As a visitor from Scotland and not bothered by a bit of rain we’ve had some of the best times thanks to rain at the parks due to people leaving the park. Don’t let it spoil your day.
Our animal kingdom day downpoured more often than not, and it was a bit of a bummer sometimes but for the most part we had a blast! The animals were out frolicking in the rain, expedition everest was a really unique experience in the rain, lines were shorter, if we'd been wearing better shoes the day wouldve been perfect
People tend to overplan without being flexible when things fall apart or they have unrealistic expectations. I’m sure it’s hard not to do tho! As a local I’m never sure what the day will hold but mom and I just commented that even if we get rained out or all of our plans fall through, we never leave without feeling we had an awesome day together.
Well, locals are not the same as the people who travel from across the country or from the other side of the world. We don’t have the ability to get there as often as you guys do.
I plan on plenty of time in terms of days. Yes, I love to ride everything I can and have fun...I just don't put everything on the must-list. I figure that I'm on vacation, I'm not gonna stress myself out. Probably helps that I don't have kids to entertain. Also don't mind the rain. I caught in some squalls on my day in Epcot, and found the dash to cover amusing. I'm there to have fun and get my chill on. :)
I’m convinced you need an associates degree in Disney to really understand how to enjoy the parks to their fullest. I’ve clocked hundreds of hours. Anyone else? 😛 Whenever I hear about a bad trip to Disney I always ask and it’s always the same. They didn’t understand how things worked and it ended up being a miserable, EXPENSIVE experience.
100% agree. And if I can also add the app is so inaccurate. Disney asked me to rate the app. Gave them 1 star and explained why. However the app would not allow you to give them 1 star. They kept saying the user name was taken even after using a user name only the military could make up. After changing the rate to 4 stars, bingo my original user name works. Such a scam. Very disappointed
@@tdubblz I agree. My husband was upset that I was on my phone the whole time. We won’t be back until we’ve decided as a family that we won’t be back until Disney gets some common sense. As you can see from my comment 10 months ago, we used to be die-hard Disney fans. We’re visiting other places for now.
Having been born and raised in the southern United States, I can attest that even if there's 0% chance of rain and not a cloud in the sky, expect rain anyways during the summer months. Also, rain does NOT cool you down like you'd think it would here in the south. It only turns into a sauna when the rain clears and the sun returns, so... be prepared to pick an indoor activity and stick with it. (Maybe then the 2 hour wait at Peter Pan's would be worth it xD)
When we went in 2019 we bought $5 ponchos and umbrellas at Walmart before we left, and used them twice during our trip! It was a blast and I’m glad we planned for weather!
ChibiGingi, You couldn't be from the south because I am.😂😂 I just shrug off the sauna weather and carry on! PS: and yes, I have been to South Florida so I've been used to the weather for a long time. For me, the real challenge with the weather is trying to get through winter season. WOW, it can get cold enough to make your teeth chatter. Just because you don't see snow doesn't mean it isn't f-f-freezing!
It's so strange. I remember going when I was 12 and we basically got to do everything thanks to the fast pass system at the time, but that was 10+ years ago. We also just wandered around in a circle around the Magic Kingdom. I even remembered it raining while we were in the Enchanted Tiki Room, which wasn't even a bummer.
Just to clarify, rides don’t close for rain, they close for lightning. Usually, they happen at the same time but if there isn’t lightning in a 10 mile radius of the parks rides will usually stay open
It was 7 years ago and i was 44 years old at the time when me and my family went to Disney World for the first time and being from the UK it a long and costly trip but when i got to Magic Kingdom and turned the corner and see the castle down main street i had tears in my eyes and when we waited in line for a photo with Mickey and then got to have a meat and great and photo all of us had tears in our eyes it is something kind of funny looking back grown adults crying meeting a giant mouse but it was a childhood dream to one day go there and meat as Many Disney characters as posable and ride as many rides as possible best money i ever spent loved all the parks Epcot was really nice because food and wine was on at the time and on the second holiday there 2 years later it was flower and gardens at Epcot loved it like i said best holiday ever i don't think there's anywhere else in the world that can compete with Disney World for a family holiday
The first time I met Mickey was 30 yrs ago. I was so excited when it was our turn I pushed my 5 year old daughter aside. My eyes were so full of tears when I said to him I waited my whole life to meet you. The photographer told my embarrased husband that he would be surprised how often that happens. I've been there many times since then and I still tear up.
Ive lived in Florida since '78 @ 3yrs old and am 46 now. Ive had passes for 8 of the last 12 yrs with a few non-pass years in there. takes me 45 min to get from my house to being seated on the tram. Not one time have I been, that the overwhelming joy of walking into Disney hasnt hit like a wall of bricks. Even the monorail is a 'ride' to me. There are no bad days @ Disney, just pretentious over-expectation, and a simple OVERWHELMING need to relax and enjoy. FYI... You cannot do a park in a day. Never have, never will. 40yrs..tried countless times... Nor can you do 4 in 4 days. There are so many little 'things' to experience, not just rides, but the restaurants, the shops, the environment of it all. If you go to Disney, with a moment by moment planned agenda trying to squeeze all you can from the timed, slotted, and coifed agenda you laid out... you'll miss 75% of it all. I could spend 2 hrs in Japan alone!!(EPCOT) ..just experiencing the culture, done the Disney way, the 'Dance partys' in Tomorrowland with The Incredible's, the CountryBears in Adventure Land, the Icey mountains of the Himalayas and the storyboards all around, telling of the Yeti in Animal Kingdom, the Character Breakfast in the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom, (PoohBear is awesome!) A live concert with Smashing Pumpkins(EPCOT) that my daughter and her BFF were able to go onstage and dance with them at 8yrs old... The butterflies by the 10s of thousands one time at EPCOT... just these named items cannot be done in as many days. Disney is an 'Experience' and is the physical embodiment of 'Joy' if you let it be. I wish Captain EO was still there, as MJs song 'Man in the Mirror' rings so true. You want to experience the joy of Disney? Start with the one in the mirror. But as its been said... LMAO... avoid the Florida summers... Mickeys Very Merry Christmas is a better bet, or the late fall... or a best kept secret...? New Years day 1-7 and oh yeah.... right in the middle of ur vaca... take a day... and enjoy the on-site hotel fun stuff,(highly recommend KeyWest!!) DT Disney, all the shops etc. but ABOVE ALL... relax......
I’m absolutely with her, do not sleep on the photo passes! My fiancé surprised me in early July when we went on vacation with his family, and the photo pass people helped him pull off the proposal! He managed to take a cancelled reservation the day of, and they also gave us complimentary bride and groom Mickey and Minnie ears! They are so helpful, and the pictures are beautiful!
Yep, priced it up once and realised I'd never be able to afford it. Nor would i wanna go somewhere that costs so much to have to queue up for hours in the blistering heat just for one attraction. Seems like a full time job planning what should be a relaxing, fun vacation
I planned an entire year of Disney. Coming from Argentina is way more expensive than for us citizens. However I had a great time I ended up exhausted and needed vacations after the vacations if you know what I mean! I feel Disney is not hearing the customers and only increasing prices to make sure less people visit the parks instead of growing them or finding a new way to not have them Standing on a line for hours. We spent 3 hours in one line for a roller coaster. That is insane and actually made me feel it wasn't magical at all! Boring!!!! And frustrating
@@CraftyWitch1990 I’m in the same boat. I know I’ll never be able to afford several thousands of dollars on a vacation for Disney. If I choose to Penny pinch for a Disney trip, it won’t be worth it because I won’t be able to eat anything there, buy a single souvenir, and take off multiple days of work to enjoy more than a single day there. So id have one day to arrive, stand in line for hours for a single line, and then go back home. Such fun. Ha.
The best souvenir we ever got was a The Little Mermaid bubble wand. We've had it for three years now and it's still one of our kids' most favorite outside toys. Hearing the music brings a little Disney parks feel to the back yard.
Chapek has destroyed the Disney experience, its a shell of itself. You're paying an obscene amount for less. You literally have zero incentive to stay at the resorts now. Damage has been done, never going back until he is gone.
That’s like saying “ Television isn’t what it used to be so not I’m not going to watch it anymore” You could literally use that argument for literally ANYTHING. It holds no water.
@@MikeJones-wd8gc TV is awful and becoming obsolete with streaming services and RUclips. People actually aren't watching cable anymore. So I don't understand your point.
Inflation means you lose your free perks, bro. They can only raise room rates and ticket rates so high before they eliminate lower class/middle class families and lose business, so the concession is no perks.
Back when they had manic hours & fast pass, my husband and I did every ride in Magic Kingdom in one day. MK had early & late Magic hours, we made our 3 fast passes and keep getting an extra one all day. We were all over the park getting in rides in between fast passes. It was a super fun day for the two of us. It was our goal to make it happen that day. Would not have worked with kids!
When it rains in the parks and the crowds run for cover, I've always just pushed thru it. I drive a tow truck and am used to standing out the the worst weather LOL.
I love sitting in the hub area and relaxing but it always amazes me why Disney doesn't have more benches or shade umbrellas. Especially in the hub area. Hey Disney, people get tired and hot! We need a place to sit !
