney adults and but for one random character meet and greet we largely avoid all those people.

You said you didn’t have to “deal” because you had premiere pass. But you were responding to a thread complaining about lines for Donald Duck. So yes, people with premier do have to “deal” with character lines. Hope that clears things up for you!

We are there several times a year and were there last week. I have no idea which PP you are talking about.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are annual WDW visitors (with DVC). We started taking our kids there because it was an easy trip where kid behavior was tolerated, and as kids grew, they could enjoy some degree of independence. Some of the PPs are correct that the Disney Bounding adults are difficult. An example... we took our grandson to the MK Halloween Party in an adorable Donald Duck costume and he wanted to meet Donald, but the line was 1.5 hours long, with the vast majority being 20-somethings. If only Disney would reserve certain times for little kids or have multiples of some characters, etc. I don't want to deny them their fun, but their sheer numbers and passion/exuberance sometimes do make things hard for families.

Disney is for anyone. It’s not “for kids.”

No, it is for kids, pathetic adults have glommed onto Disney as part of their identity.

Nope.

Why does a grown adult want to meet another adult in a costume pretending to be a cartoon character? My kids are only barely interested in meeting characters. I definitely wouldn’t stand in line by myself. Last time we had to stand in line behind two grown men who wanted to meet Moana. I felt bad for Moana having to meet these two creepers.

You don’t need to understand. Their ticket cost more than your kid’s did.

I’m quite sure my family of 5 dropped far more than those creepy losers did during our stay.

Stay mad. Keep name-calling. It will
change nothing. They are just as allowed to stand in line as you are.

I didn’t say they weren’t allowed. I said they were creepy men. If you do that you will be judged.

A PP was saying her grandson should get his own line for Donald Duck with no adults allowed.

Nope. That’s not how Disney works. No matter whom you feel compelled to “judge.”

I can judge all day. And Disney did give all these stunted adults the middle finger when they discontinued the DAS program for all but some kids. Those people were abusing the passes and got cut off and boy, how they howled. Disney knows which visitors pay the bills.

Never said you couldn’t judge. That’s clearly all you do. But those adults are not doing anything wrong or breaking any rules per Disney and little Larlo will need to wait for Donald Duck with them and everyone else. Deal with it.

I don’t deal at all since we do the Premier Pass. We just happened to pass by Moana and it looked like no line except for the creepy dorks. Even my kids wondered what those guys were up to. Hope they weren’t inappropriate with poor Moana.

You seem very unkind and unfriendly. I’m sorry for whoever hurt you.

I’m sorry you feel called out and are very defensive here.

I’m not the one who is upset there are lines at a theme park.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:“Disney Adults need to get a hobby,” or visiting Disney is a “red flag”, these are common refrains. Yet comparable judgments are rarely, if ever, leveled at enthusiasts of other vacations: no one derides someone for frequenting Vegas, summering at the beach, touring Europe annually, or relaxing in Hawaii.

Disney visitors aren’t imposing on anyone financially, socially, or logistically—they aren’t asking anyone to fund their trip, accompany them, or manage their home in their absence. So why does this particular leisure choice provoke such disproportionate judgment, moral superiority, and indignation?

For one thing, these groups aren't as large or identifiable as Disney people. I'm pretty sure people would deride someone who frequented Vegas, as there's not a lot of mental or physical stimulation going on unless you're a high stakes gambler (and then only mental). For another thing, touring Europe is about the opposite of going to Disney. One involves adventure and learning and trying new things. The other...does not. Do you need more reasons?

But, why do you care what other people do with their time and money? How does it affect you? Why do you need to mention it at all?

Well, OP asked the question so I answered it…

I have never otherwise commented on someone’s choice to spend their annual vacation at Disney. It’s not for me, but I don’t care if you do it or not. In fact, if more people did it there would be fewer people at the places I go to, so have at it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think if you took away all their photos and social media the luster would be gone for them. They seem to want to be this way for online bragging rights?

