I remember tickets were $39 when I was a teen in 1990's in Orlando, Florida. I worked as a cast member when I was 17 and have been to Disney World over a 100 time in my life time.
There was a massive shift shortly after 2017. Perks taken away- free parking at resorts, magic express, paywalling everything, removal of magic hours, dining plan, ability to prepay for most things, fast pass. It was like Disney was incentivizing people to NOT stay on property. Only when it the writing on the wall was clear that they had greatly lost goodwill of the average person, did they bring some of those perks back. We used to love going to Disney. We have not been back and honestly have no plans on doing so. We have traveled all over the country and recently went to both Alaska and Hawaii - each of those trips was less than Disney and far, far more rewarding. You are spot on.
I appreciate your kind words! And yes, we have been on several Non-Disney trips the last few years and have paid far less and had a great time as a family. You are spot on with all the perks they took away and all the things they pay walled. The parking fees at the resorts was ridiculous. Then taking away Magic Express on top of that was absurd. I would have rather them kept Magic Express and charged $25 a person than to just drop it entirely. I would have felt better paying for that than the move to Genie Plus/Lightning lane monetization. I miss Fast Pass so much. LOL
I think they're going to regret axing the Magical Express when Epic Universe opens. They popped the Disney Bubble-- it's a whole lot easier to have a mixed trip when you aren't reliant on Disney for transportation.
I agree I travel to the carribean on 7 day cruise air flight ✈️ 7 nights food and everything still cheaper than Disneyland. And I only like 6 hours from Disney. I quit going in like 2015. It was already bad then
Absolutely agree. One of my most memorable trips over the last few years was my time in Yosemite. One of the most beautiful places I have seen in the US.
Omg so true! This is the good news about Disney being kicked off my yearly visits list. I used to go every year until it became financially unreasonable and stupid. I went to Hawaii and it was cheaper! Next year Alaska but in between, visited Death Valley and Grand Canyon. I wont go back to what I did before.
So true, I would much rather plan trips abroad and within the US. Disney has gotten so ridiculously overpriced. I have no plans to ever go back. Instead I have my memories going with my family when I was a little girl.
My niece who would go to Disney twice a year said she enjoyed Family camp more than Disney. A weekend in cabins with games and activities. So glad we have those memories.
My parents moved from Florida to GA shortly before I was born in 1968. My father lived there all his life since 1945. My mother since 1958. They took me and my brother to Disney in the early seventies. I was upset in the first hour because I could not go inside of the Cinderella Castle. The only other thing I liked was the Hunted Mansion. After that, I was bored. My brother was 4 and was fussy and hit Goofy in the nose. I remember my mother saying we will never go their again. It was a tourist trap. My dad said yes the snowbirds have ruined Florida with this tourist trap. We went to Epcot when it opened in the 1980's. You have to understand we spent our time in Sarasota FL on vacation mostly boating ,fishing and swimming. To our family that was better than any theme park. We had our own boat that we would pull down to our grandmother's house. She lived 3 miles from the bay and beach. I would rather saltwater fish and swim than wait in line at a theme park. We had cousins that had pools so we would spent time with them too. We were not rich. We were middle class. Both my parents were teachers. There is no way I would spend money on theme parks today.
Thank you so much for saying this, I am also a former castmember, and will always love Disney for what it can be, not what it is right now. I also just came back from my first visit to Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea, and WOW. They blow us out of the water, they embody what Disney used to be here, original ideas, non-IP based lands (with IP integration), quality food, good service, clean parks, and it was less than $500 for me to stay and go to the parks for 3 days. I wish the US parks would take a hint from TDR's success and treat castmembers better, and care less about lining shareholder pockets
WoW! I am jealous. I would love to go to Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea. I have heard stories about how amazing it is, and it seems like you are confirming this. And yes, I wish they would move away from the Parks simply being a blank check for the rest of the company and doing nothing more than boosting profits by raising prices for the consumers and guests.
@noiresdusk5560 I didn't even see this befor I spoke about tokyo disney. I think the biggest difference is tokyo is owned and operated by the oriental land company and they actually care about their park. I mean I loved seeing the bench auction in pirates and actually riding a working version of splash mountain. (Splash mountain was barely working in America befor it was shut down.) Although I will admit brer rabbit speaking Japanese took a bit to get uses to. But they have the best Critter country and the view of Critter country from Tom Sawyers island was amazing
@@ekahnoman7331 Yeah this is true. I just decided I needed to sit down and let the camera roll and get things off my chest. Didn't realize the video would take off the way it did. I will make future videos more insightful and on point to a single topic.
I worked in one of the hotels there too for a minute. Over 30 years ago, totally different world. I remember going to that casting place off of I5 to apply for a job. It was a big deal to apply for Disney then, I don't know about now though.
@esterdrass4964 now you can't get a job unless it's a special trade or you're a CP. It's really all about the money. I worked there in 2009. I left in 2010 to UO for the WWoHP and never went back. I look at the website every now and then with shock at just how much they won't hire regular roles anymore.
We took our granddaughter a few years back. Epcot had areas covered with plywood. Benches had rusty spots. It’s a Small World had ceiling tiles missing. Cast members were chatting about personal issues instead of being in character. There was a time when Disney was always clean and in excellent repair. There were strict dress and behavior codes. It’s rapidly becoming Six Flags.
Seriously, all of the construction takes away from the Magic. Why cant they focus on getting one or two attractions done at a time, and then move on to the next. Instead they have a variety of crews working multiple things at a given time, completely spread thin and these projects are taking forever!
Excellent roundup. Used to regularly take family to the Disneyworld from the UK but very sadly most of the perks have been discontinued and it is now prohitively expensive
@@InLikeFlynns They still have Splash Mountain, and refused to replace it . Makes you wonder who’s the better theme park in terms of preservation of history.
Former Disney Cast Member here. Future World Attractions at EPCOT Dec’84 to Jan’94. Received the Spirit of Disney Award. Sorry folks, Disney is simply dying. I am well aware of the Disney Lies. The management has an agenda. There is no going back. I washed that pixie dust off years ago
Well sir, if anyone has earned the right to speak their mind on the subject, it is certainly you. It does sadden me to see the state that Disney is in. It almost seems like a bad dream. There was once this shining example of a company that was a beacon of joy and entertainment for families all over the World. A company that could entertain families both in movie theaters and in theme parks. They could write blank checks because they had an endless supply of revenue and could do whatever project they wanted and it would become a reality. Then it all fell apart due to a few peoples non-sensical knee jerk reactions and greediness. What a shame.
@@USCfan03 When Michael Eisner ran the company he pushed the company into a lot of debt. People don’t realize that. I knew folks whose companies dealt with Disney and Disney was not paying their bills. From that point the leaders continued on that direction with putting the company into greater debt. Disney for years wanted to get into thrill rides because they saw the amusement parks were popular. The thrill rides were limited due to theming. Now with the push to stay afloat instead of drowning in the debt they have embraced whatever they deemed necessary to survive. They have embraced woke culture and the amusement park mentality. I predict that the current Disney company will no longer exist in the next 10 years
@@DougYeager-i8b I bet you’re right about it in the next 10 years. I almost wish I could “borrow” a flatbed and have my older brother drive it, go down to the [out of business] Magic Kingdom, uproot the castle, put it on the back of the truck, and drive it back to my home state…I just don’t know anyone who can operate a crane to lift it, and can’t get the permits to transport a [stolen] building across multiple state lines.
The $7,000 are better not spent at Disney, but invested and saved. Kids learn nothing at Disney! Take them to museums, concerts, theaters, plays or libraries. And to your local pool, or whatever. They learn a lot more that way, and have fun too!
We do take the kids to a number of educational places as well, and we make wonderful memories in those places. We will actually be taking them camping in Gettysburg next month. We cant wait!
1:30 Yeah the statement that a trip to Disney World is just not for the middle class anymore was absurd to me. It was never for the middle class and always for the super wealthy. That being said I can't say I've ever been there even once. Vacations are most certainly not for the poor!
My Disneyland memories as a So Cal kid from 1960-1990 was to wander around the park in awe and excitement, and the cost was inconsequential. The monetization of every square inch and second of experience since 1990 is something that would horrify Walt.
I bet the pressure on the top tier management is pretty heavy these days in comparison with Walt's day, It's all about the eye watering profits and share holders. Wringing every last penny. Charging for parking because we can't get there any other damn way. The toilets are next.
I used to work at Universal, and we had so many "disney refugees", a lot of them from the Disney College Program. They all had horror stories, most commonly about bad management that treated the employees like garbage and never took their side. It shocked me that universal had better pay for their employees, despite only making a small fraction of the revenue that the Disney parks do. Universal def wasnt a perfect place to work, but the fact those parks have way less resources and lower expectations compared to Disney, yet still was generally better to employees? Insane to me. The rides I worked on for Uni; one was old and unkempt, the other had some complex mechanics. So they'd both go down pretty often. Breakdowns are a weekly reality of any ride. But the longest we've ever had a breakdown was... two hours maybe? A ride being down all or most of the day would be a very big deal. Commonplace over at Disney.
I think I am going to do a future video on this very topic. I wasn't treated "horribly" per se, but I do have a few stories I could share that would open some peoples eyes lol. I have heard that Universal is a good place to work and a lot of Disney folks flock that way after their time with the mouse. Im not familiar with the compensation variances, as I worked for Disney in the early 2000's, so I would hate to comment on that since I dont have any first hand knowledge.
@@InLikeFlynns It's definitely not a massive difference and I've heard bad stories about working at uni as well (especially food service) but I know for at least the baseline pay for operations/merchandise employees, universal specifically tries to keep their hourly pay above Disney's, and raises it whenever Disney raises it. It was $2 above disney's when I applied. But the dollars dont matter to me as much as good management does. I had a really great team of leads at Uni that all started out where I did and were very reasonable and understanding. That was the biggest complaint I heard from ex-Disney employees in recent years; bad management that had been promoted quickly but had never actually worked in operations and therefore, had unrealistic expectations for employees. A lot of soulless corporate meddling. Things like that.
A friend of a friend of mine told me that a cast member was in the hospital, languishing and near death from sepsis. He was fired from Disney for “No call, no show”, because his FMLA request was rejected due to a typo on the form. They have problems with guests going “Out of bounds”, requiring ride stoppages (especially on the Haunted Mansion). Other times guests think it’s cute to reach up and touch the emergency stop button on the ride control console. One guest even got busted trying to steal Madame Leota’s crystal ball.
What I don’t get is how the f Disney can get away with all they get away with WITH a union, meanwhile universal doesn’t have a union in sight with the exception of maybe few entertainment and maintenance positions and yet they manage to treat cast better than Disney.