I absolutely HATE that Disney has made everything require a smartphone, which you have to carry around and risk getting wet or broken in the park on top of a most expensive day one can imagine. I miss the days when one could go around in the morning and grab the fast passes you want and have the rest of the time to wonder around as you please. It was first come first serve per day with fast passes so guests at least had a chance. Now things are booked months ahead of time ruining the experience for those that get to the place or ride first. I mean you can not even eat without that dam app... it’s ridiculous.
I just hate the amount of strategic planning one has to do just so you can get your money’s worth! I find the mobile options confusing in theme parks. I haven’t been to Disney in a few years, but I’m going next month. A LOT has changed and I’ve been doing SO MUCH research. I feel like I’m studying. It’s lost it’s fun.
I agree. Legacy fast pass being number one. Those who were on the study say the new ones are faster but I disagree. I don’t see any benefit to using the smart phones aside from rescheduling dining plans last minute. But I don’t agree with that either. I don’t think reservations should be made for theme park restaurants. I think resorts is fine but the parks should all be walk in basis only. You’re being turned down when in 20 min the smith family becomes a no show and you could’ve gotten the meal you desperately needed in 110° heat.
If you can’t get with the times you get left behind sorry not sorry we are in the digital age and technology is only going to be more intergraded into our lives as we go
@@TriniTron. I disagree. They can still make it a magical place to vacation without requiring phones to make it happen. It also creates a lot of control and nobody needs that when you’re trying to remove yourself from the real world for a week. The magic band should get to where you can leave your phone behind in the room.
People saw that commercial where Cinderella is standing in front of the castle and hugs the little girl and people think that's what will happen so that's why they're upset about not seeing Mickey right their.
They do it at Disneyland. You get to see characters running around their land in the park, including in front of the castle, talking to guests & interacting with other characters :( i'm missing it now
@@Ebathora I guess people expect the same at Disney world. Not gonna lie I expected it to my first time. I'd love to go to Disneyland and hang with the characters.
If you want to be sure to see Micky. Just buy one in the gift shop. At jaw dropping prices though. Their merch is like 10x what you might expect to pay for something in the real world.
@@nataliejarosz9360 Personally I've never been to Disney land just Disny world but I've seen vlogs of families at Disneyland and the character interactions seem way more interactive since alot of them are walking around.
Eisner started raising admission prices immediately after he took over Disney Inc. They were at $35 at that point. Now? When Disneyland opened (I am that old) there was no admission charge. You could walk around the park and, unless you bought a ride ticket or a souvenir, wouldn't cost a dime. It's been a park for those above middle class for quite a while.
I'm not rich,yet I still will be going in September 2022. I saved over the course of the last couple years, and will continue to save through the next year in order to do this. It is possible to go to Disney. It just takes some planning and some wirk
We usually go 3-6 times per year. The prices have went sky high, yet the quality hasn't paired with pricing. We've found newfound vacationing options and really have enjoyed the changes. Cheers y'all
That's cuz they decided to raise the prices to make it more exclusive and for rich people/upper middle class. It's classism and greed. I was hoping to save up before but now I definitely can't expect to be able to go. I've never gone in 28 years and my family couldn't afford it growing up.
@@kai0tfoool I'll never go again. The prices are an exact reflection of Bob Chapek's insatiable GREED. In 1992, a 3-day ticket with park hopper was only $112 (not including tax). Now it won't even get you one DAY. So prices have tripled since then.
To me it's the cast members who always added the magic to the trips. They have always been amazing!! However I've seen quite a few comments here and tend to agree, since the pandemic the cast members just aren't as talkative kind or helpful as before. I'm sure dealing with entitled angry guests all day, can be taxing on them as well, but the customer service has gone very downhill lately. We will still go to Disney but stay off property and have non park days, going forward. I blame top Disney brass for that
The cast members yell and bark instructions at guests. I had one at Hollywood tell me I had to change the mask I was wearing- ok no biggie, I had brought like six different types. Her comment to show she was trying to assist me was “I wouldn’t want you to be harassed all day by the cast members” I said “harassed?” That is what she was doing to me. Smh. Not magical.
That’s my worst complaint as well. The amount of untrained cast members telling me misinformation was crazy. I never went before and felt like I knew more than all the cast members. I also got 7 “i don’t knows”. Before the pandemic I thought saying “I don’t know” to a guest was a big no no. Not to mention how this misinformation made it incredibly difficult to get ahead of the rope drop of our savi workshop reservations before park open. I had to beg 7 cast members before someone let me and my girl friend ahead. Very upset with the decline is quality
Before the shutdown Disney was on a high horse and there were many cast members that were not very nice. But things have gotten better. I have spoken with many people from all Orlando parks and for some reason the Magic Kingdom cast members are hands down the least favorite. To be fair I think it has something to do with the fact that larger crowds require control and management to keep things running smoothly and safely and they can be very authoritarian and even rude if they happen to be tired or near the end of their shift. I don't know if it is the luck of the draw but I have found the friendliest Disney cast members to be at Hollywood Studios and the Animal Kingdom.
I LOVE when you said, "not taking enough photos". Took my hubby to Disneyland and ended up with over 600 photos. He swore he would never allow me a camera in the parks again. Poor guy!
It used to be FUN going to Disney. You went to the park and just did things spontaneously. Now you have folks like you telling us how to do things in order to have FUN. After each Disney Trip, we always need another vacation to DE-STRESS!
I'm gonna make a weird suggesting that might be more expensive, but try Disneyland Paris, I haven't been there in a couple of years, but the last time i was there my sister and i did both parks in a day, the only ride we waited in line for was peter pan, and we were back at the hotel by like eight. We didn't book a single resturant, but got tables at sit down restuarant at both lunch and dinner. It is a WAAAY smaller park, which gives a very different experience, but plan right (we went first week in september), you can have a disney experience you might be missing.
My sister and her husband, who go to Disney pretty regularly for short weekend trips, swear that you should really only plan on 2-3 things that you HAVE to do and let yourself kind of meander for the rest. Granted, they don't have kids yet so the vacation is pretty low-key.
Another way to snag a dining reservation is to sign up for one of the alerts, like Mouse Dining. You’ll get a text when a reservation opens up for the time/date/restaurant you want. Then just be fast and go get it!
All of your videos are SOOO helpful, but this one especially! Imperative information about understanding common pitfalls BEFORE they happen and how to avoid them. GENIUS. Thank you so much for all the hard work you put in! DFB team rocks!!
We’ve always planned 2 days at each park. With 2 days of “rest” in between On “arrival day,” we don’t go to a park. We “settle in,” always hit TRex Cafe, and go to bed early Then we do all 4 parks. Then we have a rest day: 2 parks; rest day; 2 parks. Then on “departure day,” we sleep in, check out, eat at 1900 Park Faire, and leave the area for beaches for a couple days
When we went in April, Mickey and Friends was standing on the train station stage when we went in to and also leaving Magic Kingdom. It was our first bit of Magic to see him there.
Honestly, on my trip back in January, I accidentally saw Mickey like 3 times, my favorite was in Animal Kingdom where everyone was confused at where the music was and it turns out they were on their boat down below and everyone got much happier when we realized what it was lol
We got stuck on a “broken” monorail on our way to Epcot for a ADR, the restaurant was SUPER accommodating even though we were there during the busy Christmas season. It was actually one of the easiest (and stress free) aspects of our vacation. After simple phone call, they told us to come to the host stand when we got there and we’d would get the next table. Granted, we were a party of 2, so we could sit at the smaller tables.
Seated in a corner at Cinderella Royal Table, not allowed to leave seat to get a picture, no wishing star, wand or sword for any guests, plus higher prices to eat there. Allowed in 'early' to wait in the park until opening time to be released to ride queue, look at Universal since Disney wants to charge for fastpass. Not enough eating facilities for the guests. Resort extras, magical express, luggage service, souvenir delivery to hotel, (again, look at Universal) when skyliner is down bus transportation is not adequate. That being said, cast members were awesome, maybe the big money people (CEO) are overpaid?
They don’t call Chapek cheapo for nothing…how do you think he got soooo rich! With universal getting another park and sea world no longer needing reservations (and is rated the top parks rated by the amusement park survey) Disney is no longer the king.
Disney World used to be an "all inclusive" destination.. I mean I knew I was paying for all of these offerings. But, now everything is an added cost. They have taken every benefit away from guests. Specifically the guests staying on property. There is really No benefit to stay on property anymore. Sadly Disney World has become a once in awhile one day vacation spot instead of the week or weeks long vacation destination. There are so many better all inclusive destinations to travel to.
Isn't the whole point of vacations to be able to relax , put away your phone, have a leisure meal and enjoy your family and surroundings? This is so hectic now and rushed from one ride to another , plus having the stress of having to make a food reservation and check your phone every step of the way...NO THANKS DISNEY!
As someone who has been going to Magic Kingdom for decades, my biggest disappointment is seeing the destruction done by kids & teens all over the park. Picking paint, peeling wallpaper, drawing on walls...how is this a boredom cure while you are in line? I have seen kids doing this and Mom & Dad say nothing. I don't get it.
In essence, this should be laid at the feet of the adults with the kids. Monitor your children and keep them from doing this. If the kids are not with the parents/guardians, it's called local parentis... adults around them "speak up".