It would be an amazing social experiment to black box anyone having an experience. You get to have the experience, but no recording. Still happy?

I grew up near Disneyland and went on a regular basis as a kid. There were Disney adults then but no social media (I’m mid-40’s).

I don’t get it as an adult but I don’t really have a problem with people who like it, it’s just not my jam.

[Anonymous]

They are usually very uneducated. It's pathetic.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The reason people (here) hate it is because it is a cross section of the US population. They are forced to see outside their bubble and acknowledge that yes there are fat Walmart moms among us as well us unrefined slobs wearing shirts and people who yell at their kids. And adults who like rollercoasters and dole whips and parents who make vacation all about the kids. If you can’t unwind and enjoy for a couple of days then keep taking your kids to boring history museums around the world, we’re having way more fun at Disney.

What this post reminds me of is that I don't think any rollercoaster is worth waiting more than 15 minutes for. I have read about the rise of bookable rides, special passes, and all the rest of the revenue extraction mechanisms. I think there is a very poor value for money at Disney on busy days. I remember as a kid deciding that Space Mountain wasn't worth 90 minutes of wait. I eventually got to try it years later and it was a dull experience. I do not like crowds and wasted time. And Dole Whip IS an inferior dessert.

lol ok so basically no fun at all.

PP. How about too smart to overpay for a mediocre experience?

Have you ever been to one of these parks on a low attendance day when you can walk on to rides? That is awesome. Re: rollercoasters specifically, Cedar Point is a good example. In the summer you can wait 2 hours in a line, surrounded by morons who smell like weed, to take one 3 minute ride. Or, on a grey evening in early fall, you can throw on a sweatshirt and ride 10 times. If you actually like roller coasters, which is more fun?

Disney overcharges now. They keep perfecting revenue extraction. When I was a kid, a character "experience" was randomly encountering a costumed worker serendipitous strolling the park. Now it's a paid bookable thing that costs extra. Is it really different to the little kid after? They got a hug and a photo. But the parents now might be $400 poorer.

This is not about pure fun. It's about the fun value per $ ratio.

Here's a Europe example. Going up in the Eiffel Tower costs money and takes a lot of time. And honestly is not that interesting if you don't understand what the tiny ground-level features are that you are looking at. Seeing the Eiffel Tower do its sparkle show at night from across the river is a fun, free, and quick way to "see" the Eiffel Tower.

I just went to LA at Christmas and I wanted to take my kids to a park, but I skipped it because the crowd estimates indicated that we might only be able to do a handful of rides in exchange for $100+ tickets. And the weather was predicted to be dicey. Universal Studios no longer allows just a studio tour. The price is dramatically inflated because they've added just a few rollercoasters and experience areas. They literally have made things a worse value since I went as a kid. And a lot of the features are from old movies that my kids can't even relate to.

I’ve had some amazing days at Disney. But sure, if you want to mosey into a park at 11 am with no plan or strategy on a school holiday, you’re going to a pay a premium for a miserable time.

Everything is crowded now. Too many people are always trying to do the same things. If it was dead it would probably be because it's run down and nobody wants to go there.

There's a great NY Time article about Disney which juxtaposes the experience of a wealthy man paying whatever to take his daughter through and a working class family that scrimps and saves to make it happen. TLDR is the wealthy dad and daughter have an amazing great trip, see everything and do everything they want while the working class family really struggles and misses out on a lot.

I did not take my kids when they were little, although I went as a little kid and didn't really care for it. Many families around us went and I never judged them for it, it's just not my cup of tea.

That article was weird. The blue collar family was staying for well over a week, missed out on the lightning lane windows, waited in line longer, etc. They could have stayed on property for fewer days, booked the LL 7 days out and done it all spending about the same amount of money in a shorter stay.

Why should you need a degree in Disney just to visit?

Feels like shopping at Safeway where you need to go through the weekly specials, then the digital coupons, then the just4u specials then the online shopping specials then the manufacturer coupons. Or you could just go to Aldi.