Disney Parks used to be a thing of beauty, now they just seem like a cash machine to support the media division. The greatest compliment that I keep hearing for Universal is "do you remember what Disney was like in the 90s? That's what Universal is like now." I appreciate your video. - JJC
The reason why you are seeing these changes is because Disney is not currently in the business of selling experiences. They are utilizing revenue to purchase and develop IP that they can in turn leverage into merchandise. The current revenue stream in descending order is Merchandise, Entertainment, and then Experiences (Parks). Universal Studios on the other hand, has rebranded themselves from Parks & Resorts to Universal Destinations & Experiences, emphasizing its mission and vision. Essentially, while Universal Studios may not be earning as much revenue as Disney, their market research is strong and positions them for great success in the “immersive experience” market.
Yeah, if you go and watch the Universal videos on their new park, Epic Universe, you can't help but think to yourself 'this is what Disney used to do/be, what happened?'. That creativity, that innovation, those risks. It's all been replaced with cost cutting, half-assing, and re-branding. The only reason we're going back to Disney is because our youngest was too young to remember it, and also to say goodbye more than likely. I'm honestly more looking forward to Universal, which was night and day better on our last trip in 2019, and will be featuring a new park with actually innovative designs throughout.
We live in Orlando. We prefer Universal. We can get an annual pass for far cheaper with no blackout dates. Our daughter and son-in-law get the annual pass that includes valet parking. Before we moved here, we stayed in one of their resorts and it was way more affordable than Disney.
Getting rid of Rivers of America and the boat for cars is horrible. They are ruining the theming of the park. The people making these decisions have no respect for the parks, castmembers, and guests.
I honestly can’t agree with you more. The best argument I heard is that they are building it for our kids and future generations, not for “us”. I don’t like that argument but it’s the best I’ve heard lol
@@princessmarlena1359 It's not what they did. It's what they are DOING, or planning to do. They are planning to rip out Tom Swr. Island and the Rivers of America and replace it with a CARS land. Literally the worst Disney announcement I've heard in all of history
I have been done with Disney for many years. That said, as a little kid I remember 20000 Leagues Under the Sea being absolutely awesome. Things change. Disney is a place for the upper middle class and above. 58 million people are willing to pay to go to Disney World each year. They are willing to plan each second of the day to accomplish getting on the attractions. It is what it is.
Disney parks peaked in the 2000s and early 2010s. Not a cast member, just a local who has been about 100 times in his life. Quality was just better back then. Disney was never cheap, but it at least felt like you were getting your money's worth.
I agree with everything you said, but you have to remember that you are paying a lot less as a Florida resident than I am. So it’s even more expensive for us, plus travel. It’s definitely an expensive trip lol
@@InLikeFlynns True dat. I'm technically a California resident so for me its Disneyland but from what I've seen and heard its true of both US parks. Disneyland is a whole day vacation. Disneyworld is a multiday vacation. RIP family wallet, the 1000th haunt in the Haunted Mansion :(
Eisner also saw that many people could not afford to have the true, stay on property and immerse yourselves type of experience, so he 1st had the Caribbean Beach Resort built. It did so well, and brought in a new clientele, so 3 more moderate resorts were built. ;Eisner then thought that maybe it would be nice to make a true, immersive Disney vacation available to people who would love to visit, but couldn't afford the moderate resorts and were staying on 535 or 192, so he built the Value resorts. He made money for the company, but didn't alienate potential guests. He tried to be inclusive, and a good business man. We need someone along those lines to come in and straighten out Iger and Chapek's mess. Some people didn't appreciate what Eisner did for the company until he was gone!
Im also a former disney cast member and i agree with everything you said. i worked thier from 2012 to 2020 and i saw the downfall of disney and the magic disappear. The magic is gone and i dont think its comming back any time soon. It is heart breaking to see.
I really just think at this point the magic is on life support. It is there for children...not so much for adults these days. But things need to vastly improve and quick.
I was wondering how Florida residents were impacted by all the changes and increases. If Florida residents are getting frustrated over the pay walls, that’s bad
Wow, you sincerely dont know how much this means to me. I am humbled and grateful that you feel this way. I am hoping to be open and honest in future videos about my experiences as a Disney Castmember and as a guest of the parks for nearly 30 years.
@@craigwapples4200 Good luck with that. Your gen will do no better. You think greed is gone now? Just watch and learn. My generation is not greedy. MANKIND is greedy as a whole.
I was a childhood friend of Walt, knew him when Disneyland opened, (a young boy back then), and visited Disneyland many times. But...no more. When Walt died, the decay began, the dream was dead. I will not ever go back, and drain away the memories. Walt had ideas, dreams, that no one since has had. Sad indeed.
@@JosedeJezeus Absolutely. I think Walt totally irreplaceable. Walt was such a good man. Not perfect, but a childlike man who wanted always the best for the children and families, with strict standards. Our society is dying, partly because we have lost the "Walts' in our world. Stories I could tell....each a piece of golden sunshine in my heart.
Walt was truly a visionary that left us far too soon. A man of magic and wonder who had an absolute love for the people. He didn’t care about money. He left that to Roy.
@@InLikeFlynns You nailed that to perfection! I was in Disneyland the day it opened, and as a young teen, Walt would take us, some kids he loved, and give us a post- park closing nighttime ride on the Storybookland Canal boats in the dark, telling each story, acting them out. Magical evenings for me and my sister, and others! Damn I miss Walt! 😥
I’m afraid if you think Chapeck was the problem, you missed that Iger caused all of Disney’s problems even when Chapeck was the paper CEO, Iger was running things from behind the scenes. Disney has taken a stance politically, socially, and ethically that is not family customer friendly and they have done severe damage to their brand….it’s a shame, but shareholders will also pay the price for mismanagement by Iger.
Oh believe me I think Iger shares a large part of the blame for where we are at right now. I have to believe that Guest satisfaction at the parks has to be at an all time low. Disney Studios isn’t much better. I’m honestly shocked they didn’t pull the plug on Snow White and the Mythical Creatures or whatever they are calling it lol
Between the two of them, time will be kinder to Mr. Chapek by default. If nothing else, he was there first so he remembers what Disney was like before the ABC merger that brought Bob Iger into the company.
Bob Paycheck was the magnifying glass that made it very clear the trouble the company was in. That being said, Bob Chapek brought his own personal brand of horrible. He was the worst kind of pandering, smug, boot licking elitist wannabe turd of a person. He ran his mouth on political matters. He utterly pissed off the governor and exploded the good relationship that had existed since the park opened. His grandiosity just reeked of his entitled bloated ego. He seemed to delight in dismantling and destroying everything about the disney company that made it special. He’s the grotesque representation of Nouveau Riche. A social climbing jerk off who had ZERO respect for the culture and the legacy of the Walt Disney company and all the things that had made it the best of the best for so many years. Ugh. Barf. I HATE Bob Chapek. What Iger was thinking with that pic I will never understand. Unless he purposely picked an inept moron so he could keep hold of the reigns behind the scenes. I wish he had picked Tom Staggs. That pick might have saved the legacy. As it is, I feel like a dear friend has died and there is no way to bring back the magic. Everything fell too far to the left and made the parks about the people who work there not about the guest experience. Sorry. Word vomit. Bob Chapek is a nightmare memory. Even if it was Bob Iger’s fault. Bleh. Sad. Infuriating. 💔
Exactly!!!! I remember when Eisner was retiring, and some of my fellow castmembers were saying how happy they were to have a new CEO. My reply was "Be Careful What You Wish For".... I don't know how I knew... but I knew that particular change in leadership was not going to bode well for the company or the guests, and he was the beginning of the downfall.
We just cancelled our 2025 DW trip. This year was too much of a disappointment, and we felt that Disney fleeced us at every opportunity. As a non US visitor, I feel the biggest mistake they've made is getting rid of the Magical Express
Ooooh the Magic Express was my favorite. We always flew into McO and the trip would start on the Magic Express bus. It was so nice. Now it’s either renting a car, or for our last trip we just bit the bullet and drove to save money. Not fun
@@InLikeFlynns , I just flew in from Raleigh last week. We stayed at All star movies, and took the lynx 311 city bus from MCO to Disney Springs. Took the resort bus to the resort. We went to the Halloween party . Was there for one day. The party on 9/8 was a rainout, so they gave us party goers a one day ticket with park hopper good for a year. Uber prices were $50 from MCO. The bus ride took an hour with several stops. I saved $100 round trip. I agree that the magic is long gone and never coming back. Walt is rolling over in his grave.
I took my family to Disney World every year for vacation. I absolutely loved it. 5 years ago, I stopped going and started going to Universal. 2 weeks ago, I went to Disney for vaca only because my brother was there and I hadn't seen him for a while. I was shocked . It is nothing like it was. Cast members yelling over the pa. Sloppy appearance. The rides are so badly showing age and neglect. Disney is failing, and it must fail. The only way back for them is to remember what they are and what they meant to families. I'm done. I will NEVER step foot on their property again. The magic is 15 minutes down the road at Universal it is what Disney was 10 years ago. Sorry so negative. Disney meant so much to my family.
You don’t have to apologize at all and I completely agree with everything you said. Universal has improved over Disney in quite a few facets. When I worked there you would get sent home if you were not clean shaven every day and would get written up if your shirt wasn’t tucked in. Now you can look like a slob and get away with it. We even overheard two employees talking about smoking pot off the clock while we were in line for an attraction. I guess it’s legal, but you shouldn’t be able to talk like that out loud in front of kids.
I whole heartedly agree with you. I feel like the string of Box Office failures, which luckily ended with Inside Out 2 forced them to continue to raise prices at the parks to make up for their struggling bottom line. Luckily for us Deadpool and Wolverine was a huge success, as was Inside Out 2. We will see what the future holds with Moana 2 on the horizon.
It's the opposite of what it was like in the first decade without Walt Disney around. Then, the theme parks got the lion's share of attention while the film division was largely ignored until the push to make PG-rated movies began with *The Black Hole.*
Disney does not sell magic, or experiences, or toys or movies or vacations. Disney sells stock. Disney has placed their shareholders ahead of their product, customers, and employees. Maximizing profits is the new Disney experience even though their stock is falling. Remember Chapek was a puppet it's been 2 shower a day weatherman Iger all along.
Thank you for your rant! It’s all so true. Disney will never get another dime out of my family. That much I can 100% guarantee. They are a complete joke of a company.
I was a Cast Member at Disneyland from 1974-1980. I started at The Main Street Emporium then went to The Jungle Cruise and ended up at The Haunted Mansion. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment I worked there. The Guests were phenomenal, the food was amazing and the prices were very affordable. I haven't been back to Disneyland since I clocked out on my last day (I moved to Tennessee). The Disneyland of 'The Past' is the Disneyland that lives in my mind. All Great Memories!
I have great memories of my time at the Backlot Tour at Disney/MGM Studios. My wife worked at the Emporium as well, but the WDW version. She didn't have as great of a time over there lol
I'm sorry she didn't enjoy The Main Street Emporium . . . I think it was better for me because I worked 'The Graveyard Shift'. I would go in at 11:00p in my 'Gay 90's Costume' and then at 2:00a change into a white shirt and black pants to unload the trailers behind the shop. If there were only a few trailers that night to unload when we finished we had a few hours to roam around The Park and mingle with the other Graveyard Cast Members. That was the best! Then after about 2 years I moved to Attractions (and I became an 'Entertainer'!!) After I left Disneyland I moved to Tennessee and became a Paramedic (now retired). . . Love your channel!! Keep up the good work!!