My husband and I went to Disney recently and we didn’t know anything; we just walked around the park and every time we saw something new (everything was new) we jumped and rode it. We had an amazing time!
i did big thunder mountain in the rain and it was actually very fun!! im glad they didnt close the ride because it started raining while we were about halfway through the line and it was still raining and open when we got on the ride :)
I remember my mom and dad brought sandwiches or tacos for us and told us to meet up at 2:00pm. When some of our friends were like "but we want hot dogs and elephant ears", my mother was like no, you better eat those sandwiches and that's all you get. Needless to say, they ate what they were given, and much more nutritious. Love my parents, taught me tons to pass down.
I'm not even that big of a Disney person, and I do not plan on visiting a park any time soon, but I could listen the AJ read through her takeout menu collection and find it soothing. She's such an incredible narrator!
A tip I learned early in European travels… ALWAYS assume you’ll be coming back. If you think this will be the only time you’ll be there, you’ll drive yourself nuts trying to do and see everything, and you can’t.
When my group was hot and tired at Magic Kingdom, we took a break inside Country Bears Jamboree. It's a air conditioned seated show, and very hilarious. Would reccomend!
I’m a veteran of a great number of trips dating back to 1971. We understand the ins and outs of how to accomplish our goals. We plan ahead. We just got back from a 10 day stay and we didn’t ride as many rides as in earlier trips and things didn’t go as smoothly but it had nothing to do with poor planning on our part. Disney is not ready to provide the usual experience we love. Some of their rules and the handling of ridership are preventing well prepared people from having a magical experience. Here are some problems they need to work out unless they want their 50th anniversary to fall flat. 1.) No fast pass availability 2.) Major construction in places 3.) Hiccups in mobile ordering 4.) Inexperienced reservation personnel 5.) Forced magical experience that was scripted 6.) Shoddy queue areas, some new queues already had graffiti on the walls (come on Disney, really!?) 7.) Disney based transportation from Orlando airport Disney is the gold standard. No excuses. Step up to the plate and fix these things. Walt would not be happy friends.
Went to Galaxy's Edge yetserday and thankfully made it out with only spending around $400 on lightsabers and collectible shotglasses. I have a problem and I am ok with it.
I spent $700+ in one day at galaxy’s edge building 2 lightsabers and a droid with my girl friend. We also go all the extra Lynette crystals. Make sure you play with those lightsabers all day to make sure they work. Mine broke 3 times in 24 hours and I missed out on a lot of park time getting it fixed.
For all of those over-spenders out there (like me) I think we splurge on the souvenirs, toys, clothing, etc. there AT the parks is because it has the beloved Disney Aura on it! If you know what that means.... now that may sound really weird, and ok, call me crazy, I don't care; it's true- does anyone else feel this way?
The marketing team has done their job with you! There is nothing magical about high-priced foreign-made “stuff!” If you want to advertise the fact that you went to Disney, go to one of the Disney Warehouse outlets that are off-property and find the same stuff from the parks for a fraction of the price. These days, paying the parking fee seems a splurge!
I remember going up to a disability line person to check in. They were helping someone so I waited behind them. Then it was my turn. Little did I know there was a small line formed 15ft away out of view. A disgruntled line of moronic moms proceeded to scream at me. And due to their emotionally unstable view of the world, I rolled my eyes and continued to hold my place in line. These people don’t walk away disappointed because of the park, it’s because of themselves
I never went as a child and still have no desire to go. Too expensive and I never see any rides except a couple. Just the castle, shops after shops and miles of walking and confusion. I'd rather go to Cedar Point.
The only thing that disappointed me one my first and so far only trip to Disneyworld, were the other people. Yes it's the most magical and 'happiest" place on earth but it's also the most rudest place on earth. So many *more then I wish to count* people while walking around the parks, waiting in line for a ride or character were so rude and ignorant. They walk right into you without so much as a sorry or my bad. They don't even try and avoid colliding with other people. Even if someone is standing still taking a photo or getting one taken, they still walked right into me. The sense of entitlement people have while there is out of control, like they are the only people there paying a fortune to be there. Nothing else, not the occasional rain, missing characters, long lines, heat none of that bothered me.
Love your talks and updates . Have been going to DISNEYWORLD almost every year since the beginning when only was the magic kingdom. Now it's such a great destination. But I will greatly cut back on most all visits . We always stayed on property at Floridian, Polynesian, the Yaght club a favorite and Boardwalk also.and many deluxe resorts . Now sticking the people who park there at those places and now charging them a parking fee has crossed the line. Guess it's now Disneys turn at money and greed. I'd say ol Walt would not be happy with current executives. And I'm certain there pockets are stuffed also. GREED
@@verawilliams1208 Spontaneous little cavalcades come through different areas. You would hear music swell on the speakers near you, the crowd parts, and they come by and wave. Back in January, I got to see characters every day.
Gosh I have an old home video at California Disneyland, probably in 1998, and Donald Duck was just out and about, hugging kids and signing autographs! No long line, or fastpass. Crazy!!
I was disappointed in Magic Kingdom because it felt kind of rundown when I went. Magic Kingdom is supposed to be the crown jewel of the Disney parks and it was more like the dirty jewel you keep in a drawer. There was trash everywhere and all the rides seemed like worse versions of the same rides at the other castle parks. Probably my least favorite Disney park I’ve been to.
I was a lifeguard one summer at the Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness and the daily storms were actually really nice - it was a guaranteed hour-long break you'd get every single day
Your advice to schedule a lunch was literally the best advice ever! I scheduled a sit down lunch for each park day and it made a huge difference to sit down, diffuse, breathe, recharge and get hydrated again
One of the best things you can do is get to the parks early before they open and ride the most popular rides and then at around noon back to your resort to relax and swim and then go back to the parks later in the afternoon and enjoy the park and riding rides the rest of the night!
Rope drop fomo is no joke. I was at LEAST 30-40 minutes early to each park when I was there in May, and I missed rope drop every time. Get there an hour+ early. Luckily, due to reduced capacity, I was able to ride almost everything.
Checking constantly for restaurant reservations is an awesome tip. We did a last minute trip to Orlando for a family emergency. Once we arrived & took care of everything, we took advantage & visited Universal & Disney Springs. The day before we went to DS, I kept checking the app for reservations to Wine Bar George & one popped up for Lunch. We enjoyed the food & a Frozcato that was on the house!!! 😋
The blooming cinnamon roll. I haven't found the stomach space for it yet on any of my trips - it's a priority for 2022! More important than any ride :D
For me they claimed a lot of it was COVID but I knew fully well that wasn’t the case. There wasn’t much to eat due to terrible virtual queues, tons of reservations needed, and long lines. We were starving the whole day, it was the same for Hollywood studios. Epcot was fine of course, but I really grew very tired of the virtual stuff by the end of it all. QR code’s at every turn and apps needed. It really killed the fun for me, not the Disney I remember it wanted. Also I guess for some reason perhaps due to understaffing, the cast member’s were terribly rude this time around. To the point when we had a medical emergency we received no help. Not sure how to lodge a complaint, but the trip was downright brutal.
We are going on our first Disney vacation in a few months and too be honest I am a bit anxious about it, mainly the needing reservations for everything. I have no idea what my daughter is going to be into or what things she will want to do. These videos have helped ease some of the anxiety.
Have fun and don’t let little setbacks ruin your vacations. Usually the long lines or the rain are the ones that force you to change plans. I always say, don’t over plan and you can adjust the day. We also purchase the park hopper tickets ( extra cost) so if we are not having a great day in one park we can also jump to another and try our luck there. We love it.
I don’t know how old your daughter is, but I think people tend to forget that children get tired and need extra hydration in the heat. I’ve been many times and it breaks my heart to see so many screaming, tired children who are being dragged around because their parents paid a ton of money for them to have “fun.” Be attentive to your child’s needs.
Just act like your phone/app was glitching. My family did that at every restaurant and they let us walk right in without a reservation. This may not work with restaurants with low capacities though.
@@juliepack1259 Honestly, a packed, blistering, theme park where the WHOLE day is basically walking around and standing in line is a horrible places for children, period. I have vastly happier memories of camping than of my Disneyland trips as a young child.
We cancelled our reservation for next year and have decided to find other vacation destinations. Disney is just too expensive anymore. As I have said over & over.....cost now outweighs the magic. It simply is not worth it anymore.
Not Magic Kingdom, but our last day was at Epcot 2 days ago, we were about to get on Frozen Ever After, a ride I’ve never been on before, and they had us evacuated just before we would’ve gotten on, the ride stayed closed for the rest of the day.
I fell victim to one of these many years and learned from it. I have since that awful day checked the Disney website before planning any trip... We have postponed at least three excursions to my memory because the Haunted Mansion was closed for refurb. It is THE family ride, and it must be ridden at least twice (maybe more) on our visit. It is a thing that must happen.
In the beginning of the day we all choose one ride we want to do. On our last Magic Kingdom trip my kids choose Seven Dwarves Mine Train and Buzz Lightyear Spin. My husband choose 7 Dwarfs and I choose Jungle Cruise. Somehow we on our previous trips we never got on Jungle Cruise. Before riding we ate at Skipper Canteen. Now my family is well prepared for the movie.
For anyone who is visiting Florida always pack a poncho or something during the spring to fall it usually rains mid morning and later. Always look and keep an eye on the sky
I love Disney Springs! We just left Florida -back home to Minnesota- it was so much fun. My friend own a home in Windsor Hills Kissimmee. We went to Clearwater Beach, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, animal Kingdom and The Christmas After Party at Magic Kingdom! It was so much fun!! If I go back I will go to Animal Kimgdom and Magic Kingdom again! Loved it!!