In travel terms, just go to a state or national park or a museum.

You wouldn't dare show up to Paris without figuring out how to visit the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Versailles, or any other main attractions first. This is how life is now. Everything is crowded, plan ahead.

Got to a national park? Hope you got your tickets as soon as the window opened. Maybe it as 30 days in advance, maybe it was a year in advance. It all takes planning and coordination. You can't just roll up with your camper to Yosemite on a whim.

I travel.for work with occasional down days and I've had trips where I took the train to places like Florence, Leiden or Ghent and just wandered around and had a great time. You can actually vacation without being constantly on your phone like Disney demands.

With 3 small kids? Sounds like a recipe for disaster. Disney is a family trip. Traveling with a family requires planning. You can't just wander around, sit in a cafe and smoke and read a book pretending to be chic with kids in tow.

Actually, there are plenty of places you can travel to with kids without needing to plan it out like a Disney trip and then wake up to be on your phone right at 7 am to book the lightening lane passes. We took our kids when they were 8 and it was stupid the amount of time and money we spent to agonize over what time we had to be where. We’ve had much better vacations elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The reason people (here) hate it is because it is a cross section of the US population. They are forced to see outside their bubble and acknowledge that yes there are fat Walmart moms among us as well us unrefined slobs wearing shirts and people who yell at their kids. And adults who like rollercoasters and dole whips and parents who make vacation all about the kids. If you can’t unwind and enjoy for a couple of days then keep taking your kids to boring history museums around the world, we’re having way more fun at Disney.

What this post reminds me of is that I don't think any rollercoaster is worth waiting more than 15 minutes for. I have read about the rise of bookable rides, special passes, and all the rest of the revenue extraction mechanisms. I think there is a very poor value for money at Disney on busy days. I remember as a kid deciding that Space Mountain wasn't worth 90 minutes of wait. I eventually got to try it years later and it was a dull experience. I do not like crowds and wasted time. And Dole Whip IS an inferior dessert.

lol ok so basically no fun at all.

PP. How about too smart to overpay for a mediocre experience?

Have you ever been to one of these parks on a low attendance day when you can walk on to rides? That is awesome. Re: rollercoasters specifically, Cedar Point is a good example. In the summer you can wait 2 hours in a line, surrounded by morons who smell like weed, to take one 3 minute ride. Or, on a grey evening in early fall, you can throw on a sweatshirt and ride 10 times. If you actually like roller coasters, which is more fun?

Disney overcharges now. They keep perfecting revenue extraction. When I was a kid, a character "experience" was randomly encountering a costumed worker serendipitous strolling the park. Now it's a paid bookable thing that costs extra. Is it really different to the little kid after? They got a hug and a photo. But the parents now might be $400 poorer.

This is not about pure fun. It's about the fun value per $ ratio.

Here's a Europe example. Going up in the Eiffel Tower costs money and takes a lot of time. And honestly is not that interesting if you don't understand what the tiny ground-level features are that you are looking at. Seeing the Eiffel Tower do its sparkle show at night from across the river is a fun, free, and quick way to "see" the Eiffel Tower.

I just went to LA at Christmas and I wanted to take my kids to a park, but I skipped it because the crowd estimates indicated that we might only be able to do a handful of rides in exchange for $100+ tickets. And the weather was predicted to be dicey. Universal Studios no longer allows just a studio tour. The price is dramatically inflated because they've added just a few rollercoasters and experience areas. They literally have made things a worse value since I went as a kid. And a lot of the features are from old movies that my kids can't even relate to.

I’ve had some amazing days at Disney. But sure, if you want to mosey into a park at 11 am with no plan or strategy on a school holiday, you’re going to a pay a premium for a miserable time.

Everything is crowded now. Too many people are always trying to do the same things. If it was dead it would probably be because it's run down and nobody wants to go there.

