Why do Disney vacationers seem uniquely subjected to social vitriol?

[Anonymous]

Maybe that’s the rub? That a long weekend at Disney in a deluxe hotel with lightning lanes just isn’t a big deal for some posters and doesn’t impact their budget or time for other kinds of travel? I don’t care for Kings Dominion or Hershey type places. So my kids don’t go there unless with school or a friend. Instead we’ll take a long weekend to Disney or Universal each year. It’s not in lieu of other travel. It’s in lieu of going to Kings Dominion.

[Anonymous]

Took my kids to Disney once. They had fun. You know what they liked better? The city museum in St. Louis, a place that ignited their curiosity and let them explore and find adventures instead of being spoon fed animated dreck in the heat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Took my kids to Disney once. They had fun. You know what they liked better? The city museum in St. Louis, a place that ignited their curiosity and let them explore and find adventures instead of being spoon fed animated dreck in the heat.

But where does the anger come from?

[Anonymous]

Because they could go anywhere in the world, assuming an adults only group, and yet they spend their hard earned vacation time and money in a surreal fantasy world designed for children. And don't forget the pandering to American consumerism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because they could go anywhere in the world, assuming an adults only group, and yet they spend their hard earned vacation time and money in a surreal fantasy world designed for children. And don't forget the pandering to American consumerism.

No, you really can't go anywhere in the world for a long weekend. I also don't think a weekend in NYC visiting Times Square and a Broadway show is morally superior. Vegas is designed more for adults would you be less angry if they did that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because they could go anywhere in the world, assuming an adults only group, and yet they spend their hard earned vacation time and money in a surreal fantasy world designed for children. And don't forget the pandering to American consumerism.

But what’s it to you? No one is making you take part.

[Anonymous]

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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.

They said they’re usually very uneducated, not that everyone who goes to Disney is uneducated. I’d think with whatever degree it is you have (I assume you meant med school?) you’d have better reading comprehension skills.

And the Venn diagram of people who go to Disney and people who are uneducated shows a huge overlap between the two. Again, since you didn’t get it the first time, it doesn’t mean that everyone who goes to Disney is uneducated, but the majority of people who go certainly are.

Everyone in here has said they have gone. So I guess you can include the Stroopwaffel and European ski poster in the uneducated bucket because they went too. Guess they’re just a bunch of rubes.

I’m going to refer you to your child’s statistics textbook whenever they take that class. You’ll learn so much.

You mean the one that says 70-90% of people of people have been to Disney? You clearly don’t know a lot of people.

Sigh. Are you now categorizing anyone who has been to Disney as the same as people who go to Disney over and over again? They’re two different groups of people. I can’t help you if you can’t understand that.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I know someone who has an annual pass to Disney. Before they moved within driving distance, they flew to Disney multiple times a year…despite not really having the money for such trips. They eventually moved to FL so they can visit more regularly. They go a lot—sometimes just for a ride or two and dinner.

Here’s why I know some friends and family judge:

1. They post pics at Disney regularly, so everyone knows how frequently they visit.

2. They inevitably get sick after visiting, and they have chronic health issues that would prompt a normal person to avoid such a germ-fest.

3. They have an active Go Fund Me for random things all the time…and yet they have annual Disney passes for their family.

I think it’s a weird mental health issue manifesting through an addiction to Disney in desperation for happiness.

FTR, I’ve been to Disney a few times (as a child and as an adult taking my own kids). It’s fun every few years or so. I’m not a hater.

It's a story of 2 Disney experiences. There are people at the low end, like the family in the previously posted article scrimping and saving, and like your friends, and then the high end who can breeze in, stay at the deluxe resorts, pay to skip the lines and have the best time for a short weekend trip. Those people also travel around the world with their kids too. You can't really compare the two.

Anyone can judge anyone anytime. And anyone can draw comparisons.

People likely judge why anyone would opt to spend a long weekend in Disney rather than…anywhere else.

See?

PS - The luxury Disney resorts really aren’t luxury…they are just more expensive.

How would you know what the resorts are like unless you've been? What a bunch of whiny hypocrites you are.

I have been to Disney a handful of times. The luxury resorts aren’t luxury. They aren’t even on the same level as the most basic Ritz Carlton or Fairmont, and they are nowhere near the level of a true luxury hotel/resort.

I’ve also stayed in other tiers of Disney hotels.

Adults opting to go to Disney withoit kids for a long weekend instead of going literally anywhere else is a choice…

It's a choice you've made as well. What a bizarre stance that it was good enough for you but you sneer at others? And exactly how many times have you been... sounds like quite a lot!

I would never go to Disney without kids.

I went to Disney twice as a kid (once when I was very young, and once as a tween with a friend and their family).

I’ve been 3 times with my own children. Once was part of a business trip.

I thought this thread was about adults who go to Disney a lot and presumably post about it…which obviously draws attention and judgment.

[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.

Trust me, there are plenty of us who have no desire to go to Disney. That includes every single kid in both of my children’s classes, none of whom go to Orlando for vacation.

You have polled people about this? I’m sure they’re lying to you because what a bizarre thing to ask all these people.