Love WDW but the best walking too much fix is Disneyland Park. Smaller then the Magic Kingdom so much easier to get around and spend more time riding rides (multiple times). "Hilarious" that the Shining Knight package is $50 for a family's boy or tom-boy but the whole full on princess experience for your kiddo is $140+ XD Personally I'd want a Villain package lol XD
I'm from india and a student in Czech republic. It's been my dream to visit disney since I was a little girl. I was in Paris for a few days and I could only afford a days' ticket for Disneyland Paris and only one park ticket. It was crowded. No time for a lot of rides, couldn't meet Mickey and princess meet-up was also a holiday on that day. I also missed Cinderella when she did like a half an hour greet near the end of the day and of course no fireworks due to covid, so I had to really adjust my expectations and honestly I still absolutely loved it! Flexibility is really important to enjoy any plan.
Wear some comfortable shoes, bring a backpack with lots of water bottles, and be flexible and patient. Also, make sure you take your kids to the bathroom before getting in line for a big attraction
Probably don’t have enough space for a ride. That space has always been used exclusively for shows. First Circlevision, then Timekeeper, then Laugh Floor.
My dad was a pro at making sure we always had a plan for every detail of our Disney trips. 🙂 We got to ride everything. I'm glad he did all that research.
I would love to see your "Why do people leave EPCOT disappointed." Totally know one of those is going to be"Remembers the old pavilion/ride and the replacement makes them sad." (I'm looking at you, Journey into Imagination, Seas with Nemo and Friends, and Frozen Ever After)
I definitely think that if you're the sort of person who needs to take it easy at the parks, you should! But please don't force those of us who don't want to rest to go back to the hotel. My husband and I have an understanding that some days he'll sleep in and meet me at the park in the afternoon or evening, and some days he'll rope drop with me and then head back to the hotel after a few hours. Meanwhile, I'm there from opening to closing every day. This arrangement makes us both happy.
I know a parent whose kid was super upset she couldn't bring 8 friends for the princess makeover. I think it was $200 a kid plus admission, and food per kid!
I took my children a few years ago! We had a blast, every night my feet was sore... but that is it! I look forward to taking my grandson in a few years 🥰🥰🥰
@@christopherbassit2757 I learned the hard way! That is not a place you wear cute shoes to match your dress! So next time I will have a nice pair of running shoes on!
@@beautifulsoul4521 yes. People don’t realize they’ll be walking 5-10 miles a day. I wore some soft nike breathable running shoes and it made it a lot better.
@@christopherbassit2757 Wow, thank you so much for the recommendation! I totally had no idea we would be walking so much. I was glad I got my 5 year old a wagon. It’s such a beautiful place. I hope all children get to experience Disney at least once in their life time!😎🥰🥰
Overcrowded, summer rain, unaffordable ticket prices, expensive souvenirs, expensive hotels, overpriced food!! Have fun dealing with these when you go to WDW for the 50th.
Best way to avoid the disappointments is the hardest to do-- understand that no day will be perfect. You need to learn to roll with whatever is thrown at you and adjust. The less rigid you are, the more you will enjoy those things you actually do.
For my brothers bday we just found out we are going to Disney today! I am so excited. I normally binge watch your videos. But now I am extra binge watching! It's my 5th time so I need to know how it has changed.
I love you AJ and your team! I'm going to Disney solo next week and just bought your DFB Guide and Snacks Bundle! I can't book any restaurants for myself (I've been trying for months) so I will be sticking to Walk ups and snacks to survive lol thank you guys for the hard work! Your channel has made me consider becoming a Disney regular if I really like it. Super excited!
Love Disney. After having previously been to Disneyland a year earlier and now visiting in Orlando we wanted to go to Disneyworld. We found quite a few rides out of order for maintenance or just having maintenance issues so when we had a stop over in LA for a few days on the way back to Australia we made sure we went and had a day at Disneyland. Hopefully if we get a chance to get back we can hopefully have a better experience
We just got back at the end of June. I was a little disappointed. We did all the rides but the Cast members were very grumpy. One argued with us about the wait time for the Avatar ride. She said it would be a 3 hour wait. We waited less then an hour. The Magic feeling just wasn’t there. It was our first trip to the World.
We also noticed the cast members running rides had an attitude. They were mostly younger. The older cast members that were out to help people were much nicer. The lady at the entrance the first day we were there was amazing. I hadn't been there in 10 years, didn't want to buy a wrist band, and didn't know how to work the app to show my ticket. She went and helped me set up my passes on Gpay and was extremely patient.
We went in June also. It wasn’t near as magical as when we went in 2014. The lines weren’t bad for rides but lines for food were ridiculous. I didn’t realize how much I would miss fireworks and parades.
I went to Disney every year from 2012 through 2017 and we only ever got Be Our Guest reservations by checking back 24 hours before we were going to Magic Kingdom. If you really want to eat there, don’t give up!
We’ just came back from Disney and universal..not happy. We rented a house to save. We got those spring rolls. They we’re ok.$9. And giedns cookies.$6 for a cookie.but we had to try them and peanut butter coffee.
Iger did a fantastic job. He’s an amazing leader and a great person. I was sad to see him go. This person is right. Eisner was kind of a duffel bag. I’d be down for iger running for presidency.
@@wjsproductions1784 yes Michael isner tried to be the face of Disney. And spread his taint around magic kingdom.( mermaids over 20,000 leagues {shutter}) Bob iger however had an ego, and bought up everything. Then claims he's not in favor of Kathleen Kennedy, However he allowed Kathleen to change the name of Galaxy Edge. It was supposed to be named Tatooine, but no hers would do better than time Tatooine.
Check dining at the last minute, as well. We knew we wouldn't make it to a reservation in Epcot. I walked up and asked them if we could cancel without being charged and they said yes!!! I overheard someone doing this at Yak and Yeti while we were waiting.
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As a visitor from Scotland and not bothered by a bit of rain we’ve had some of the best times thanks to rain at the parks due to people leaving the park. Don’t let it spoil your day.
Agreed. Rain makes it more magical. My local theme parks are great in the rain and disney world is too
Our animal kingdom day downpoured more often than not, and it was a bit of a bummer sometimes but for the most part we had a blast! The animals were out frolicking in the rain, expedition everest was a really unique experience in the rain, lines were shorter, if we'd been wearing better shoes the day wouldve been perfect
As a person from Scotland I can agree that a little rain is fine at Disney and sometimes improves the trip because of queues
I love the rain so much would just make it more fun for me tbh
But they don't do fireworks in the rain
People tend to overplan without being flexible when things fall apart or they have unrealistic expectations. I’m sure it’s hard not to do tho! As a local I’m never sure what the day will hold but mom and I just commented that even if we get rained out or all of our plans fall through, we never leave without feeling we had an awesome day together.
Well, locals are not the same as the people who travel from across the country or from the other side of the world. We don’t have the ability to get there as often as you guys do.
Easy for you locals to say. 🙄
You realize there are visitors from all over the world who paid a lot of money to come there.
@@MyLady22 Thank u they don't understand traveling far and been disappointed.
I plan on plenty of time in terms of days. Yes, I love to ride everything I can and have fun...I just don't put everything on the must-list. I figure that I'm on vacation, I'm not gonna stress myself out.
Probably helps that I don't have kids to entertain. Also don't mind the rain. I caught in some squalls on my day in Epcot, and found the dash to cover amusing. I'm there to have fun and get my chill on. :)
Hard to be flexible having to jump through hoops even to get in.
I’m convinced you need an associates degree in Disney to really understand how to enjoy the parks to their fullest. I’ve clocked hundreds of hours. Anyone else? 😛 Whenever I hear about a bad trip to Disney I always ask and it’s always the same. They didn’t understand how things worked and it ended up being a miserable, EXPENSIVE experience.
100% agree. And if I can also add the app is so inaccurate. Disney asked me to rate the app. Gave them 1 star and explained why. However the app would not allow you to give them 1 star. They kept saying the user name was taken even after using a user name only the military could make up. After changing the rate to 4 stars, bingo my original user name works. Such a scam. Very disappointed
They need at least an associates degree with many classes in economics.
That sounds way too complicated. Vacation is supposed to be fun and stress free
@@tdubblz I agree. My husband was upset that I was on my phone the whole time. We won’t be back until we’ve decided as a family that we won’t be back until Disney gets some common sense. As you can see from my comment 10 months ago, we used to be die-hard Disney fans. We’re visiting other places for now.
Having been born and raised in the southern United States, I can attest that even if there's 0% chance of rain and not a cloud in the sky, expect rain anyways during the summer months. Also, rain does NOT cool you down like you'd think it would here in the south. It only turns into a sauna when the rain clears and the sun returns, so... be prepared to pick an indoor activity and stick with it. (Maybe then the 2 hour wait at Peter Pan's would be worth it xD)
When we went in 2019 we bought $5 ponchos and umbrellas at Walmart before we left, and used them twice during our trip! It was a blast and I’m glad we planned for weather!
@@KimberlyByrdV Smart thinking...
Yup you could even be in the buff in the rain and still be hot 😂
It “gets stickier after it rains” is the same in the Midwest. Now that I live in the dry southwest it finally gets cooler after a rain.