I'm from the UK and have visited Disney World in Florida seven times now, starting in 2003. During the first few visits, I truly felt the magic Disney World had to offer, but this recent trip (10 days in September) was probably the weakest. We just didn’t feel the same sense of magic or wonder we once did. There was also a feeling in the air that I couldn't explain, and it was definitely negative! That being said, like others, I have a few unfortunate experiences with rude or unprofessional Disney cast members. The first incident occurred at Dinosaur, specifically just before entering the stand-up theatre. My dad casually mentioned to the cast member, "I’ve heard Dinosaur is closing, that’s sad," to which the cast member rolled his eyes and responded, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, it’s whatever. There's no specific time frame for it yet anyway." I found his response to be quite rude and dismissive. The second incident happened while we were boarding Kali River Rapids. I politely asked a cast member how they were doing, and they replied, "Do you want the honest answer or the DISNEY answer?" I said, "You can go for the honest one, I guess," and they responded, "I’d rather be at home, quite frankly." Again, I felt their attitude was unprofessional. The third and final incident occurred at Expedition Everest. My sister accidentally boarded the wrong number, and the cast member snapped, "That is NOT the number I said!" and tutted at her abruptly. All three incidents happened on the same day and in the same park-Animal Kingdom. I’ve never encountered cast members like this before. It seems like many of them are visibly unhappy with the current situation and how Disney is treating them. I think this may be our last trip to Disney World, but I’m really looking forward to Epic Universe!
I laugh every time one of my kids gets a participation trophy. Heck, back in the day, if your baseball team finished 2nd in the Championships, there was no 2nd place trophy. LOL
Im sorry you had such bad interactions with castmembers. That would have never flown back in 2001 when I was there. It is going to be interesting once Epic Universe opens.
Former Disneyland cast member here and I agree with everything you said about the state of the company and especially the parks. The steady decline towards the quality of the treatment towards guests and employees alike is one of the reasons I left.
Its sad to say, but none of the cast members in Disneyland stood out to me. Back in the day there would be a cast member or two that I would remember that would go out of their way to make us have a magical experience and treat us with overwhelmingly positive customer service. I felt like most of the DL Castmembers were almost like Walmart employees. They came, did their job and went home. Nothing horrible per se, but nothing magical either. I used to be proud that I worked for the parks.
@@InLikeFlynns last time I went a couple years back, I had 2 separate employees being rude, barking orders at us guests! Was pretty sad to see, especially on top of the fleecing
Yup. They might as well PISS on Walt Disney’s grave at this point! They’re 100% RUINING the parks and they’re ruining the theming. The BEAUTY that once was is disappearing more and more 😭 The parks are dirty, the old attractions are not maintained, and the NEW attractions keeps breaking down. They need to wake up. They need to get back to where and to WHAT they once was.
On my last two trips, I must say that I was extremely shocked by what they now allow in terms of Quality Assurance. Yes, rides have begun to feel like they are dirty and run down. When animatronics are consistently malfunctioning, or not running to their designed tasks, and they let guests continue to pass by and see this....that is an issue. The fact that rides are breaking down for hours at a time each day....that is not cool. Especially not when you are paying such a premium to attend the park.
"You don’t see KFC trashing their original recipe." Yes, we most certainly do. They trashed their whole menu at one point I'm assuming for the purpose of being "innovative" which wasn't a good idea. 😒👌
Really well articulated. I really feel your pain. You're exactly the kind of person Disney should be listening to if they actually want to improve the experience for their paying customers.
They say "you can never go back" . As time goes by trends change, people grow old and generations evolve to the next shiny toy/experience. Walt had his idea and dream and created a theme park my generation will remember (im 68 years of age) until we're gone. It was a simple time where family values and characters were enjoyed in a fantasy land called Disneyland. It was escapism at its highest level. In time the technology and wide choices of entertainment made Disney compete for a changing society where imagination was not a priority. They exchanged Walt's dreams and vision with pie charts, financial algorithms and set aside what Disneyland represented to a family of 5. To interact with Disney characters, affordable food and being able to leave all your anxiety and stress at home. I love the memories I have of my mom and dad taking my sister 2 brothers and myself to Disneyland. It's sad when I talk to my friends who have visited Disneyland. I don't hear happy stories of meeting they're favorite character instead the hot dog cost 10 bucks and the waiting times were hours long. I guess "you can never go back
There is part of me that is constantly afraid that the level of Magic and Customer Service once achieved at Disney Parks may be long gone. You used to hear people rave about every trip to WDW and DL. And like you said...now all you hear is "the park was so crowded" "the lines were so long" "all these rides were broken down" etc
I went for the last time a few years ago. I had already booked my dream trip that I always wished for being a huge fan since the 60s. Then I found out the company was getting political and fighting against a law that protects children. I couldn't fathom in my mind why they would being doing this. I went and spent 8 nights at the Disneyland hotel which I always dreamed of doing but because of all the controversy and the company supporting something I thought was crazy I just couldn't have a good time because it was always on my mind. I feel Walt would really be disgusted in the direction the company is going. So sad 😔
@@InLikeFlynnsyou're right. My only trip so far to Disneyland, we got a deal staying at the Disneyland hotel. Could never do that present day. We walked up to check in and the cast member was so kind. He said "are you feeling magical today?" I replied "I'm at Disneyland for the first time so I guess so!" He upgraded us at no extra charge. It was wonderful. I'll always remember that. And that doesn't exist anymore. 😞
It cost me $32 to get in back in 1992. Counting for inflation that would be only $71 to get in today. Today it's $104 to $194 depending on which day you pick, an averaqe of $149. Disney literally double inflation! GREED! I had my fun and got to ride some good rides before they were removed. I have little interest in all these new rides that use screen projections and require 3D glasses. The new King Kong ride at Universal is like that and it sucked. When I rode the first version with the giant King Kong in my face, THAT was awesome. They should have rebuilt it proper.
I've been a lifelong Disney parks fan, and you're absolutely right. Everything Disney is doing now is for the filthy rich, regular families are priced out of the parks. And every new attraction is designed to sell Multipasses and lightning lanes. So you're paying (here in California) $700 just to walk in the door, plus $100 for a multipage if you want to ride more than a few rides, and if you want to ride a popular ride without waiting 3 hours, that's another $100 for the family. There are fewer and fewer shows, fewer long rides (replaced by 50 second roller coasters), and off the shelf rides with IP glued onto them. Add to that the terrible price gouging for terrible food at slow food service and souvenirs costing double what they did just a few years ago. Everything is an upsell, everything is incredibly expensive. It's not magical, it's about stock price for a few billionaires and executive bonuses and compensation now.
I agree with every single thing you just said. To me it is sad that it has taken this long to get a parade back at MK at night. That was always one of the highlights of our MK evenings.
We are SoCal residents with Magic Keys that we make payments on. $88-$121 month and go as often as we wish pretty much. Never paid $700 . That monthly pass payment is less than one day ticket
@@InspiredByEbonyLove We had passes (didn't renew as COVID was hitting) and we were paying something like $1,300 each and about half the year was a blackout date. We haven't gone to Disneyland (we're local to SoCal) in a couple of years. Too much money, too little magic left.
To your point, the only person I know who actually went to DW is my cousin, a highly paid mechanical engineer working at Raytheon on high tech missile systems. She and her husband probably pull in a little under 500k, pre tax, every year. No one else in my family even thinks about going anymore. When I was growing up in the 90s, between my family and extended family, us kids used to go almost every year. That seems insane now, given my parents humble profressions, that they could afford this. It makes the 90s seem like this incredible time when everyone has easy money, lol. I make a good living today writing software, but I'm not interested in squandering my money on one of these trips. Ot just sounds like a living hell. My kids and I can go on camping trips for the cost of a tank of gas and $25 for the camping space.
When my wife and I say we're done with Disney, we know Disney screwed up big time. Ifi said we've been on 50 Disney trips it would probably be low. After our last trip we just said we're done.
Preaching to the choir my friend. We were season pass holders doing 3 trips a year until 2019 time frame. Then we were just getting absolutely frustrated beyond belief. Been on one trip since then to WDW and our most recent DL trip for the kids. Might be the last one while they are still in the house sadly
I'm on the west coast and I feel the same way about DL. I was on Pirates of the Caribbean and my boat got stuck in one place for ten minutes! A former cast member was behind me with his family; he said "this is normal." I didn't feel like arguing his point; I just wanted the boat to move like it was supposed to. In all my years of coming there since 1986, I had never seen things so bad. Or so expensive!
@@Attmay True story - My wife and I were stuck on Pirates of the Caribbean in Walt Disney World years ago. We sat for over an hour listening to "We Want the Red Head!" before finally being walked off the attraction backstage. It was the first ride we got on that night during MNSSHP. LOL It sucked.
After reading all the comments, there is nothing more to add. It’s just sad to think that the parks we once enjoyed as our kids grew up is now only a memory. Walt’s dream died when Bob Iger took over. Now on to Epic Universe.
@@InLikeFlynns There's gonna be a new kid in town, and it will be kicking butt and taking names. Disney better get with the program if they want to continue playing with the big boys! Disney got too good on relying on their reputation, and now it is being challenged from all angles!
I also used to work for Disney, and I agree with your critiques. Disney has become a boutique experience for the upper middle class and the wealthy only, primarily because of corporate greed and mismanagement. There are a lot of middle class people still hanging on because of their nostalgic attachment to the parks, but I don't think Disney realizes that that attachment is fostered by a childhood of going to the parks and making memories, and once that generation is no longer going, there won't be another. Unless they're well-off, a kid today won't be visiting the parks once a year for the holidays, or on their birthday. They won't be creating those memories that make them want to take their own kids or grandkids to the parks someday. Add to that the frustration of all the additional charges that pile up-- including for services like fast pass-adjacent features that used to be free, or having to bury your face in your phone in the middle of the vacation day you're supposed to be enjoying to make a millisecond swipe ride reservation, or else risk never riding that attraction at all, and Disney has completely sapped itself of any magic it once had. Again, I doubt they even realize the long-term damage they're doing to their own brand with this senseless greed.
Born and raised in So Cal. Grew up going to Disneyland, it was amazing. Best Memories Ever. Fast forward to now and I have not been to Disney in over 7 years. Too expensive, too crowded and just not fun like it used to be.
I was never a huge Disney World fan (despite it being a couple hours drive for me), but each time I took my family there, it felt more a chore than a vacation. So much planning with the app and so much STRESS to try and have a good time. Because of the cost of going to Disney, you will always feel you have to plan and detail every hour of your day or you're not getting your money's worth from the trip. Last year, I brought my family to Universal Studios for the first time because my daughter is a big Harry Potter fan. The cost was better, but even more important and valuable for us is that we weren't stressed going through the park. We were actually able to feel like we were on vacation and could just walk around and enjoy the parks and attractions. I bought us annual passes and haven't looked back at Disney World ever since.