There's a great NY Time article about Disney which juxtaposes the experience of a wealthy man paying whatever to take his daughter through and a working class family that scrimps and saves to make it happen. TLDR is the wealthy dad and daughter have an amazing great trip, see everything and do everything they want while the working class family really struggles and misses out on a lot.

I did not take my kids when they were little, although I went as a little kid and didn't really care for it. Many families around us went and I never judged them for it, it's just not my cup of tea.

That article was weird. The blue collar family was staying for well over a week, missed out on the lightning lane windows, waited in line longer, etc. They could have stayed on property for fewer days, booked the LL 7 days out and done it all spending about the same amount of money in a shorter stay.

Why should you need a degree in Disney just to visit?

Feels like shopping at Safeway where you need to go through the weekly specials, then the digital coupons, then the just4u specials then the online shopping specials then the manufacturer coupons. Or you could just go to Aldi.

In travel terms, just go to a state or national park or a museum.

You wouldn't dare show up to Paris without figuring out how to visit the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Versailles, or any other main attractions first. This is how life is now. Everything is crowded, plan ahead.

Got to a national park? Hope you got your tickets as soon as the window opened. Maybe it as 30 days in advance, maybe it was a year in advance. It all takes planning and coordination. You can't just roll up with your camper to Yosemite on a whim.

I travel.for work with occasional down days and I've had trips where I took the train to places like Florence, Leiden or Ghent and just wandered around and had a great time. You can actually vacation without being constantly on your phone like Disney demands.

With 3 small kids? Sounds like a recipe for disaster. Disney is a family trip. Traveling with a family requires planning. You can't just wander around, sit in a cafe and smoke and read a book pretending to be chic with kids in tow.

Literally did Leiden on impulse with 3 kids (including my nephews) and it went fine. We went to the Hortus Botanicus and the fort and got Stroopwaffles at the market.

People way exaggerate the difficulty of Disney planning. Obviously you had to get transport to Leiden, Google attractions, where to eat, and how to get around. For Disney once you read, um, one paragraph on lightning lanes you are good to go. The difference is actually that Disney has *so much* to do that most people do want to do additional research to decide what to do when.

Basically if you want to ride the major rides you either have to shell out or massively time everything. Otherwise riding the popular rides is over an hour in line.

Jenny Nichols digs into this in that massive Star Wars hotel video (she, like me, is a former employee). The frustration of taking things that were free and putting them behind payrolls and making it harder to go to the parks.

So going to Leiden with my family didn't actually require googling because I was with family who k own the area. But even with a current Disney employee who knows the parks well, you have to watch apps dor ride times and when you can get on rides. It's messy and much more phone dependent than a standard outing.

No, it’s really not but you are determined to dig your heels in. You could just walk up and wait in line.

Sorry, but some of us had much better things to do than stand in line for two hours for a 90-second ride.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:We are annual WDW visitors (with DVC). We started taking our kids there because it was an easy trip where kid behavior was tolerated, and as kids grew, they could enjoy some degree of independence. Some of the PPs are correct that the Disney Bounding adults are difficult. An example... we took our grandson to the MK Halloween Party in an adorable Donald Duck costume and he wanted to meet Donald, but the line was 1.5 hours long, with the vast majority being 20-somethings. If only Disney would reserve certain times for little kids or have multiples of some characters, etc. I don't want to deny them their fun, but their sheer numbers and passion/exuberance sometimes do make things hard for families.

Disney is for anyone. It’s not “for kids.”

No, it is for kids, pathetic adults have glommed onto Disney as part of their identity.

Nope.

Why does a grown adult want to meet another adult in a costume pretending to be a cartoon character? My kids are only barely interested in meeting characters. I definitely wouldn’t stand in line by myself. Last time we had to stand in line behind two grown men who wanted to meet Moana. I felt bad for Moana having to meet these two creepers.

You don’t need to understand. Their ticket cost more than your kid’s did.