ChibiGingi, You couldn't be from the south because I am.😂😂 I just shrug off the sauna weather and carry on!
PS: and yes, I have been to South Florida so I've been used to the weather for a long time. For me, the real challenge with the weather is trying to get through winter season. WOW, it can get cold enough to make your teeth chatter. Just because you don't see snow doesn't mean it isn't f-f-freezing!
It's so strange. I remember going when I was 12 and we basically got to do everything thanks to the fast pass system at the time, but that was 10+ years ago. We also just wandered around in a circle around the Magic Kingdom. I even remembered it raining while we were in the Enchanted Tiki Room, which wasn't even a bummer.
Just to clarify, rides don’t close for rain, they close for lightning. Usually, they happen at the same time but if there isn’t lightning in a 10 mile radius of the parks rides will usually stay open
Yup.
It was 7 years ago and i was 44 years old at the time when me and my family went to Disney World for the first time and being from the UK it a long and costly trip but when i got to Magic Kingdom and turned the corner and see the castle down main street i had tears in my eyes and when we waited in line for a photo with Mickey and then got to have a meat and great and photo all of us had tears in our eyes it is something kind of funny looking back grown adults crying meeting a giant mouse but it was a childhood dream to one day go there and meat as Many
Disney characters as posable and ride as many rides as possible best money i ever spent loved all the parks Epcot was really nice because food and wine was on at the time and on the second holiday there 2 years later it was flower and gardens at Epcot loved it like i said best holiday ever i don't think there's anywhere else in the world that can compete with Disney World for a family holiday
I totally agree, the magic is real, and let’s face it, the price of everything is going up. I love spending my money to make memories for my son.
I’m right there with ya!
The first time I met Mickey was 30 yrs ago. I was so excited when it was our turn I pushed my 5 year old daughter aside. My eyes were so full of tears when I said to him I waited my whole life to meet you. The photographer told my embarrased husband that he would be surprised how often that happens. I've been there many times since then and I still tear up.
Ive lived in Florida since '78 @ 3yrs old and am 46 now. Ive had passes for 8 of the last 12 yrs with a few non-pass years in there. takes me 45 min to get from my house to being seated on the tram. Not one time have I been, that the overwhelming joy of walking into Disney hasnt hit like a wall of bricks. Even the monorail is a 'ride' to me. There are no bad days @ Disney, just pretentious over-expectation, and a simple OVERWHELMING need to relax and enjoy.
FYI... You cannot do a park in a day. Never have, never will. 40yrs..tried countless times... Nor can you do 4 in 4 days. There are so many little 'things' to experience, not just rides, but the restaurants, the shops, the environment of it all. If you go to Disney, with a moment by moment planned agenda trying to squeeze all you can from the timed, slotted, and coifed agenda you laid out... you'll miss 75% of it all.
I could spend 2 hrs in Japan alone!!(EPCOT) ..just experiencing the culture, done the Disney way, the 'Dance partys' in Tomorrowland with The Incredible's, the CountryBears in Adventure Land, the Icey mountains of the Himalayas and the storyboards all around, telling of the Yeti in Animal Kingdom, the Character Breakfast in the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom, (PoohBear is awesome!) A live concert with Smashing Pumpkins(EPCOT) that my daughter and her BFF were able to go onstage and dance with them at 8yrs old... The butterflies by the 10s of thousands one time at EPCOT... just these named items cannot be done in as many days.
Disney is an 'Experience' and is the physical embodiment of 'Joy' if you let it be. I wish Captain EO was still there, as MJs song 'Man in the Mirror' rings so true. You want to experience the joy of Disney? Start with the one in the mirror.
But as its been said... LMAO... avoid the Florida summers... Mickeys Very Merry Christmas is a better bet, or the late fall... or a best kept secret...? New Years day 1-7
and oh yeah.... right in the middle of ur vaca... take a day... and enjoy the on-site hotel fun stuff,(highly recommend KeyWest!!) DT Disney, all the shops etc. but ABOVE ALL... relax......
I’m absolutely with her, do not sleep on the photo passes! My fiancé surprised me in early July when we went on vacation with his family, and the photo pass people helped him pull off the proposal! He managed to take a cancelled reservation the day of, and they also gave us complimentary bride and groom Mickey and Minnie ears! They are so helpful, and the pictures are beautiful!
Anyone else watching DFB due to the cost and aggravations of the Disney Parks?
Yep, priced it up once and realised I'd never be able to afford it. Nor would i wanna go somewhere that costs so much to have to queue up for hours in the blistering heat just for one attraction. Seems like a full time job planning what should be a relaxing, fun vacation
I planned an entire year of Disney. Coming from Argentina is way more expensive than for us citizens. However I had a great time I ended up exhausted and needed vacations after the vacations if you know what I mean! I feel Disney is not hearing the customers and only increasing prices to make sure less people visit the parks instead of growing them or finding a new way to not have them Standing on a line for hours. We spent 3 hours in one line for a roller coaster. That is insane and actually made me feel it wasn't magical at all! Boring!!!! And frustrating
@@yunocba 3 hours in a line is crazy! That's not fun in any way, shape or form. Just ruins a holiday
@@CraftyWitch1990 I’m in the same boat. I know I’ll never be able to afford several thousands of dollars on a vacation for Disney. If I choose to Penny pinch for a Disney trip, it won’t be worth it because I won’t be able to eat anything there, buy a single souvenir, and take off multiple days of work to enjoy more than a single day there. So id have one day to arrive, stand in line for hours for a single line, and then go back home. Such fun. Ha.
The best souvenir we ever got was a The Little Mermaid bubble wand. We've had it for three years now and it's still one of our kids' most favorite outside toys. Hearing the music brings a little Disney parks feel to the back yard.
We got our daughter the same wand 3 years ago. They still play with it all the time :)
Chapek has destroyed the Disney experience, its a shell of itself. You're paying an obscene amount for less. You literally have zero incentive to stay at the resorts now. Damage has been done, never going back until he is gone.
To true my friend, to true. But Cheapek only did things by Igers orders.
That’s like saying “ Television isn’t what it used to be so not I’m not going to watch it anymore”
You could literally use that argument for literally ANYTHING.
It holds no water.
@@MikeJones-wd8gc Except that Disney is literally changing for the WORST
@@MikeJones-wd8gc TV is awful and becoming obsolete with streaming services and RUclips. People actually aren't watching cable anymore. So I don't understand your point.
Inflation means you lose your free perks, bro. They can only raise room rates and ticket rates so high before they eliminate lower class/middle class families and lose business, so the concession is no perks.
Back when they had manic hours & fast pass, my husband and I did every ride in Magic Kingdom in one day. MK had early & late Magic hours, we made our 3 fast passes and keep getting an extra one all day. We were all over the park getting in rides in between fast passes. It was a super fun day for the two of us. It was our goal to make it happen that day. Would not have worked with kids!
Me bingeing these vids even though i cant imagine affording a trip 🤧
Mood
When it rains in the parks and the crowds run for cover, I've always just pushed thru it. I drive a tow truck and am used to standing out the the worst weather LOL.
I love sitting in the hub area and relaxing but it always amazes me why Disney doesn't have more benches or shade umbrellas. Especially in the hub area. Hey Disney, people get tired and hot! We need a place to sit !
They have removed most benches in order to keep you moving and make room for more guests. You take up less room standing up rather than sitting down!
I absolutely HATE that Disney has made everything require a smartphone, which you have to carry around and risk getting wet or broken in the park on top of a most expensive day one can imagine. I miss the days when one could go around in the morning and grab the fast passes you want and have the rest of the time to wonder around as you please. It was first come first serve per day with fast passes so guests at least had a chance. Now things are booked months ahead of time ruining the experience for those that get to the place or ride first. I mean you can not even eat without that dam app... it’s ridiculous.
I just hate the amount of strategic planning one has to do just so you can get your money’s worth! I find the mobile options confusing in theme parks. I haven’t been to Disney in a few years, but I’m going next month. A LOT has changed and I’ve been doing SO MUCH research. I feel like I’m studying. It’s lost it’s fun.
I agree. Legacy fast pass being number one. Those who were on the study say the new ones are faster but I disagree. I don’t see any benefit to using the smart phones aside from rescheduling dining plans last minute. But I don’t agree with that either. I don’t think reservations should be made for theme park restaurants. I think resorts is fine but the parks should all be walk in basis only. You’re being turned down when in 20 min the smith family becomes a no show and you could’ve gotten the meal you desperately needed in 110° heat.
If you can’t get with the times you get left behind sorry not sorry we are in the digital age and technology is only going to be more intergraded into our lives as we go
@@TriniTron. I disagree. They can still make it a magical place to vacation without requiring phones to make it happen. It also creates a lot of control and nobody needs that when you’re trying to remove yourself from the real world for a week. The magic band should get to where you can leave your phone behind in the room.
I miss the days when there were no fast passes and lines were very manageable. Space Mtn. too crowded, return around lunch or dinner.
People saw that commercial where Cinderella is standing in front of the castle and hugs the little girl and people think that's what will happen so that's why they're upset about not seeing Mickey right their.
They do it at Disneyland. You get to see characters running around their land in the park, including in front of the castle, talking to guests & interacting with other characters :( i'm missing it now
@@Ebathora I guess people expect the same at Disney world. Not gonna lie I expected it to my first time. I'd love to go to Disneyland and hang with the characters.