I think I am going to do a video on this topic alone, because I completely agree with you. The amount of time spent on your phone now to keep up is ridiculous. You are missing so many of the little easter eggs and references. With Genie+ you are constantly checking the app for return times and ordering food...its ridiculous.
@@InLikeFlynns And your kids know when you're stressed, they can just feel it, and they end up not having a good time either. It ends up being a feedback loop of misery. An app should ENHANCE your experience, not replace it. It totally makes sense to have an app to look at a map, check wait times, make dining reservations (if you want to), and maybe some other peripherals (photos games, etc.) but it should be BY CHOICE. It's not fun when you have to use it to do anything.
I went years ago, and I enjoyed it, but even then it felt like Force Fun™️ I have no desire to ever return. I like knoebels in Pennsylvania. Pay as you go and the food wasn’t bad. Had the time of my life this year well under $100
This is the thing that drives me nuts the most about DW right now. When we started going when our kids were smaller, it was so much less complicated. People that wanted to overplan could, and people that just wanted to show up could do that also. I was the touring plan type, and everything worked because it was all based on the fact that some people were going to plan and some weren't. Once they made everything more and more and more scheduled and extra, it made the experience worse for everyone - except a small amount of people that would pay whatever price for the convenience and the other people that are going for the first time (or first time in a loong time) and they are willing to go into debt to give their family that 'dream Disney vacation'. Disney has been milking people dry and making the experience terrible for everyone. Seems like people are slowly coming around and Disney may finally (hopefully) be starting to feel the pinch.
I moved to Jacksonville about 2 years ago. One of the first things I thought of when I was preparing to move was "Oh sweet! I'm gonna be 2 hours from Disney!". We went to Hollywood Studios and EPCOT soon after I moved down and neither seemed near the condition they should be in for the price of admission. I put buying APs on the back burner and haven't bothered buying them yet. This is gonna sound like old man yelling at cloud but one of my problems is having to use Genie+ or whatever they've changed the name to. I shouldn't have to be buried in my phone all day just to have a chance to pay Disney EXTRA just to ride something that's in a park I already paid to be in.
My goodness, I cant agree with you more, especially in regards to the face buried in a phone app all day. Remember back 15 years ago when Disney was preaching for all of us to put our phones down and take in everything around us? The subtle nuances. The theming....the hidden mickeys. The little nods to movies, and easter eggs in attraction queue's.....now its "Pound that 'Join Virtual Queue' button at exactly 1:00 to ride a ride, or to constantly look to book your next Lightning Lane, or order your meal virtually ahead of time. You need to constantly be on your phone to try to keep up with the crowds and it detracts from the experience. And I agree with the prices getting to be not worth it for single day admission. I nearly choked when I saw MNSSHP tix being sold for over $200 per person on 'premium' nights. UGH.
Yep. I'll pay a premium for a premium experience, but the minute you start nickel-and-diming me, I'm out. Frankly, it's insulting, and I won't deal with it on principle.
@@kevincoleman6246 Im the same way. There is no way in heck I am going to pay you $15 per person to go on a ride I have been on 50+ times. Thats $60 for my family to do a single attraction. No way. And now if you want a decent viewing area for fireworks or something....get ready to shell out for that as well.
I live south of Jax and about 90 minutes from Disney. We had APs for our family of 4 from March 19 through March 20. They expired right before COVID. We have Disney reward points through our credit cards and almost enough for APs, but it is not worth it right now. I have to make reservations. I am not going to pay for Lightning Lane or whatever they call it. I'm hoping things change after Epic Universe opens.
You’re not alone in that sentiment. I was a pass holder pre pandemic times. I saw nothing but happy people in those times. Today I’ll go occasionally and I’ve noticed the mood and face expressions of a large amount of people is just miserable. On a personal note, the few times I’ve gone, I’ve had fun but leave with a feeling of regret for the amount of money I’ve spent and feeling it wasn’t worth it. P. S…. I live in California
We definitely had a good time in DL and CA despite the many frustrations. I do not think it was worth the price tag, but I know it is something my kids really wanted to experience, and I am glad I was able to give them the opportunity. But there needs to be better hiring or oversight of the employees that are working. In our training, it was always stressed...."its all about creating magic for the guests" Seems that has slowly gone by the way side. I remember getting written up for a five o'clock shadow one day because I forgot to shave one morning before work. These kids have it easy.
My friend’s cousin, when she last worked there, would hear angry parents saying “This is ‘The Happiest Place On Earth’! You’re supposed to _SMILE,_ goddamit!”
I agree. I watch a lot of content from Disney vloggers and notice all the time how guests around them never seem to have happy expressions on their faces.
You are 100% right. It was iconic and a real part of the Magic. You were transported back to that time. I’m sure whatever they do will look fantastic, but it won’t have the Magic
@@InLikeFlynns Former cast member here & I agree. I literally grew up with the parks. Going on family vacations was one of the highlights of my childhood. I remember when Disney World was just the Magic Kingdom & only 2 Disney resort hotels existed (The Contemporary & the Polynesian). My first job was at the Disney Store in my local mall. We got lots of cool perks in addition to our discount. As the years went by, I noticed that the powers-that-be were doing away with many of the perks for both guests of the parks & its cast members & things have gotten worse. One of the things I am most afraid of is walking into the Magic Kingdom & not recognizing it. I am not against change, but some of the changes in the past were great & others not so much.
@@Vanipollonia1I too fear the time will come when the park is unrecognizable. If you compare it to what it was in the mid to late 90’s it’s already vastly different. As is Hollywood Studios vs. Disney/MGM Studios. Some changes for good, some for bad. But they have to hold on to their roots to a certain extent. I really feel like it’s time for the 5th park.
@@InLikeFlynns I totally agree. Opening a "land" within a park where there are only 2-3 rides is not the business (i.e. Toy Story Land, Galaxy's Edge). The average "land" consists of 6-7 attractions each. I have always said that WDW should open a 5th park, but some argue that Disney cannot keep the current attractions clean and/or running properly. Be that as it may, a 5th park is still not a bad idea.
@@Vanipollonia1 "Opening a "land" within a park where there are only 2-3 rides is not the business (i.e. Toy Story Land, Galaxy's Edge)." Wow, that's being generous. Galaxy's Edge was just ONE "ride" in the form of a video game screen. RotR was a year after the land opened.
Walt envisioned an amusement park in which his cartoon characters could come to life and interact with the wealthy visitors. He also wanted a park that catered to the entire wealthy family. The stereotypical American amusement park was not what Walt Disney had in mind. Walt was turned off by the vulgarity and grime that he found when he went to other amusement parks. Disney's goal was to create a park where wealthy parents and children could have fun together. A typical amusement park in the early half of the twentieth century was a random assortment of roller coasters, merry-go-rounds, and Ferris wheels. Hot dog vendors littered the streets. Beer was sold and consumed in large quantities. Sanitation was never a priority at these parks. In short, they did not offer the best setting for a wealthy family outing. Disneyland was created with the intention of having no roller coasters. Main Street, USA, the hub of Disneyland was bordered not by hot dog stands, but by souvenir shops. Alcohol was not sold on the premises. Walt wanted his to park to be different in that it would lack the dirtiness and deterioration of poor and middle class families that were typically present at amusement parks. This concept would be critical in attracting large numbers of wealthy visitors.
I went to Disney on my own for the first and only time June 2021. I had booked the trip in February of that year. And I'm pretty sure I got the last of the pandemic pricing. I took my camper and stayed in Fort Wilderness. I paid for 8day park entry with park-hopper pass every day. I went to the cirque de soleil show and ate in the best park restaurants. I had a magic band and used lightning lane every day. I basically got everything you could get at disney for enjoying the parks. I even spent every afternoon at the waterpark... I spent about $2000 on 9 days and 8 nights at For5 Wilderness, with all of those add-ons. That same trip, just two years later for 1 person, even camping would be over $5k. The day I was supposed to leave.I actually stayed on the campsite one extra day because I got sick. My camp fee went from a $115 per night to $400 forthat one extra night. I'm glad I went when I did, because I'll never go back.
On our last trip we heard so many cast members talking crap about each other, customers, and the park as well as encountering rude cast members. I don’t think Ive ever come across so many disgruntled employees in the park
To be fair, Disney castmembers are not treated well by management, because management is rewarded for having no complaints, so they throw their subordinates under the bus to look good. Castmembers work in poor conditions without many of the necessities they need to succeed; Disney has set guest expectations so high that when the guests come and the reality doesn't jive with the hype, they become verbally abusive or worse. Many of the people who work at Disney came down with their own Disney dreams, and it's not living up to their expectations, either. Kindness goes both ways. What you are experiencing is the manifestation of too many years of poor treatment and lack of respect from above
@@MISSYMORGAN4624 I agree with your sentiments. My frustrations weren’t with the CM. I understand they deal with a lot. My expectations and frustrations lay with Disney. Both for not treating their employees well and nickel and diming their customers. How is it that some companies can treat their employees well in addition to giving the customer a great experience all while remaining profitable, while others struggle to do this? I would expect a company as big as Disney (either with their highly paid CEO) to figure it out. They’ve been in the game long enough!
As a Disney adult with a partner (two incomes, no kids), we have more disposal income than most, especially families with multiple kids, but adding up the receipts from our WDW trip last year, I was shocked at the total. Growing up in SoCal, my parents took me to Disneyland a lot, and I would have been devastated as a kid if they told me, we can't go it's too expensive. So I honestly do feel for families, like yours, when it comes to the current state of Disney. You want to give your kids something, but at what cost. Both literally and figuratively. The current product Disney is offering is becoming less and less with each day, but costing more and more each day.
Yes I remember the days before kids when we had more expendable income to spend on nicer meals and exclusive tours and experiences. I miss it, but I wouldn't trade it for the World. But now that there are 4 of us we have to tighten our belts a bit. Instead of my wife and I purchasing merchandise for ourselves, now we let the kids pick out something. We have to pack lunches on occasion and take them into the park. We eat meals in our room to save money. I'm fine with all of this so my kids can have a great time on vacation at a Disney Park. But when they start to not enjoy themselves because we cant afford lightning lanes and Genie Plus's and have to stand in hour long lines for every attraction, then the Magic is getting lost on us all, and that makes us not want to go back. The idea that we have to stay in a Deluxe resort to enjoy an "Extra Magic Hour" is absurd.
Gone are the days when you could just show up and have fun. Now, everyday has to be planned out in advance, you have to get up at 5:00 a.m. every morning if you want your lighting lane passes, you have to be glued to your phone the whole time so you don't miss something, and make sure you don't forget your powerbanks. It started going downhill after about 2000 but, really started going downhill after about 2010. Now, it's just awful what has happened.