I’m quite sure my family of 5 dropped far more than those creepy losers did during our stay.

Stay mad. Keep name-calling. It will
change nothing. They are just as allowed to stand in line as you are.

I didn’t say they weren’t allowed. I said they were creepy men. If you do that you will be judged.

A PP was saying her grandson should get his own line for Donald Duck with no adults allowed.

Nope. That’s not how Disney works. No matter whom you feel compelled to “judge.”

I can judge all day. And Disney did give all these stunted adults the middle finger when they discontinued the DAS program for all but some kids. Those people were abusing the passes and got cut off and boy, how they howled. Disney knows which visitors pay the bills.

Never said you couldn’t judge. That’s clearly all you do. But those adults are not doing anything wrong or breaking any rules per Disney and little Larlo will need to wait for Donald Duck with them and everyone else. Deal with it.

I don’t deal at all since we do the Premier Pass. We just happened to pass by Moana and it looked like no line except for the creepy dorks. Even my kids wondered what those guys were up to. Hope they weren’t inappropriate with poor Moana.

You seem very unkind and unfriendly. I’m sorry for whoever hurt you.

Oh, if you actually had premier pass (you didn’t) you would know that character meets are not included. Hope that helps!

No shit Sherlock. Noticed how I said we were passing by and stopped in because the line looked short? Are you the ding bat who also thinks reservations are 6 months out? You tried to mock me for waiting in line behind the Disney adults and but for one random character meet and greet we largely avoid all those people.

You said you didn’t have to “deal” because you had premiere pass. But you were responding to a thread complaining about lines for Donald Duck. So yes, people with premier do have to “deal” with character lines. Hope that clears things up for you!

We are there several times a year and were there last week. I have no idea which PP you are talking about.

I’m agreeing with Donald Duck poster that these people are annoying, the DD was just one example that poster provided in their larger point. If you are confused that there are multiple posters that’s on you. Different people share different experiences and provide examples. But that poster and the topic of this thread is “Disney vacationers” not just limited to character meet and greets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are usually very uneducated. It's pathetic.

A whole group of us mes school graduates went for fun. Thanks for calling us uneducated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are usually very uneducated. It's pathetic.

A whole group of us mes school graduates went for fun. Thanks for calling us uneducated.

Med school

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The reason people (here) hate it is because it is a cross section of the US population. They are forced to see outside their bubble and acknowledge that yes there are fat Walmart moms among us as well us unrefined slobs wearing shirts and people who yell at their kids. And adults who like rollercoasters and dole whips and parents who make vacation all about the kids. If you can’t unwind and enjoy for a couple of days then keep taking your kids to boring history museums around the world, we’re having way more fun at Disney.

What this post reminds me of is that I don't think any rollercoaster is worth waiting more than 15 minutes for. I have read about the rise of bookable rides, special passes, and all the rest of the revenue extraction mechanisms. I think there is a very poor value for money at Disney on busy days. I remember as a kid deciding that Space Mountain wasn't worth 90 minutes of wait. I eventually got to try it years later and it was a dull experience. I do not like crowds and wasted time. And Dole Whip IS an inferior dessert.

lol ok so basically no fun at all.

PP. How about too smart to overpay for a mediocre experience?

Have you ever been to one of these parks on a low attendance day when you can walk on to rides? That is awesome. Re: rollercoasters specifically, Cedar Point is a good example. In the summer you can wait 2 hours in a line, surrounded by morons who smell like weed, to take one 3 minute ride. Or, on a grey evening in early fall, you can throw on a sweatshirt and ride 10 times. If you actually like roller coasters, which is more fun?

Disney overcharges now. They keep perfecting revenue extraction. When I was a kid, a character "experience" was randomly encountering a costumed worker serendipitous strolling the park. Now it's a paid bookable thing that costs extra. Is it really different to the little kid after? They got a hug and a photo. But the parents now might be $400 poorer.

This is not about pure fun. It's about the fun value per $ ratio.