If you want to be sure to see Micky. Just buy one in the gift shop. At jaw dropping prices though. Their merch is like 10x what you might expect to pay for something in the real world.
@@hopefitzwater1613 Having been to both, I can say that it's easier to have a special meet and greet moment in California.
@@nataliejarosz9360 Personally I've never been to Disney land just Disny world but I've seen vlogs of families at Disneyland and the character interactions seem way more interactive since alot of them are walking around.
Eisner started raising admission prices immediately after he took over Disney Inc. They were at $35 at that point. Now? When Disneyland opened (I am that old) there was no admission charge. You could walk around the park and, unless you bought a ride ticket or a souvenir, wouldn't cost a dime. It's been a park for those above middle class for quite a while.
Eisner was a saint compared to Iger!
I love when Disney goes on about inclusivity even though they’re more expensive than ever.
@@LezSpringfield "We accept all millionaires, regardless of creed, color or ethnicity."
I'm not rich,yet I still will be going in September 2022. I saved over the course of the last couple years, and will continue to save through the next year in order to do this.
It is possible to go to Disney. It just takes some planning and some wirk
@@jdb2002 for some. Some people will never be able to afford to go to Disney.
My favorite sit-in-AC locations in MK: Tiki Room or Carousel of Progress.
Yes and the Carousel of Progress is a great nap location😊
@@HappyLife-wv5ms Carousel of Progress is a great sing along location for me, but still relaxing lol
We usually go 3-6 times per year. The prices have went sky high, yet the quality hasn't paired with pricing. We've found newfound vacationing options and really have enjoyed the changes. Cheers y'all
Teach me your secrets on how to go 3-6 times a year
@@poisonivy9062 Just grinding and enjoy traveling more often than we likely should. Blessed for certain....
That's cuz they decided to raise the prices to make it more exclusive and for rich people/upper middle class. It's classism and greed. I was hoping to save up before but now I definitely can't expect to be able to go. I've never gone in 28 years and my family couldn't afford it growing up.
@@kai0tfoool I'll never go again. The prices are an exact reflection of Bob Chapek's insatiable GREED. In 1992, a 3-day ticket with park hopper was only $112 (not including tax). Now it won't even get you one DAY. So prices have tripled since then.
@@largol33t1 Don't forget it wasn't 3 days within a short window it was 3 days.
To me it's the cast members who always added the magic to the trips. They have always been amazing!! However I've seen quite a few comments here and tend to agree, since the pandemic the cast members just aren't as talkative kind or helpful as before. I'm sure dealing with entitled angry guests all day, can be taxing on them as well, but the customer service has gone very downhill lately. We will still go to Disney but stay off property and have non park days, going forward. I blame top Disney brass for that
The cast members yell and bark instructions at guests. I had one at Hollywood tell me I had to change the mask I was wearing- ok no biggie, I had brought like six different types.
Her comment to show she was trying to assist me was “I wouldn’t want you to be harassed all day by the cast members”
I said “harassed?”
That is what she was doing to me. Smh.
Not magical.
Hey sparty I found the entitled angry guest you were mentioning talking about “not magical” 😂😂😂😂😂
That’s my worst complaint as well. The amount of untrained cast members telling me misinformation was crazy. I never went before and felt like I knew more than all the cast members. I also got 7 “i don’t knows”. Before the pandemic I thought saying “I don’t know” to a guest was a big no no. Not to mention how this misinformation made it incredibly difficult to get ahead of the rope drop of our savi workshop reservations before park open. I had to beg 7 cast members before someone let me and my girl friend ahead. Very upset with the decline is quality
Before the shutdown Disney was on a high horse and there were many cast members that were not very nice. But things have gotten better. I have spoken with many people from all Orlando parks and for some reason the Magic Kingdom cast members are hands down the least favorite. To be fair I think it has something to do with the fact that larger crowds require control and management to keep things running smoothly and safely and they can be very authoritarian and even rude if they happen to be tired or near the end of their shift. I don't know if it is the luck of the draw but I have found the friendliest Disney cast members to be at Hollywood Studios and the Animal Kingdom.
I LOVE when you said, "not taking enough photos". Took my hubby to Disneyland and ended up with over 600 photos. He swore he would never allow me a camera in the parks again. Poor guy!
It used to be FUN going to Disney. You went to the park and just did things spontaneously. Now you have folks like you telling us how to do things in order to have FUN. After each Disney Trip, we always need another vacation to DE-STRESS!
Same here I'm done with disney
Seems like you’re blaming other people for your unhappiness
@@Numberidge I'm super happy going to cancun Jamaica Hawaii, not waisting money on Disney anymore
I'm gonna make a weird suggesting that might be more expensive, but try Disneyland Paris, I haven't been there in a couple of years, but the last time i was there my sister and i did both parks in a day, the only ride we waited in line for was peter pan, and we were back at the hotel by like eight. We didn't book a single resturant, but got tables at sit down restuarant at both lunch and dinner. It is a WAAAY smaller park, which gives a very different experience, but plan right (we went first week in september), you can have a disney experience you might be missing.
@EmmieClassixs…thank you for the awesome tip!
Lol! We always capitalize on rainy days. Rain don’t stop us from having fun. Shorter lines and more rides for us 😂
My sister and her husband, who go to Disney pretty regularly for short weekend trips, swear that you should really only plan on 2-3 things that you HAVE to do and let yourself kind of meander for the rest. Granted, they don't have kids yet so the vacation is pretty low-key.
That’s how I did it. It’s a vacation, a place like that you gotta take you time with. Granted though, I went by myself with no kids
Another way to snag a dining reservation is to sign up for one of the alerts, like Mouse Dining. You’ll get a text when a reservation opens up for the time/date/restaurant you want. Then just be fast and go get it!
Mouse dining works! Got every reservation I wanted during my last trip. Do you know if they do Disneyland restaurants?
All of your videos are SOOO helpful, but this one especially! Imperative information about understanding common pitfalls BEFORE they happen and how to avoid them. GENIUS. Thank you so much for all the hard work you put in! DFB team rocks!!
(1) Be there 30 (or more!) minutes before the park opens. (2) Plan to spend TWO days at Magic Kingdom!
Yay we did this!!
We’ve always planned 2 days at each park. With 2 days of “rest” in between
On “arrival day,” we don’t go to a park. We “settle in,” always hit TRex Cafe, and go to bed early
Then we do all 4 parks.
Then we have a rest day: 2 parks; rest day; 2 parks. Then on “departure day,” we sleep in, check out, eat at 1900 Park Faire, and leave the area for beaches for a couple days
I will be there an hour before park opens! 😅
I love when you said, “sometimes when it’s not”, and the video showed the rain pouring down
When we went in April, Mickey and Friends was standing on the train station stage when we went in to and also leaving Magic Kingdom. It was our first bit of Magic to see him there.
Honestly, on my trip back in January, I accidentally saw Mickey like 3 times, my favorite was in Animal Kingdom where everyone was confused at where the music was and it turns out they were on their boat down below and everyone got much happier when we realized what it was lol
We got stuck on a “broken” monorail on our way to Epcot for a ADR, the restaurant was SUPER accommodating even though we were there during the busy Christmas season. It was actually one of the easiest (and stress free) aspects of our vacation. After simple phone call, they told us to come to the host stand when we got there and we’d would get the next table. Granted, we were a party of 2, so we could sit at the smaller tables.
Christmas is definitely the worst time to go.. it’s beautiful but it’s rather chaotic
Disney trips have long been much easier the smaller your group is.
Seated in a corner at Cinderella Royal Table, not allowed to leave seat to get a picture, no wishing star, wand or sword for any guests, plus higher prices to eat there. Allowed in 'early' to wait in the park until opening time to be released to ride queue, look at Universal since Disney wants to charge for fastpass. Not enough eating facilities for the guests. Resort extras, magical express, luggage service, souvenir delivery to hotel, (again, look at Universal) when skyliner is down bus transportation is not adequate. That being said, cast members were awesome, maybe the big money people (CEO) are overpaid?
They don’t call Chapek cheapo for nothing…how do you think he got soooo rich! With universal getting another park and sea world no longer needing reservations (and is rated the top parks rated by the amusement park survey) Disney is no longer the king.
Disney World used to be an "all inclusive" destination.. I mean I knew I was paying for all of these offerings. But, now everything is an added cost. They have taken every benefit away from guests. Specifically the guests staying on property. There is really No benefit to stay on property anymore. Sadly Disney World has become a once in awhile one day vacation spot instead of the week or weeks long vacation destination. There are so many better all inclusive destinations to travel to.
Isn't the whole point of vacations to be able to relax , put away your phone, have a leisure meal and enjoy your family and surroundings? This is so hectic now and rushed from one ride to another , plus having the stress of having to make a food reservation and check your phone every step of the way...NO THANKS DISNEY!
Our main day in MK last month got rained out for about 3-4 hours but we still had an amazing time. People need to relax a little
As someone who has been going to Magic Kingdom for decades, my biggest disappointment is seeing the destruction done by kids & teens all over the park. Picking paint, peeling wallpaper, drawing on walls...how is this a boredom cure while you are in line? I have seen kids doing this and Mom & Dad say nothing. I don't get it.
In essence, this should be laid at the feet of the adults with the kids. Monitor your children and keep them from doing this. If the kids are not with the parents/guardians, it's called local parentis... adults around them "speak up".