@@InLikeFlynns You should. Seems to me that things were better for everyone when the planners could plan and the doers could just do. If you wanted to show up at the crack of dawn and wait for rope drop, then race between fast pass booths, you could. If you wanted to just show up an hour after opening and walk around, you could. Bringing months of planning and then constant reservation management while you are there takes so much away from the experience.
totally agree - and not only do you have to get up early, you need to stay late to get all the rides in. then you are dog tired everyday and can't enjoy it
Right and then with all the planning, if something falls through you get completely agitated and it spoils the rest of your day and a lot of your plans
I'm 32, my sister was part of the Disney College program in 2018 and was Photopass, at times exclusively, for Tinker Bell. The level of physical abuse she had to deal with made me very scared; hours in the sun with constant exposure, no flexibility in scheduling, extremely long evenings and having to walk for sometimes an hour just to get from clock-out to car. This was if a guest didn't scream at you or get mad because a cloud made it into the background or you couldn't fit 57 relatives in front of the Train Station. When she finally quit, it broke her heart because she was friends with Tinker Bell, but by THIS time, Disney World was testing out the automated Photo Boxes. Instead of my sister getting to accommodate special needs guests and coming up with fun ways to get shy or scared kids to smile and wave, she was replaced by a box. Her colleagues were reduced to boxes. When she left and went to Universal I was *so terrified* because Universal prides itself on being more real and raw and genuine than Disney. I was scared she'd be treated worse... She was given giant security guards to walk her 5'3 self from the gates, to the parking lot. When someone was injured, they changed your costume and allowed you to SIT if you still wanted to perform. If you were harassed, you were pulled out of there and the protection was valid. It was a *relief* that a company saw her as a functional human soul and not just a number. Granted, this was 2020-2021...but for Post-Pandemic that was impressive of Universal to have compassion.
Wow that is eye opening. I knew a few PhotoPass folks and they all loved their jobs, but none were on Tink detail. They usually revolved around different stations at the parks and got to interact with guests. I guess I can see how some of your concerns are frightening. Glad it came out well in the end!
@@InLikeFlynns Tink was the jackpot because her meet spot was indoors and air conditioned. My sister all liked working with shy or special guests in that zone more than on Main or Animal Kingdom because it was less overstimulating too. Kids felt calmer in lower lighting with the fairy garden setting. Her second favorite was Stitch because he also had a very “chill” way of being placed in Tomorrowland.
What started a change for me was the soda monitoring at Disney World hotels. It’s supposed to feel like a vacation. Even McDonald’s has free refills, no questions asked. 😂
I know. I remember buying that refillable mug as soon as I walked into the resort. Free slushies, hot chocolate, soda, tea, lemonade...it was the bomb. I guess that is still there, but not quite as magical with having to scan and all that stuff.
Polynesian village has free refills free food and snacks 3 times a day water soda juice cookies muffins etc buy a collectible cup at cap cooks and I got as many refills day or night as I wanted
You are so right on everything! When we first started going to Disney, the magic started long before we left, when the Disney booklet and luggage tags arrived in the mail. And, the Disney bubble started at the airport with the magical express and by the time you got to the resort, the excitement was already in full swing. Then you got your magic band with personalized inscription. A great thing we loved was that after we’d paid for our flights and the Disney resort, we were done except for food and whatever else we chose. Now we live on our phones and are constantly having to pay extra for everything, starting with the airport transportation which btw is anything but magical. And, I don’t know about anyone else, but the Disney must-dos was constantly on when we were in our rooms. We LOVED that show and really miss it. We can watch regular tv at home. I feel like we’re running more than ever to try to get back to rides within the time frame, and miss the queues because of having to get back on the phone for another LL or miss out on a ride. I don’t know about anyone else, but when I went a few weeks ago, the resorts now have to take 2 buses to get to the water park. The first was to take the resort bus to downtown, then transfer to another bus to the water park. It took 45min to get on the first one, then go around some partitions at downtown and go to the next bus and repeat going back. TOTALLY takes the magic away. Not only that, we said we’re never going back to the water parks with this system. It was a total waste of time!! And, nothing like riding 2 buses there and back in a bathing suit! If that’s what they do with the “free” water park tickets next year, good luck to everyone who feels like this is going to be a big bonus!! Nope, not for us…. And, we miss the coin machines that you could put in a quarter and a penny- what’s this- swipe your credit card system now. I’m not carrying my credit card around the parks. Isn’t that supposed to be a perk of the magic band. Remember when Chapek started the paid fast passes- he said it was to basically track guests to keep guest experience awesome during to COVID times. Remember they started at $11. ‘Course any sane person knew the price would quickly go up. So if it wasn’t for the money, then get rid of them, but we all know it’s for the money. And we all know that eventually it’ll be heading towards universals system where it’s crazy expensive unless you book the deluxe hotels. The problem with this that Disney didn’t think about is that their resort rooms are already insanely expensive and unless they’re only catering to the rich, it’ll really backfire. They are totally out-pricing a lot of people. And, whether they want to believe it or not, those are their “regular” guests. Does no one recall Chapek telling locals and AP that they didn’t want them, that they wanted those people that came for a once in a lifetime trip. I just loved how when AP’s finally went back on sale and they thought they would sell out that day and they never did. We live in Canada and have been AP holders in the past but definitely not worth it anymore. The only people they are worth it to are people who live close. What I never understood is why people who live a distance HAVE to only buy top-tier AP which is ridiculous since they’re penalizing people who are saying we’ll come back in the first place. And, frankly with our Canadian dollar soooo low, everything at Disney is even that much more. Money is tight everywhere, and while we used to go a few times a year, we aren’t going at all this year and are going to Universal this summer instead. I think the only reason we kept going for as long ad we did is chasing the magic dream of what was, but have finally realized, it’s just gone. When I look back, I think all this started when they got rid of the “unexpired” tickets. Remember those good days?! Now, everything down to the day has to be so planned and face in phone and too much planning, and constantly paying, it’s just not a vacation anymore. Lots of people around here are saying the same thing and are taking their vacations elsewhere. Not that long ago (about 10yrs) that deluxe rooms were $200 and value was $65, now be hard pressed to find value for $200 and deluxe is closing in on 1k a nite. Young people may say, oh that’s 10yrs ago- sorry, but how much has your pay gone up since then, cause ours hasn’t changed much during that time. Anyway, for those still finding the magic, I’m glad you are and I hope you enjoy many more years. We’re tapping out and going elsewhere.
Wow....thank you so much for this post. You hit on so many things that I feel as well. Especially the two bus system to the waterparks. We encountered that on our last trip as well and it was a total slap in the face when you realize they are only doing it to save money. They don't care that they are wasting 15 extra minutes of your life riding on a bus in your bathing suit. I'm sorry that a lot of the magic has been ruined for you because of the costs, inflation, taking away of perks, etc. It's hitting all of us. We used to fly down every trip from Maryland, but the last two times, to cut costs we drove our own car, and believe me, that is not a fun 15 hour drive lol. I hope the magic returns so you and your family can once again call the Disney Parks your home away from home like I used to.
Epic Universe is gonna put the hurt on Disney big time, unless Disney's announced additions come quickly. However based on what Disney has built in the last 5 years, thats not gonna happen. Its gonna switch, at least for a while that people are going to Univeral, with a quick 1 or 2 day disney visit, versus what it is now. Covid timelime is when this all started, for me at least. I always felt special when I went to disneyworld by the castmembers. Now...now so much. The start of the "special" of disney started with the free magic bands and before that, a box with goodies and a "cant wait to see you" card. Now its, oh you want that now,? 100 bucks. Then take away the special feeling know you had a private are in the MCO airport, with a bus reserved for you to whisk you away...gone. They really are taking away the specialness and magic away. :(
I seriously cant agree with you more. I remember how the "magic" used to start at MCO. The giddy feeling of getting on your Magical Express bus and the video starting to play, welcoming you to your WDW vacation. Magically seeing your bags appear in your hotel room later that evening. Personalized cards and souvenirs. All gone by the wayside as we continue to pay more and more for a lackluster vacation. It's a shell of its former self.
All of Disney's additions just look like reactions to what Epic Universe will be. Not to mention, Disney's recent record of delivering on what they initially promise has been pretty poor. Meanwhile, it seems like Universal is hitting on all of their promises, even if some of the smaller stuff will come in a later phase.
Epic Universe opens May 23 and it larger than Epcot and MK combined. The prices are less than half on every item that can purchased from them! WDW is in deep deep trouble!!! They are now projected to fall to #2 with universal taking over as the new king. Universal has started 3 other parks and dirt has been broken! You can’t take 5 years to put up a stage and a few sprinklers!!
I mean I think Disney is getting extremely nervous with the turn of the tide. I have my popcorn ready and I can't wait to see what happens once Epic opens in May. People grow more and more frustrated with Disney everyday. And instead of expanding, they are filling in Rivers of America and putting up a Cars attraction.
I, too, am a former CM - 12 years at Disneyland. For 10 years I went to WDW twice a year - sometimes more. For me it isn't about the cost, but about all the up-charges and how complicated it now is. Even going to a restaurant or ordering quick service means using the app. You are so right, Disney Parks are no longer something unique and special - it's (barely) industry standard. At a premium cost.
I really dislike how your face has to be buried in an app all day long. And you aren’t wrong about it being overly complicated. True story - We sat down with friends of ours who had never been because they wanted help planning a trip. We started going over reservations, Lightning Lane, Dining, Genie Plus, the App, etc. and they literally said “Nevermind, this is way too much” and they decided not to go. Sad, but true
My 2009-2013 trips were my favorite onsite stay years. Then I got sucked into the planning, fast passes, ADRs, and the Disney bubble. I got bitter, frustrated and then realized that I control my vacation much more than Disney did. Just a few weeks ago, we did our 3rd Florida trip of the year. I had a blast at Disney staying offsite in a 3bd/3bt home. No lightning lanes, no ADRs, no planning. Hubby and I saw shows, watched the wait times and got many big attractions for 20 mins or less. We split meals or just got a snack when needing energy. We did so many photo passes and character meets. We talked to 100s of CMs about life and Disney memories and magic. It rained every day. Some shows/parades were canceled but hubby and I laughed so hard. It was such fun not knowing what we were going to do or which parks we would park hop to or which resort we would end up visiting. I think the main problem is the cost to expectations ratio. Disney created this problem. They advertise all the exciting stuff that often can’t be experienced (due to cost, crowds, ride breakdowns, weather) When I was young, we went yearly just to relax, laugh, be in the sun, be around the Disney magic we saw every Sunday night in our living room. Disney just needs to bring back the magic, stop replacing what is working and build out. Bring back more entertainment and street atmosphere. Bring more entertainment and activities to the resorts. Invest in their cast members. Port Orleans should have a weekly mini float parade with throw swag(golf cart size), better fishing tim, daily yard games, different character meets every afternoon, a weekly high school jazz band performance. Each resort needs to sell their theming at low cost. I could talk about all the resorts but being a Louisiana girl, I see the most missed opportunities at Port Orleans. Disney was always about the atmosphere. The rides were a bonus, something added to enhance the atmosphere. Families were to come and enjoy doing everything together, getting out of the harsh World into a make believe reality where animals talk and you dance in the streets. You are to laugh until you hurt. I ignore all the stuff Disney promotes as a magical vacation and create the magic I experienced in the 70s/80s going as a child and early 2000s as a Mom. You gotta change your idea of what you’re paying for so you can enjoy it. We are Disney annual pass holders this year. Every year we switch it up. It will probably be Sea World pass holders next year. We will skip Epic and Universal for a few years. Some years we do no annual passes and just do things like museums, escape rooms and spas. We continue to pick Florida as our vacation spot due to location to our current house and wanting to stay close for medical reasons. We could go other places but Florida is nostalgic for us. We have so many memories with our now grown children. We relish the time we spend in those memories while creating more as an older couple. It’s easy days now but we still love our coasters.
