I’ve never really considered going. It’s like Vegas for kids.

It’s fake and crappy and overpriced. I don’t get why people like it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should go to Disney once. There’s no place that compares. It’s the most magical place on earth. I know grown-ups that go every year. It’s not just for young kids. Spend 1 day at each theme park if you can afford it. It’s memorable.

If you think Disney is the most magical place on earth I feel really sorry for you.

NP. Disney is the most magical place on earth!!!

Haven’t traveled much, eh?

NP here. I’ve travelled around the world and have lived on 4 different continents and I still think Disney is magical. I’m 50 years old and have been going there since I was 2 years old. Still love it!

Anonymous wrote:OP, you are not missing out on anything. It’s an overpriced theme park that doesn’t offer much beyond hours in line, heat, terrible crowds, and subpar rides. Food is awful and I will never understand the hype. If you are not a fan of theme parks, there is zero draw or reason to be there. Save your money for places that really matter to you.

Totally get your opinion on Disney, but “subpar rides”? What?

OP, you are not missing out on anything. It’s an overpriced theme park that doesn’t offer much beyond hours in line, heat, terrible crowds, and subpar rides. Food is awful and I will never understand the hype. If you are not a fan of theme parks, there is zero draw or reason to be there. Save your money for places that really matter to you.

I was exiting Disney with my kids and an older gentleman (60ish) was saying to another older gentleman that he spent his life's savings on a Disney trip. My kid heard this and whispered ("why would he do that? it's not worth it.) But if you have a lot of money, you can buy the extras (lightning passes etc.) to make it pleasant.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should go to Disney once. There’s no place that compares. It’s the most magical place on earth. I know grown-ups that go every year. It’s not just for young kids. Spend 1 day at each theme park if you can afford it. It’s memorable.

If you think Disney is the most magical place on earth I feel really sorry for you.

Lighten up, would you? It’s Disney’s tagline. With your attitude you should visit Oscar the Grouch.

You won’t regret it if you stop thinking about it. I made it to 44 without going and didn’t care. Then my in-laws paid for us to go with our 3yo ( and them ) for what they spent we could have done a day trip to Dutch Wonderland then had a lovely vacation in Europe that would have been more enjoyable. It’s hot and crowded and the lines are ridiculous. I’ll never go again and I doubt DD will.

Anonymous wrote:It is my goal never to go.

Same. I have zero desire and hope my kid ends up feeling the same. He’s 3 now.

I think it’s fine either way but it is pretty amazing and when you really think about what they do and compare it to other theme parks (of which I’ve been to many), I’m actually surprised the cost isn’t more. To take one example….in the avatar area, they have created a whole world that integrates natural plants from around the world with fake elements and lighting and sound to create a 360 experience of being on a different planet. And the avatar ride where you are flying is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced—it arguably feels more like flying than paragliding does.

I’ve been to some pretty magical places as far as natural beauty or even architectural wonders (Bukhara, zagorst, the Alhambra, the York Minster—all amazing). But disney is really a unique combination of man-made engineering, imagination and sheer determination. If someone can dream it, they can design it. It’s hard to put a price on some of the things they offer. My kids are teens but they still love the rides and design elements.

It’s also a nice complement to other vacations. I mean, after you’ve been to a few world class art museums, does it add that much to go to another (assuming you aren’t art historians or something)? Same for cathedrals, gorgeous mountains, etc. I’m a huge National Parks geek and we hit all the big ones and many of the small ones but even I admit that they start to blur together a bit at some point.

If you can swing it, I'd say go check it out with your 10 y.o. Everything is really nicely done, a lot of the enjoyment is the entertainment and visual stimulation. 3 days is all you really need to get the full experience. We have gone several times but only one day at a time when visiting my mother who lives close by.

Interestingly when I worked there we got a TON of Brazilian tourists and it's sold as a teenage rite of passage there. It definitely seems sold as a younger US must do. But again, that whole thing is really a marketing campaign.

I haven't been since they opened Star Wars land. As someone who managed to go for free a lot (my own tickets as an employee, free passes from doing things like choir events at the parks) I used to have a strategy with my best friend where we would do all 4 parks in a day and hit our personal favorites (we both got summer jobs there). I did have a blast working there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should go to Disney once. There’s no place that compares. It’s the most magical place on earth. I know grown-ups that go every year. It’s not just for young kids. Spend 1 day at each theme park if you can afford it. It’s memorable.

If you think Disney is the most magical place on earth I feel really sorry for you.

NP. Disney is the most magical place on earth!!!

Haven’t traveled much, eh?

NP. She's just quoting their tagline. Take it easy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should go to Disney once. There’s no place that compares. It’s the most magical place on earth. I know grown-ups that go every year. It’s not just for young kids. Spend 1 day at each theme park if you can afford it. It’s memorable.

If you think Disney is the most magical place on earth I feel really sorry for you.

DP
Don’t feel sorry for PP. I agree with her. If you don’t think it’s the most magical place on earth, I feel sorry for you.

If you don't realize that other people have preferences, and that there are other places that could credibly claim to be the most magical place on earth, I feel sorry for you. If you have the money to spring for Lightning Lanes/Genie passes, Disney can be fun. If not, you should take a look at the public blogs about wait times because popular rides regularly have wait times of 90+ minutes which can be hellish in the Florida sun. So you end up paying 200$/day per person just for tickets. Disney may be better than other amusement parks, but it's not orders of magnitude better.

+1 Everyone is different. My kids liked Disney of course (we went on a cousins trip there, so for me it was more about extended family bonding, while in line in the hot sun), but if you ask what their favorite trips were and where they want to go back, they would cite their snorkeling trip (and when they were littler they adored their Pennsylvania farm stay trips where they could ride a tractor and gather eggs). Disney is a big dopamine/sensory hit, and to some people it's kind of stressful to wait in lines and deal with crowds. YMMV.

It is my goal never to go.