@@andyo-southpawguitaruk5322 whoa
@@honeybeastie1 Go ahead and try to tell someone else’s child what to do - in this great country, especially in Florida, it might get you killed.
@@juliepack1259 speaking up can mean calling the park staff's attention to the behavior.
My husband and I went to Disney recently and we didn’t know anything; we just walked around the park and every time we saw something new (everything was new) we jumped and rode it. We had an amazing time!
i did big thunder mountain in the rain and it was actually very fun!! im glad they didnt close the ride because it started raining while we were about halfway through the line and it was still raining and open when we got on the ride :)
I remember my mom and dad brought sandwiches or tacos for us and told us to meet up at 2:00pm. When some of our friends were like "but we want hot dogs and elephant ears", my mother was like no, you better eat those sandwiches and that's all you get. Needless to say, they ate what they were given, and much more nutritious. Love my parents, taught me tons to pass down.
I'm not even that big of a Disney person, and I do not plan on visiting a park any time soon, but I could listen the AJ read through her takeout menu collection and find it soothing. She's such an incredible narrator!
A tip I learned early in European travels… ALWAYS assume you’ll be coming back. If you think this will be the only time you’ll be there, you’ll drive yourself nuts trying to do and see everything, and you can’t.
When my group was hot and tired at Magic Kingdom, we took a break inside Country Bears Jamboree. It's a air conditioned seated show, and very hilarious. Would reccomend!
For Disneyland Do Tiki Room Or Philharmagic Those are Best For The Anaheim Heat
In Hollywood Studios, the Muppet Show was a great place to relax in air conditioning, and the line was nonexistent.
I’m a veteran of a great number of trips dating back to 1971. We understand the ins and outs of how to accomplish our goals. We plan ahead. We just got back from a 10 day stay and we didn’t ride as many rides as in earlier trips and things didn’t go as smoothly but it had nothing to do with poor planning on our part. Disney is not ready to provide the usual experience we love. Some of their rules and the handling of ridership are preventing well prepared people from having a magical experience. Here are some problems they need to work out unless they want their 50th anniversary to fall flat.
1.) No fast pass availability
2.) Major construction in places
3.) Hiccups in mobile ordering
4.) Inexperienced reservation personnel
5.) Forced magical experience that was scripted
6.) Shoddy queue areas, some new queues already had graffiti on the walls (come on Disney, really!?)
7.) Disney based transportation from Orlando airport
Disney is the gold standard. No excuses. Step up to the plate and fix these things. Walt would not be happy friends.
Went to Galaxy's Edge yetserday and thankfully made it out with only spending around $400 on lightsabers and collectible shotglasses. I have a problem and I am ok with it.
I spent $700+ in one day at galaxy’s edge building 2 lightsabers and a droid with my girl friend. We also go all the extra Lynette crystals. Make sure you play with those lightsabers all day to make sure they work. Mine broke 3 times in 24 hours and I missed out on a lot of park time getting it fixed.
@@christopherbassit2757 Mine work great. I got Count Dookus hilt and it is awesome. That is all.
The heat is really the only thing that puts a small damper on my trip, also missing out on my favorite snacks.
For all of those over-spenders out there (like me) I think we splurge on the souvenirs, toys, clothing, etc. there AT the parks is because it has the beloved Disney Aura on it! If you know what that means.... now that may sound really weird, and ok, call me crazy, I don't care; it's true- does anyone else feel this way?
The marketing team has done their job with you! There is nothing magical about high-priced foreign-made “stuff!” If you want to advertise the fact that you went to Disney, go to one of the Disney Warehouse outlets that are off-property and find the same stuff from the parks for a fraction of the price. These days, paying the parking fee seems a splurge!
Yes! It's something different you can't explain, like each item has got pixie dust on it
I remember going up to a disability line person to check in. They were helping someone so I waited behind them. Then it was my turn. Little did I know there was a small line formed 15ft away out of view. A disgruntled line of moronic moms proceeded to scream at me. And due to their emotionally unstable view of the world, I rolled my eyes and continued to hold my place in line.
These people don’t walk away disappointed because of the park, it’s because of themselves
I never went as a child and still have no desire to go. Too expensive and I never see any rides except a couple. Just the castle, shops after shops and miles of walking and confusion. I'd rather go to Cedar Point.
The only thing that disappointed me one my first and so far only trip to Disneyworld, were the other people. Yes it's the most magical and 'happiest" place on earth but it's also the most rudest place on earth. So many *more then I wish to count* people while walking around the parks, waiting in line for a ride or character were so rude and ignorant. They walk right into you without so much as a sorry or my bad. They don't even try and avoid colliding with other people. Even if someone is standing still taking a photo or getting one taken, they still walked right into me. The sense of entitlement people have while there is out of control, like they are the only people there paying a fortune to be there. Nothing else, not the occasional rain, missing characters, long lines, heat none of that bothered me.
Love your talks and updates .
Have been going to DISNEYWORLD almost every year since the beginning when only was the magic kingdom. Now it's such a great destination.
But I will greatly cut back on most all visits .
We always stayed on property at Floridian, Polynesian, the Yaght club a favorite and Boardwalk also.and many deluxe resorts .
Now sticking the people who park there at those places and now charging them a parking fee has crossed the line.
Guess it's now Disneys turn at money and greed.
I'd say ol Walt would not be happy with current executives.
And I'm certain there pockets are stuffed also. GREED
I feel like we see Mickey and all the characters alot more now and I love the way they are doing it now! I hope they keep doing this forever.
how do they do it now?
@@verawilliams1208 Spontaneous little cavalcades come through different areas. You would hear music swell on the speakers near you, the crowd parts, and they come by and wave. Back in January, I got to see characters every day.
Gosh I have an old home video at California Disneyland, probably in 1998, and Donald Duck was just out and about, hugging kids and signing autographs! No long line, or fastpass. Crazy!!
I was disappointed in Magic Kingdom because it felt kind of rundown when I went. Magic Kingdom is supposed to be the crown jewel of the Disney parks and it was more like the dirty jewel you keep in a drawer. There was trash everywhere and all the rides seemed like worse versions of the same rides at the other castle parks. Probably my least favorite Disney park I’ve been to.
Oh no! Was this recently? We were last there in 2019 and I remember thinking about how clean everything looked.
I thought the same in Tomorrowland but that was in 2013. I hope it's gotten better.
@@MostlyMom this was in the spring of 2018. Idk maybe it’s gotten better. They may have read the scathing email I sent them 😂
I’ve been to WDW at least 7 times and have never seen trash all over.
I was there last week and it was clean and beautiful. Then soggy... then bright and clean again
I was a lifeguard one summer at the Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness and the daily storms were actually really nice - it was a guaranteed hour-long break you'd get every single day
Your advice to schedule a lunch was literally the best advice ever!
I scheduled a sit down lunch for each park day and it made a huge difference to sit down, diffuse, breathe, recharge and get hydrated again
One of the best things you can do is get to the parks early before they open and ride the most popular rides and then at around noon back to your resort to relax and swim and then go back to the parks later in the afternoon and enjoy the park and riding rides the rest of the night!
For me, the best way to go is without having any expectations. I enjoy what I can and have fun regardless.
That is a great mindset!
Rope drop fomo is no joke. I was at LEAST 30-40 minutes early to each park when I was there in May, and I missed rope drop every time. Get there an hour+ early. Luckily, due to reduced capacity, I was able to ride almost everything.
Checking constantly for restaurant reservations is an awesome tip. We did a last minute trip to Orlando for a family emergency. Once we arrived & took care of everything, we took advantage & visited Universal & Disney Springs. The day before we went to DS, I kept checking the app for reservations to Wine Bar George & one popped up for Lunch. We enjoyed the food & a Frozcato that was on the house!!! 😋
Haven't watched the video yet, but my compliments to whoever makes the thumbnail!
The blooming cinnamon roll. I haven't found the stomach space for it yet on any of my trips - it's a priority for 2022! More important than any ride :D
Sam's Club sells discounted Disney Gift cards as well.
For me they claimed a lot of it was COVID but I knew fully well that wasn’t the case. There wasn’t much to eat due to terrible virtual queues, tons of reservations needed, and long lines. We were starving the whole day, it was the same for Hollywood studios. Epcot was fine of course, but I really grew very tired of the virtual stuff by the end of it all. QR code’s at every turn and apps needed. It really killed the fun for me, not the Disney I remember it wanted. Also I guess for some reason perhaps due to understaffing, the cast member’s were terribly rude this time around. To the point when we had a medical emergency we received no help. Not sure how to lodge a complaint, but the trip was downright brutal.
We are going on our first Disney vacation in a few months and too be honest I am a bit anxious about it, mainly the needing reservations for everything. I have no idea what my daughter is going to be into or what things she will want to do. These videos have helped ease some of the anxiety.
I hope you guys have a great time
Have fun and don’t let little setbacks ruin your vacations. Usually the long lines or the rain are the ones that force you to change plans. I always say, don’t over plan and you can adjust the day. We also purchase the park hopper tickets ( extra cost) so if we are not having a great day in one park we can also jump to another and try our luck there. We love it.
I don’t know how old your daughter is, but I think people tend to forget that children get tired and need extra hydration in the heat. I’ve been many times and it breaks my heart to see so many screaming, tired children who are being dragged around because their parents paid a ton of money for them to have “fun.” Be attentive to your child’s needs.