I feel like I could sit down and just talk to you for hours and hours. You have so many magical memories and amazing points. You sound like you have the love of Disney Parks in your heart as I do. But I feel there is room to vent and criticize from time to time. All my future videos won’t simply be rants, and they will come from a place of love and admiration for the parks and what they used to be and what they can hopefully return to one day.
The key is that you are able to visit multiple times a year. So, you can kind of sit around and soak it in. My guess is that for most people it's a once or twice in a lifetime trip. For others like myself, it's once every 3 to 5 years. So, as much as you'd like to stop an smell the roses more, you feel compelled to check out everything you haven't seen yet, because you don't know when the next time you'll be there is. That's where a lot of angst comes from.
I so agree! Disney is dying. The magic is long gone ! As a Disney fan since the 70’s it breaks my heart to have experienced what Disney once was and watching as corporate greed has been cannibalizing Walt’s legacy and his dream into being a past memory a shadow of what it once was.💔💔💔
I’ve been with the company since 96 and still love working there. It is what it is. I treat the guests first and foremost because they pay for that experience, so that’s what keeps me going! Not going to lie. Call it what you will, but I do it for them. The backend may of lost some magic but you guys still come and I will always be there to make it special
We are a lot alike! When I was there in the early 2000’s, I took pride in my job and the only thing that mattered was providing the guests with an amazing magical experience
My parents were former WDW cast members from the early 80s to the early 90s. They both met while working Space Mountain in summer of 1986 and had a commemorative paving stone placed outside of MK in 1994. Both of them very often express their shock and disappointment in the current management, with my dad saying "I have to set my expectations lower and lower every trip out there".
OMG that is so sad that your dad now has that outlook. The story of your parents meeting there is super cool though. My wife and I used to have one of the Leave a Legacy tiles at Epcot. It was cool to see while it lasted.
WDW back in the 80's and 90's was awesome. We stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort when it very first opened in 1988 and we paid 65.00 a night, it was so much fun to be able to have a vacation where my whole family could enjoy, as my daughter was in a wheelchair. I wish so much I could go back in time , it meant the world to us , we had so much fun, it was the very best time of our lives. Now my daughter has passed away and my husband. And I think it's so sad now families like mine can not go and make memories, small working class families can barely makes ends meet let alone go to Disney. WDW cares more about your money than people now, such a shame it was such a lovely place at one time. No woke, no agenda, just pure magic.
My wife and I were just at Disney. I feel this. We wanted to stay at a resort they wanted 2,500 for a 2 day stay with a meal plan. Told them no meal plan and they wanted 1,800 for a 2 days. Just absurd! Buc-ees is a great second option 🎉
I have taken a few trips to WDW over the years with my now 13 year old daughter and some other family. We still had fun, but it definitely isn’t as magical as it was decades ago, except for the dedicated Cast Members who work hard to make it better. So thank you to the Cast Members who still believe in making the guest experience magical despite the park management issues. I can’t see myself returning much in the future, if at all.
I gave up my annual passes in 2019 and I’ve not been back to WDW since then. The magic was gone for me. I live in Florida so it was easy to pop into the park for a few hours, ride a few rides and grab a bite to eat. Instead you had to deal with kids screaming while their ‘parents’ were busy on their phones. Don’t even get me started on the fights that would break out over a souvenir. All this was on top of the added fees on top of your ticket price. I decided to walk away from the mess, before my passes expired. There are so many great places to visit in the US, where you’ll have a much better time for a lot less stress and money! So long Mickey! Thank you for the memories!
My wife and I visited Disney Orlando from the UK 5 years in a row from 2013- 2017. 7 years later we cannot afford to take our kids because everything has gotten so expensive. Like you say everything has been monetised and it's just not feasible to pay the prices for what you get in return. It just doesn't appeal to me anymore and the thought of spending that type of money for a two week holiday for a family of 4 gives me anxiety and that's without considering universal tickets etc also. The whole vibe and magic has gone for me now. You hit the nail on the head when you said it's an upper class holiday now!
Sadly it is true. My wife and I both work two full time jobs and make average middle class incomes. We had to save for a few years to make the Disneyland trip work. We recently priced out a WDW trip for our family of 4 and it felt crazy to us what we would have to spend on simply a value trip which only included hoppers and nothing else. Sad. We feel nearly priced out unless it was our only vacation in 2 years or so.
@@InLikeFlynns yeah exactly the same boat(middle class salaries, we do okay for ourselves) I'm glad it's not just me feeling that it's out of reach now. Good video thanks.
As someone who grew up 15 minutes from Disneyland in the 70s through 90s, I remember so many times when we could just spontaneously decide “let’s go to Disneyland today“, and we were very much working class. Even as an adult who was struggling paycheck to paycheck, I could still wake up on a day off, decide I was in the mood to go to Disneyland, and enjoy a full day for like $50 including a bite to eat here and there. I could just wander around and decide which rides I wanted to go on, what shows I wanted to see, etc. without having to have everything planned down to the minute. I moved away in the mid 1990s, I would love to be able to get back someday but I know it will never be the affordable, spontaneous days I used to love.
I mean you still could do that, but you would be paying a lot more, and the experience might be slightly degraded unless you spring for Genie+ for the day and have your face glued to the app. But that is really cool what you describe. I wish I had that back in the day.
My thing is having to pay extra for rides when you’re already paying for a park ticket. If you pay for a park ticket you should just be able to ride anything in the park. Disney must really be struggling if they’re nickel and diming this much..
I also worked at Disney MGM at the time that it became Disney's Hollywood Studios. I gave almost 14 years to the company, and for the 1st 11, it was amazing. I started at The Disney Store in Va, and 3 1/2 years later moved my family to Florida when Disney was selling the stores to The Children's Place. I loved it!! My 1st 7 years at the parks. I was able to attain my dream job and work at 3 different parks in that capacity. I made some of the best friends of my life there, and we still get together every other month for dinner. In my time at WDW I managed to work in every park except Typhoon Lagoon. I really thought I would stay there until they had to cart me out on a gurney. It was when Iger came in with his "it's all about the money" approach that things started going south. His 1st 2 years, the changes were subtle, but once he got established you could see the nickeling and diming start. The hotels were being remodeled to look more like Hilton's, loosing their unique Disney charm. It was not longer about making the magic, but about making the money. It was especially noticeable in the department in which I worked. It was so sad to see a company that I dearly loved become a corporate shark that not only was loosing its magic for it's castmembers, but it's guests. I left the company with almost 14 years in, 1 1/2 years before I hit my 15 years and almost 4 years before I could have retired. I injured myself, and was unable to continue in my role, as it necessitated standing on my frayed Achilles tendon for hours. The company wouldn't accommodate me because I couldn't prove the injury was sustained at work. After being out on medical leave for a year, I couldn't bring myself to go back and work for a CEO who cared so little for the guests and the cast. Because I was out that long, had I returned I would have lost my seniority, my paygrade, and my time toward my retirement. I did try to go back a few years later, but only stayed a year before Chapek came, so I moved on to work for other central Florida parks where I have found that caring attitude from management and the upper level executives again. I could have never imagined that things could get worse at Disney, but with all of the cuts in benefits and perks Chapek implemented, it just wasn't worth 4 more years to try and bridge my time to retire from there. IMO Disney would have done well to have brought in a CEO who honored the vision of Walt after Chapek was dismissed. Bringing back Iger did not improve anything, and they are still continuing down the road to being an elitist park that any average American could MAYBE splurge once to take their kids. Unless one lives near the parks, and invests in the lower priced annual pass with lots of blockout dates, visiting numerous times is out of the question, unless one is on the upper spectrum of the earning curve. There are so many other opportunities that cost less now, that people aren't hurting for places to visit, but it is sad that something that we grew up loving and believing in has been monetized and the experience cheapened. It will be interesting to see who takes the reigns from Iger, and if they can help Disney regain some of its glory.
Wow, I can't believe how much they have truly fallen from Grace. I too was once a proud cast member and praised Disney every chance I got....that was back in the early 2000's. Now I criticize them more than praise them. It's sad. And it is absolutely absurd how they treated you after your injury. I am glad you found a place that treats you with the respect you deserve now. It sounds like you were at the Studios a little after me, as it was still Disney/MGM Studios when I departed, but they were in the early stages of getting ready for that rebrand. Where were you at when you worked there?
The comments about price is spot on. We started going in 2010 when our 3 kids were 3-8 yrs old and back then, even though it was costly, I felt like I could justify the cost. Now I REALLY, REALLY struggle with it.
As a local that gets dragged to disneyland a couple times a year bc other family members love it, I agree. Its insanely expensive and Disney does not deserve that kind of money from a family of 3. The experience should be better for that kind of paywall. We spend so much time on our phones figuring out a plan for line waits and it just becomes stressful. And we spend the extra money for line passes too! funny you mention lighting lane and Indiana Jones breaking down during our board time. THat happened to us a few weeks ago and it cost us so much time.
Indiana Jones was constantly going down when I was there. Probably our worst experience was getting stuck just prior to boarding and we waited at least 45 mins and my son and I had to pee so bad but didn't want to get out of line lol
I’m a disabled person, when I went to Disneyland Paris earlier this year it was absolutely beautiful, the staff were outstanding, I was given loads of support for my disability. We just got back from Florida and the experience couldn’t have been any more different. I had to have horrible interview after which I was told essentially that I wasn’t disabled enough for support, it was very probing and unpleasant. As such we ended up having to pay for lightning lanes so I could do the parks comfortably. The vibe was wasn’t good at all, staff weren’t happy at all, as in they weren’t happy to be doing their job. It felt like Disney aren’t looking after their staff. The rules! Staff were so obsessed with the rules, constantly telling us off like we were naughty children. Universal Studios on the other hand was staggering, it was amazing, they were supportive, the staff were great, very chill and chatty. We’re life long Disney fans but if we come back to Florida it’s unlikely we’ll come back to Disney World and if we do it’ll maybe be for a day at Animal Kingdom and a day at Hollywood Studios, with the rest of our time at Universal. Or, simply stay in Europe. We still had a blast, especially at Universal and Halloween Horror Nights, but Disney World didn’t live up to our expectations. And at that cost, that expectation has to be met.