Here's a Europe example. Going up in the Eiffel Tower costs money and takes a lot of time. And honestly is not that interesting if you don't understand what the tiny ground-level features are that you are looking at. Seeing the Eiffel Tower do its sparkle show at night from across the river is a fun, free, and quick way to "see" the Eiffel Tower.

I just went to LA at Christmas and I wanted to take my kids to a park, but I skipped it because the crowd estimates indicated that we might only be able to do a handful of rides in exchange for $100+ tickets. And the weather was predicted to be dicey. Universal Studios no longer allows just a studio tour. The price is dramatically inflated because they've added just a few rollercoasters and experience areas. They literally have made things a worse value since I went as a kid. And a lot of the features are from old movies that my kids can't even relate to.

I’ve had some amazing days at Disney. But sure, if you want to mosey into a park at 11 am with no plan or strategy on a school holiday, you’re going to a pay a premium for a miserable time.

Everything is crowded now. Too many people are always trying to do the same things. If it was dead it would probably be because it's run down and nobody wants to go there.

There's a great NY Time article about Disney which juxtaposes the experience of a wealthy man paying whatever to take his daughter through and a working class family that scrimps and saves to make it happen. TLDR is the wealthy dad and daughter have an amazing great trip, see everything and do everything they want while the working class family really struggles and misses out on a lot.

I did not take my kids when they were little, although I went as a little kid and didn't really care for it. Many families around us went and I never judged them for it, it's just not my cup of tea.

That article was weird. The blue collar family was staying for well over a week, missed out on the lightning lane windows, waited in line longer, etc. They could have stayed on property for fewer days, booked the LL 7 days out and done it all spending about the same amount of money in a shorter stay.

Why should you need a degree in Disney just to visit?

Feels like shopping at Safeway where you need to go through the weekly specials, then the digital coupons, then the just4u specials then the online shopping specials then the manufacturer coupons. Or you could just go to Aldi.

In travel terms, just go to a state or national park or a museum.

You wouldn't dare show up to Paris without figuring out how to visit the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Versailles, or any other main attractions first. This is how life is now. Everything is crowded, plan ahead.

Got to a national park? Hope you got your tickets as soon as the window opened. Maybe it as 30 days in advance, maybe it was a year in advance. It all takes planning and coordination. You can't just roll up with your camper to Yosemite on a whim.

I travel.for work with occasional down days and I've had trips where I took the train to places like Florence, Leiden or Ghent and just wandered around and had a great time. You can actually vacation without being constantly on your phone like Disney demands.

With 3 small kids? Sounds like a recipe for disaster. Disney is a family trip. Traveling with a family requires planning. You can't just wander around, sit in a cafe and smoke and read a book pretending to be chic with kids in tow.

Literally did Leiden on impulse with 3 kids (including my nephews) and it went fine. We went to the Hortus Botanicus and the fort and got Stroopwaffles at the market.

People way exaggerate the difficulty of Disney planning. Obviously you had to get transport to Leiden, Google attractions, where to eat, and how to get around. For Disney once you read, um, one paragraph on lightning lanes you are good to go. The difference is actually that Disney has *so much* to do that most people do want to do additional research to decide what to do when.

Basically if you want to ride the major rides you either have to shell out or massively time everything. Otherwise riding the popular rides is over an hour in line.

Jenny Nichols digs into this in that massive Star Wars hotel video (she, like me, is a former employee). The frustration of taking things that were free and putting them behind payrolls and making it harder to go to the parks.

So going to Leiden with my family didn't actually require googling because I was with family who k own the area. But even with a current Disney employee who knows the parks well, you have to watch apps dor ride times and when you can get on rides. It's messy and much more phone dependent than a standard outing.

No, it’s really not but you are determined to dig your heels in. You could just walk up and wait in line.

Sorry, but some of us had much better things to do than stand in line for two hours for a 90-second ride.

Well, not enough of you or else the line wouldn’t be 2 hours long.