Just act like your phone/app was glitching. My family did that at every restaurant and they let us walk right in without a reservation. This may not work with restaurants with low capacities though.
@@juliepack1259 Honestly, a packed, blistering, theme park where the WHOLE day is basically walking around and standing in line is a horrible places for children, period. I have vastly happier memories of camping than of my Disneyland trips as a young child.
31:04 Even if it hasn't aged all that well.
But hey, apparently it malfunctions a lot, which is always amusing.
We cancelled our reservation for next year and have decided to find other vacation destinations. Disney is just too expensive anymore. As I have said over & over.....cost now outweighs the magic. It simply is not worth it anymore.
Not Magic Kingdom, but our last day was at Epcot 2 days ago, we were about to get on Frozen Ever After, a ride I’ve never been on before, and they had us evacuated just before we would’ve gotten on, the ride stayed closed for the rest of the day.
I fell victim to one of these many years and learned from it. I have since that awful day checked the Disney website before planning any trip... We have postponed at least three excursions to my memory because the Haunted Mansion was closed for refurb. It is THE family ride, and it must be ridden at least twice (maybe more) on our visit. It is a thing that must happen.
In the beginning of the day we all choose one ride we want to do. On our last Magic Kingdom trip my kids choose Seven Dwarves Mine Train and Buzz Lightyear Spin. My husband choose 7 Dwarfs and I choose Jungle Cruise. Somehow we on our previous trips we never got on Jungle Cruise. Before riding we ate at Skipper Canteen. Now my family is well prepared for the movie.
For anyone who is visiting Florida always pack a poncho or something during the spring to fall it usually rains mid morning and later. Always look and keep an eye on the sky
I love Disney Springs! We just left Florida -back home to Minnesota- it was so much fun. My friend own a home in Windsor Hills Kissimmee. We went to Clearwater Beach, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, animal Kingdom and The Christmas After Party at Magic Kingdom! It was so much fun!! If I go back I will go to Animal Kimgdom and Magic Kingdom again! Loved it!!
Love WDW but the best walking too much fix is Disneyland Park. Smaller then the Magic Kingdom so much easier to get around and spend more time riding rides (multiple times). "Hilarious" that the Shining Knight package is $50 for a family's boy or tom-boy but the whole full on princess experience for your kiddo is $140+ XD Personally I'd want a Villain package lol XD
I'm from india and a student in Czech republic. It's been my dream to visit disney since I was a little girl. I was in Paris for a few days and I could only afford a days' ticket for Disneyland Paris and only one park ticket. It was crowded. No time for a lot of rides, couldn't meet Mickey and princess meet-up was also a holiday on that day. I also missed Cinderella when she did like a half an hour greet near the end of the day and of course no fireworks due to covid, so I had to really adjust my expectations and honestly I still absolutely loved it! Flexibility is really important to enjoy any plan.
Wear some comfortable shoes, bring a backpack with lots of water bottles, and be flexible and patient. Also, make sure you take your kids to the bathroom before getting in line for a big attraction
For me, it’s seeing Laugh Floor is still closed. Sigh. Still hoping it comes back.
What the!
I personally think they should change it to a dark ride, it would make sense right?
Probably don’t have enough space for a ride. That space has always been used exclusively for shows. First Circlevision, then Timekeeper, then Laugh Floor.
We went in April and my 17 year old daughter felt the same way. She was so disappointed.
The best time we had in Disneyland was during a storm. We do a lot of inside rides and there was no wait!
My problem was THE rides had an hour wait. Meaning we could ride eight rides in a day.
My dad was a pro at making sure we always had a plan for every detail of our Disney trips. 🙂
We got to ride everything. I'm glad he did all that research.
I would love to see your "Why do people leave EPCOT disappointed." Totally know one of those is going to be"Remembers the old pavilion/ride and the replacement makes them sad." (I'm looking at you, Journey into Imagination, Seas with Nemo and Friends, and Frozen Ever After)
The pandemic was the perfect excuse for them to charge more for less😬
I've got ASD and the quickest way to ruin my day would be to drag me on a ride. Too much noise, etc. I like to watch from a distance.
Love all of these videos!!!! Any DisneyLAND content coming out anytime soon?
I definitely think that if you're the sort of person who needs to take it easy at the parks, you should! But please don't force those of us who don't want to rest to go back to the hotel. My husband and I have an understanding that some days he'll sleep in and meet me at the park in the afternoon or evening, and some days he'll rope drop with me and then head back to the hotel after a few hours. Meanwhile, I'm there from opening to closing every day. This arrangement makes us both happy.
I know a parent whose kid was super upset she couldn't bring 8 friends for the princess makeover. I think it was $200 a kid plus admission, and food per kid!
I have no intention of ever going back to Disney, but I do enjoy the sound of your voice. So, I keep watching the videos.
I took my children a few years ago! We had a blast, every night my feet was sore... but that is it! I look forward to taking my grandson in a few years 🥰🥰🥰
Shoes make a big difference
@@christopherbassit2757 I learned the hard way! That is not a place you wear cute shoes to match your dress! So next time I will have a nice pair of running shoes on!
@@beautifulsoul4521 yes. People don’t realize they’ll be walking 5-10 miles a day. I wore some soft nike breathable running shoes and it made it a lot better.
@@christopherbassit2757 Wow, thank you so much for the recommendation! I totally had no idea we would be walking so much. I was glad I got my 5 year old a wagon. It’s such a beautiful place. I hope all children get to experience Disney at least once in their life time!😎🥰🥰
Overcrowded, summer rain, unaffordable ticket prices, expensive souvenirs, expensive hotels, overpriced food!! Have fun dealing with these when you go to WDW for the 50th.
I think Donald being outside a Chinese inspired area is a bad idea
Imagine seeing him then going into a Chinese food place and eating something duck 😂
Best way to avoid the disappointments is the hardest to do-- understand that no day will be perfect. You need to learn to roll with whatever is thrown at you and adjust. The less rigid you are, the more you will enjoy those things you actually do.
For my brothers bday we just found out we are going to Disney today! I am so excited. I normally binge watch your videos. But now I am extra binge watching! It's my 5th time so I need to know how it has changed.
You can also give unused items to children's hospitals. Leave the tags on so they know their are new or they cant accept them!
I love you AJ and your team! I'm going to Disney solo next week and just bought your DFB Guide and Snacks Bundle! I can't book any restaurants for myself (I've been trying for months) so I will be sticking to Walk ups and snacks to survive lol thank you guys for the hard work!
Your channel has made me consider becoming a Disney regular if I really like it. Super excited!
Love Disney. After having previously been to Disneyland a year earlier and now visiting in Orlando we wanted to go to Disneyworld. We found quite a few rides out of order for maintenance or just having maintenance issues so when we had a stop over in LA for a few days on the way back to Australia we made sure we went and had a day at Disneyland. Hopefully if we get a chance to get back we can hopefully have a better experience
We just got back at the end of June. I was a little disappointed. We did all the rides but the Cast members were very grumpy. One argued with us about the wait time for the Avatar ride. She said it would be a 3 hour wait. We waited less then an hour. The Magic feeling just wasn’t there. It was our first trip to the World.
We also noticed the cast members running rides had an attitude. They were mostly younger. The older cast members that were out to help people were much nicer. The lady at the entrance the first day we were there was amazing. I hadn't been there in 10 years, didn't want to buy a wrist band, and didn't know how to work the app to show my ticket. She went and helped me set up my passes on Gpay and was extremely patient.
We went in June also. It wasn’t near as magical as when we went in 2014. The lines weren’t bad for rides but lines for food were ridiculous. I didn’t realize how much I would miss fireworks and parades.
@@lisaanderson7988 It's crazy that a person has to stand in line to spend money
I went to Disney every year from 2012 through 2017 and we only ever got Be Our Guest reservations by checking back 24 hours before we were going to Magic Kingdom. If you really want to eat there, don’t give up!
1) Crowds
2) Crowds
3) to 17) Crowds
18) Crowds
Thank you for not just assuming that girls would want to go to the boutique and boys would want the knight experience 👍
Two main reasons you leave Disney disappointed, Bob Iger, Bob Cheapek.
We’ just came back from Disney and universal..not happy. We rented a house to save. We got those spring rolls. They we’re ok.$9. And giedns cookies.$6 for a cookie.but we had to try them and peanut butter coffee.
Don’t blame Iger, he inheirited a mess from Eisner.
Iger did a fantastic job. He’s an amazing leader and a great person. I was sad to see him go. This person is right. Eisner was kind of a duffel bag. I’d be down for iger running for presidency.
@@wjsproductions1784 yes Michael isner tried to be the face of Disney.
And spread his taint around magic kingdom.( mermaids over 20,000 leagues {shutter})
Bob iger however had an ego, and bought up everything.
Then claims he's not in favor of Kathleen Kennedy,
However he allowed Kathleen to change the name of Galaxy Edge.
It was supposed to be named Tatooine, but no hers would do better than time Tatooine.
Update all those reading this,
The only thing Cheapek can do is raise prices.
Check dining at the last minute, as well. We knew we wouldn't make it to a reservation in Epcot. I walked up and asked them if we could cancel without being charged and they said yes!!! I overheard someone doing this at Yak and Yeti while we were waiting.