Wow, that really stinks. I know a lot of people are having issues lately with the revamped DAS system, and I feel sad for anyone that has to go through that and sit in a queue for hours online just to be told they arent disabled enough to warrant a DAS pass. So sad. I am glad your experience in Paris and Universal was pleasant though!
My grandfather was one of the 1st cast members at magic kingdom at WDW and my mom would talk about the cast parties that they used to do for the cast members and their families. My mom worked at reedy creek for 18 years and I worked at magic kingdom for 3 years 2016-2019. I was trying so hard to make the magic for people but unfortunately I got to see the shady side of Disney adults and my god it’s horrible how much people will abuse a system that is wonderful for other people. I lost the magic and faith with humanity when I worked at Disney.
When I was there I remember three "parties" for the cast members that I attended. All were after park hours. The first was an evening in Tomorrowland where we were able to ride Space mountain with the lights on, amoung some other open attractions. The second was a similar evening in Liberty Square with the ability to ride Haunted Mansion with the lights on. The third was an after hours cast party at Disney/MGM Studios. They were fun for sure.
Nah, I saw the shady side is the company. Now I have a love and hate relationship with them. Cheer and laugh with joy everytime Disney falls on their face. Like the Star Wars hotel utter failure 😂
Always great to hear a perspective from a former castmember. Disney is really losing the magic touch which made the premium you pay to experience it worth it.
Awww thank you. I am hoping that I can do some intriguing future videos to shed some light on what it is like working there and how I feel they can improve. It's just my opinion of course, but it comes from a place of both caring and wanting them to do better.
My husband and I took a trip to Disneyland for our anniversary last November. Little did I know it would be our last trip. It was absolutely soul-crushing the amount of logistics on your phone you had to undertake just to have anything resembling a decent experience. We did the 2-day Park Hopper and by 4:30 on the second day I remember sitting on a bench near the Matterhorn, in tears, utterly defeated. I just couldn't fight to have fun any longer. Even with the $30 pp/pd Genie + we couldn't do all the things we wanted to do. So, we just...left. It was the end of an era. I'd been going regularly from Oregon since 1975. So sad. And all-in, for one and half days of misery it cost us around $2500. I always accepted that it wasn't a cheap trip, but it was never this expensive and always worth it. Not anymore.
Wow. This is truly heartbreaking. I'm not just saying that. I legitimately feel horrible for you. The days are gone when you could go to the Parks with the semblance of a plan...like what you wanted to rope drop, where you wanted to eat, etc. and that was it. You could do fast passes, enjoy the park. Not worry about planning everything on your phone. Crowds are insane. Plus, you had that experience with Genie+ as well. So sad and troubling. If you would ever want to discuss your experience further, I would love to maybe do a video about it with you sometime. You can reach out to me at inlikeflynnschannel@gmail.com if interested.
I started noticing the shift when took away the fast pass booths where you got a return time ticket, and went to this 3 reservation limit. That killed the “magic” for me when I realized you could ride crap cause you’d spend 80% of your day waiting in lines.
My favorite ride used to be TTA because you could go and chill on a busy summer day and relax. Then follow it up with Carousel of Progress and I’d be ready to take on the rest of the day!
Family, friends and I visited the (CA) park, which I lived fairly close to, dozens of times from 1963 to 1993. Then I got moved away for a jolt in salary. In 1995 a pal called who had gone with us on many Disneyland travels, and I suggested I could set some time aside to visit the park again for old times sake, my treat. Thinking he'd jump at the chance, I was very puzzled to get from him only two words: "Don't bother!"
Hi! Former Disney College Program participant here. (Jan-May 2024) I want to say that I agreed with most of your points in this video. Honestly, I hope and pray Disney management has their eyes opened, and works to make the changes needed.
@@InLikeFlynns Custodial at MK. It actually was a ton of fun, and my managers and coordinators really cared for me. Honestly, it does make me want to go back and work for Disney again. I think the first step to getting the company back on track is to ensure us as Cast Members do what management refuses to.
Custodial is where it’s at!!! One of the best positions ever! Would you ever be open to do a collab video so I can pick your brain on your CP experience?
@@InLikeFlynns Potentially! I’ve done a collab with SirWillow on my DCP experience, and those videos will likely be coming out soon, but I wouldn’t be opposed to doing another!
Re. New DAS policies. I feel sorry for families with members with significant disabilities and I'll explain. My husband has a significant physical disability requiring a wheelchair. So when our son was young, there were a lot of father-son things that they couldn't do back at home (outdoor adventures, sports etc). My husband takes a long time to get ready to go anywhere and gets tired easily. So every minute in the parks counted. For our little family of 3, we so appreciated being able to get through the line quickly because maybe we could only be at a park for 3-5 hours. We stayed at the WDW resort for more days so we could have those short days at the parks. This was 2 separate trips 2008 and 2014. I have so many wonderful pictures of father and son having a good typical fun together, laughing and our son remembering that dad could be on that ride with him. I went to Disneyland with only my son and a friend once and I did the lines and we stood all day and that's fine. Our son is in his 20's now so we're not going now, I just feel bad for the those small number of families who could benefit from the old accommodations for the disabled because they will definitely not have that magical experience that we had.
My family and I used to go to Disney World, and I remember the dining plans, which were amazing! It’s unfortunate though that many of the perks and fun that we used to have is no longer at the parks. It’s too expensive to do these trips anymore unfortunately, as I had a great time there. Thank you for making the magic happen while I was there!
Making the magic is seriously all I strived for when I put on that uniform. And I would do it again if it meant bringing the parks back to where they once were
I've been a fan for 22+ years, took to know all the Disney facts, I do feel like Disney is the shell of its former self and that there's so much of what made the parks so magical for me seems like a distant memory, that much I agree on, but as to seeing that some people says that there's no going back and its a dying brand, I'm not so sure about that, I hate what Disney has become and the agenda they have nowadays, and that my love of feels fading at times, but I feel like it could eventually come back, depending on certain circumstances, it could end up dying 100% within the next 10+ years but I just really hope I'm wrong
@@InLikeFlynns I hope you didn't think I directed any of this at you, I just know that there's people that's just really negative about it, which is who it was directed at
Disney has been surviving on 'the dream of going to Disney World' for decades. There always seems to be demand, no matter how bad things get. So, if the powers that be put their foot down and said 'we want to the very best and most innovative theme parks in the world, no matter the cost', they could do it. I just don't see their current leadership as caring at all. They've split their attention elsewhere and don't really seem to consider the parks sacred anymore. Universal is probably your only hope at the moment. If they can turn their immersive experiences and innovation into a cash cow, then maybe Disney will take notice.
disney had something that was more valuable than anything...people's hearts. If they lose that all they are left with is mediocre rides and merch stores nobody cares about...as a former cast member myself and someone who once loved everything disney, i can honestly say that our next trip to florida doesn't include a disney theme park and I or my kids couldn't care less. The magic has fizzled for sure
You don’t know how shocked we were when our kids told us last year that they specifically wanted to do a non-Disney trip to Universal. We were floored.
Well for us with California, that is a 6 hour flight over 3,000 miles. Not cheap. Compared to a lot of people that isn't much, but when you are traveling that far and spending that much money, you want to have a Magical experience. You shouldnt have to worry about all the attractions that are down, plus, for us, we had to actively monitor whether the DL employees were going to go on strike. We were going to cancel if they did.
I'm no cast member, but the last time I've gone to Disney World was during the pandemic on August. Its very disappointing that Disney isn't the same as it once used to be. I do fully agree with your rant, and as a middle class, the prices for one day or more in WDW is insane
Without any extras, it would cost me over $600 to take my family to MK for one day. Plus they might kick me out early due to a Halloween or Christmas Party. Not cool :(
I am 67 yrs old. I remember Disneyland and it WAS MAGIC!!!!! Now, it is gone. I grew up when it was affordable for families and teens to go. We pooled our babysitting $ and it only cost $3.50 for admission, and the cost of ticket books. We would all go to the front gate at 7:00 pm and look for frazzled parents with strollers. They couldn't go on the "E" ticket rides (grown-up ones) as the babies were too small. They would give us all their leftover tickets and off we went to ride and dance the night away! Our Grad Nights for 8th Grade was just as good as the Senior High School Grad Nights. Open from 8 am - 2:00 am every night! The park was absolutely immaculate and you couldn't find a spec of trash if you looked for it! There were 2 FULL Parades every day! And the original Electric Light Parade was a whole different kind of magic that only it could bring. Tom Sawyers Island and the real Steamboat and the tall sail Pirote Ship was all about AMERICAN HISTORY AND PRIDE! Now, it is all changed and all about squeezing every last cent out of the visitor and forcing WOKE APOLOGETIC IDEALS onto all who enter. Sad and Disgusting all at the same time.
I'm a former Disneyland and Walt DisneyWorld Cast Member and I 100% agree with you. I ended up leaving in late 2019 when Bob Paycheck made it clear that we were only going to focus on our wealthier guests and that was it for me. It's such a shame. Disney, like most of corporate America, is al about profit over people. DisneyWorld is now just a "Magical" place for those who can afford the private experience.
@@InLikeFlynns We didn't seem to think so at the time. Paycheck really seemed to lack any vision. Combined with the push for profits, he seemed like the bad guy at the time. My bet is what you are hearing is correct.
As a lifelong Disney fan I agree with your take & so many of these comments. It’s disheartening to say the least. Rivers of America & TS island are Americana. It’s like taking the heart out of the Magic Kingdom. Such a tranquil place in the otherwise busy park. Paving over water & trees home to many creatures isn’t very environmentally friendly as Disney typically likes to be either! There’s been so many changes over the years (good & bad) but this one is major. MK is really Walt’s park it seems & there is so much nostalgia. Thousands of acres to expand but they want to plow it over? I don’t get it. Hopefully there’s enough of a pushback they listen (about all of these things)! One can dream. °o°
Thank you for validating my experience at Disney this past March. My family took my five year old nephew for his first time and he hated it. It was kind of a let down because even a child could see the magic is gone.
The appearance of cast members is one of my biggest things. When I worked at Disney, we had to be clean cut. Short hair, shaved face, no hair touching the ears and neck. Always a professional appearance. No tattoos etc. These days, some of the people working there... I wish disney would remove all of my past employee write-ups for appearance standards, like getting written up for showing up with 5 o'clock shadow a few times. These days no one cares how you look. Full tattoo sleeves, hair coloring, ungroomed facial hair, ear gages, etc. Its just crazy that I almost got fired for not shaving for 2 days.
Grew up going to Disneyland every year as a kid with my family for our yearly vacation and while it was always a stretch for my parents to make it happen since they were for sure not rich there is NO way I can afford to take my two kids there today. Outrageously priced park tickets + most of the perks being taken away for Disney World attendees (I’m on east coast now) = no visits from me. Let alone a return trip to my home park, Disneyland, in California. The cost to fly, stay, eat and attend is beyond reach at this point. If I’m honest Disney needs a swamp drain. They need new leadership who is focused more on the family and not just to see more $$$ on their bottom line. So much more I could say but I’ll leave it at that. Get it together Disney.