So, we have what are called conversations. My kids talk to the other kids. I talk to the other parents. People discuss where they’re going on vacation. I’m sorry that concept is so foreign to you. Must be weird to not talk to anyone ever.

I guess your people can’t afford it given how expensive it is these days.

Um, ok. The cost isn’t the issue. The trips we’re all taking for spring break cost more than the trip we took to Disney years ago. But sure, if it makes you feel better to think that we’re poor and just can’t afford it, go ahead.

[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.

Trust me, there are plenty of us who have no desire to go to Disney. That includes every single kid in both of my children’s classes, none of whom go to Orlando for vacation.

You have polled people about this? I’m sure they’re lying to you because what a bizarre thing to ask all these people.

So, we have what are called conversations. My kids talk to the other kids. I talk to the other parents. People discuss where they’re going on vacation. I’m sorry that concept is so foreign to you. Must be weird to not talk to anyone ever.

They are going to Disney. Just not on spring break. Who do you think is buying all those premier passes and VIP tours?

I’m so sorry to break it to you but we have conversations about what people do over the summer and other times of year as well. I’ve heard about multiple trips in all four seasons, none of which included Disney.

Also, who do I think is buying those passes? International visitors is my answer.

[Anonymous]

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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.

They said they’re usually very uneducated, not that everyone who goes to Disney is uneducated. I’d think with whatever degree it is you have (I assume you meant med school?) you’d have better reading comprehension skills.

And the Venn diagram of people who go to Disney and people who are uneducated shows a huge overlap between the two. Again, since you didn’t get it the first time, it doesn’t mean that everyone who goes to Disney is uneducated, but the majority of people who go certainly are.

Everyone in here has said they have gone. So I guess you can include the Stroopwaffel and European ski poster in the uneducated bucket because they went too. Guess they’re just a bunch of rubes.

I’m going to refer you to your child’s statistics textbook whenever they take that class. You’ll learn so much.

You mean the one that says 70-90% of people of people have been to Disney? You clearly don’t know a lot of people.

Sigh. Are you now categorizing anyone who has been to Disney as the same as people who go to Disney over and over again? They’re two different groups of people. I can’t help you if you can’t understand that.

+1

What about the adults who stand in line to get a picture with a character? And then they post pics on FB about their magical time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So much bitterness and jealousy on this thread. No one is forcing anyone to go to Disney. If you don’t want to go, don’t go! Problem solved. What exactly is your issue with other people taking a trip you don’t want to take? I’m not mad at people who like camping, something I have no desire to do. Why are you so mad?

It’s like you can’t even read…

Some people are mad that adults are taking up space for kids. I’ve never had that thought but there are literally people on here explaining exactly why they’re so mad. Can you not read those posts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe that’s the rub? That a long weekend at Disney in a deluxe hotel with lightning lanes just isn’t a big deal for some posters and doesn’t impact their budget or time for other kinds of travel? I don’t care for Kings Dominion or Hershey type places. So my kids don’t go there unless with school or a friend. Instead we’ll take a long weekend to Disney or Universal each year. It’s not in lieu of other travel. It’s in lieu of going to Kings Dominion.

We can afford it, we just don’t like it. I’m not sure what else to tell you. We paid for all the upgrades, etc. and it wasn’t an experience any of us wanted to have again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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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.

They said they’re usually very uneducated, not that everyone who goes to Disney is uneducated. I’d think with whatever degree it is you have (I assume you meant med school?) you’d have better reading comprehension skills.

And the Venn diagram of people who go to Disney and people who are uneducated shows a huge overlap between the two. Again, since you didn’t get it the first time, it doesn’t mean that everyone who goes to Disney is uneducated, but the majority of people who go certainly are.

Everyone in here has said they have gone. So I guess you can include the Stroopwaffel and European ski poster in the uneducated bucket because they went too. Guess they’re just a bunch of rubes.

I’m going to refer you to your child’s statistics textbook whenever they take that class. You’ll learn so much.

You mean the one that says 70-90% of people of people have been to Disney? You clearly don’t know a lot of people.

Sigh. Are you now categorizing anyone who has been to Disney as the same as people who go to Disney over and over again? They’re two different groups of people. I can’t help you if you can’t understand that.

No you can’t help. Because you know very few people if you don’t know anyone who has been to Disney. I can’t help it if you’re an anti-social hermit and don’t really care to.

[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.

Trust me, there are plenty of us who have no desire to go to Disney. That includes every single kid in both of my children’s classes, none of whom go to Orlando for vacation.

You have polled people about this? I’m sure they’re lying to you because what a bizarre thing to ask all these people.

So, we have what are called conversations. My kids talk to the other kids. I talk to the other parents. People discuss where they’re going on vacation. I’m sorry that concept is so foreign to you. Must be weird to not talk to anyone ever.

They are going to Disney. Just not on spring break. Who do you think is buying all those premier passes and VIP tours?

I’m so sorry to break it to you but we have conversations about what people do over the summer and other times of year as well. I’ve heard about multiple trips in all four seasons, none of which included Disney.

Also, who do I think is buying those passes? International visitors is my answer.

You are delusional trying to convince yourself that wealthy, educated Americans would never set foot in Disney. It’s apparently important for you to believe this but you could not be more wrong.