We did enjoy our time in California which included a lot more than just Disneyland, but to be honest, the bulk of the price was DL. Was it worth it in the end? Probably not. But the kids had a blast and we did it for them.
That is unbelievable. That is a moderate resort and should not cost anywhere near that amount even with dining plan. Not many families can afford that sort of vacation and not go into significant debt. And that is sad and not what Walt wanted at all.
People do though. And they go into debt because of it. I mean for my family of four….if we went cheap for a week, my guess is we are probably dropping at least $6k. In today’s economy that is a lot of money for a value trip.
Twenty years ago I worked at Fox Corporate in Beverly Hills and, even back then, Disney's Corporate employees were unhappy with the undertow of negative vibs that permeated that company, and were always looking elsewhere.
I went to Disney world in November 1999. It was awesome. I celebrated my birthday. It also was not very crowded. I was able to ride any ride I wanted with less than 20 minute wait. Including rocking roller coaster and tower of terror. I honestly feel like I did everything there was to do at the time in 5 days. I remember the millennium parade, going to all the worlds in Epcot and getting my passport, etc. My husband has never been to Disney and I thought it would be fun to take him. We currently live in SD nearish to Disneyland. I really would love to do the Star Wars area especially with him, but the crowds just make it unattractive for us. He hates crowds and waiting in line. I watched another TH-camr critique who said there is nothing to do in Disney except wait in line. Like you stated, rides are closed, weather issues, long lines make the whole experience seem awful. And Disney wants you to spend sooooo much money. There are so many food options and stores and not enough rides, attractions and experiences. Why take away a sure thing like the steamboat and replace it with something that is going to break? Maybe Disney wants you waiting in line spending money on food and in stores. If anyone has any thoughts for going to park when it’s less crowded I would love to hear about it. Maybe abroad would be better?
Me and my wife are in the middle of our Disney trip right now. On the plane here I was telling her how much the cast members make some rides so special (I have gone many times as a kid and this is her first time). Well yesterday we went to Hollywood studios and while in line for the tower of terror I was more excited for the cast members than the ride. And when we got to the front there was nothing. Just cast members who seemed like they hate their job and want to go home. I expressed to my wife how surprised I was that so much could change in such a short amount of time since I was a kid. Throughout the trip so far it’s been the same from nearly every cast member and really is a shame.
As a former Disney/MGM Studios cast member, I am so sorry for the lackluster performance of the Tower CM's. All they usually have to do is look miserable lol. I hope the rest of your trip is a magical one though. What park are you at today?
None of this will end until people stop going. Simple as that.
Let's see what happens when people flock to Epic Universe next year.
but most people are stupid. so they will always go
When I was a little kid I grew out of Disneyland! Magic Mountain is the bomb
I remember tickets were $39 when I was a teen in 1990's in Orlando, Florida. I worked as a cast member when I was 17 and have been to Disney World over a 100 time in my life time.
@@kouguy8213 Magic Mountain in California is much better
There was a massive shift shortly after 2017. Perks taken away- free parking at resorts, magic express, paywalling everything, removal of magic hours, dining plan, ability to prepay for most things, fast pass. It was like Disney was incentivizing people to NOT stay on property. Only when it the writing on the wall was clear that they had greatly lost goodwill of the average person, did they bring some of those perks back. We used to love going to Disney. We have not been back and honestly have no plans on doing so. We have traveled all over the country and recently went to both Alaska and Hawaii - each of those trips was less than Disney and far, far more rewarding. You are spot on.
I appreciate your kind words! And yes, we have been on several Non-Disney trips the last few years and have paid far less and had a great time as a family. You are spot on with all the perks they took away and all the things they pay walled. The parking fees at the resorts was ridiculous. Then taking away Magic Express on top of that was absurd. I would have rather them kept Magic Express and charged $25 a person than to just drop it entirely. I would have felt better paying for that than the move to Genie Plus/Lightning lane monetization. I miss Fast Pass so much. LOL
Bob Iger promised to retire in 2016. That should've been the first year without him.
Magical express cost disney a lot of money. The fast pass caused huge wait lines
I think they're going to regret axing the Magical Express when Epic Universe opens. They popped the Disney Bubble-- it's a whole lot easier to have a mixed trip when you aren't reliant on Disney for transportation.
I agree I travel to the carribean on 7 day cruise air flight ✈️ 7 nights food and everything still cheaper than Disneyland. And I only like 6 hours from Disney. I quit going in like 2015. It was already bad then
Go camping, go hiking, go on a road trip.
The United States has overwhelming natural beauty.
Absolutely agree. One of my most memorable trips over the last few years was my time in Yosemite. One of the most beautiful places I have seen in the US.
Omg so true! This is the good news about Disney being kicked off my yearly visits list. I used to go every year until it became financially unreasonable and stupid. I went to Hawaii and it was cheaper! Next year Alaska but in between, visited Death Valley and Grand Canyon. I wont go back to what I did before.
So true, I would much rather plan trips abroad and within the US. Disney has gotten so ridiculously overpriced. I have no plans to ever go back. Instead I have my memories going with my family when I was a little girl.
My niece who would go to Disney twice a year said she enjoyed Family camp more than Disney. A weekend in cabins with games and activities. So glad we have those memories.
My parents
moved from Florida to GA shortly before I was born in 1968. My father lived there all his life since 1945. My mother since 1958. They took me and my brother to Disney in the early seventies. I was upset in the first hour because I could not go inside of the Cinderella Castle. The only other thing I liked was the Hunted Mansion. After that, I was bored. My brother was 4 and was fussy and hit Goofy in the nose. I remember my mother saying we will never go their again. It was a tourist trap. My dad said yes the snowbirds have ruined Florida with this tourist trap. We went to Epcot when it opened in the 1980's. You have to understand we spent our time in Sarasota FL on vacation mostly boating ,fishing and swimming. To our family that was better than any theme park. We had our own boat that we would pull down to our grandmother's house. She lived 3 miles from the bay and beach. I would rather saltwater fish and swim than wait in line at a theme park. We had cousins that had pools so we would spent time with them too. We were not rich. We were middle class. Both my parents were teachers. There is no way I would spend money on theme parks today.
Thank you so much for saying this, I am also a former castmember, and will always love Disney for what it can be, not what it is right now. I also just came back from my first visit to Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea, and WOW. They blow us out of the water, they embody what Disney used to be here, original ideas, non-IP based lands (with IP integration), quality food, good service, clean parks, and it was less than $500 for me to stay and go to the parks for 3 days. I wish the US parks would take a hint from TDR's success and treat castmembers better, and care less about lining shareholder pockets
WoW! I am jealous. I would love to go to Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea. I have heard stories about how amazing it is, and it seems like you are confirming this. And yes, I wish they would move away from the Parks simply being a blank check for the rest of the company and doing nothing more than boosting profits by raising prices for the consumers and guests.
@noiresdusk5560 I didn't even see this befor I spoke about tokyo disney. I think the biggest difference is tokyo is owned and operated by the oriental land company and they actually care about their park. I mean I loved seeing the bench auction in pirates and actually riding a working version of splash mountain. (Splash mountain was barely working in America befor it was shut down.) Although I will admit brer rabbit speaking Japanese took a bit to get uses to. But they have the best Critter country and the view of Critter country from Tom Sawyers island was amazing
It's not like he's saying anything new or groundbreaking.
People have been talking about this for years now.
@@ekahnoman7331 Yeah this is true. I just decided I needed to sit down and let the camera roll and get things off my chest. Didn't realize the video would take off the way it did. I will make future videos more insightful and on point to a single topic.
Walt Disney would not be happy
The 90's were the last golden years, worked there 87 to 2001..
I feel the late 90’s and Early 2000’s were the golden years for sure :)
I’d say the ‘80s and early ‘90s.
I worked in one of the hotels there too for a minute. Over 30 years ago, totally different world. I remember going to that casting place off of I5 to apply for a job. It was a big deal to apply for Disney then, I don't know about now though.
@esterdrass4964 now you can't get a job unless it's a special trade or you're a CP. It's really all about the money. I worked there in 2009. I left in 2010 to UO for the WWoHP and never went back. I look at the website every now and then with shock at just how much they won't hire regular roles anymore.
Same
We took our granddaughter a few years back. Epcot had areas covered with plywood. Benches had rusty spots. It’s a Small World had ceiling tiles missing. Cast members were chatting about personal issues instead of being in character. There was a time when Disney was always clean and in excellent repair. There were strict dress and behavior codes. It’s rapidly becoming Six Flags.
Seriously, all of the construction takes away from the Magic. Why cant they focus on getting one or two attractions done at a time, and then move on to the next. Instead they have a variety of crews working multiple things at a given time, completely spread thin and these projects are taking forever!
Wow- you did a good job summing it up! No more days of paint touch ups and cleaning after hours. More money for a dirty, ugly park. No thanks.
@@InLikeFlynns all making changes customers don't want.
@DBlake864 was it the Disney in Florida or California?
Excellent roundup. Used to regularly take family to the Disneyworld from the UK but very sadly most of the perks have been discontinued and it is now prohitively expensive
Wanna know where the real magic of Disney is still retained? Tokyo Disney.
Because Tokyo doesn’t believe in woke culture.
Everyone keeps telling me to go there
@@InLikeFlynns They still have Splash Mountain, and refused to replace it . Makes you wonder who’s the better theme park in terms of preservation of history.
It’s ironic because Tokyo Disney isn’t even operated by Disney.
and even including airfare and hotel it's probably cheaper than a trip to one of the US parks
Former Disney Cast Member here. Future World Attractions at EPCOT Dec’84 to Jan’94. Received the Spirit of Disney Award. Sorry folks, Disney is simply dying. I am well aware of the Disney Lies. The management has an agenda. There is no going back. I washed that pixie dust off years ago
Well sir, if anyone has earned the right to speak their mind on the subject, it is certainly you. It does sadden me to see the state that Disney is in. It almost seems like a bad dream. There was once this shining example of a company that was a beacon of joy and entertainment for families all over the World. A company that could entertain families both in movie theaters and in theme parks. They could write blank checks because they had an endless supply of revenue and could do whatever project they wanted and it would become a reality. Then it all fell apart due to a few peoples non-sensical knee jerk reactions and greediness. What a shame.
It’s poisoned by a bad corporate structure. They love their DEI that pisses everyone off. They are also greedy as f.
In your opinion why is the magic dying? What has led to this???
@@USCfan03 When Michael Eisner ran the company he pushed the company into a lot of debt. People don’t realize that. I knew folks whose companies dealt with Disney and Disney was not paying their bills. From that point the leaders continued on that direction with putting the company into greater debt. Disney for years wanted to get into thrill rides because they saw the amusement parks were popular. The thrill rides were limited due to theming. Now with the push to stay afloat instead of drowning in the debt they have embraced whatever they deemed necessary to survive. They have embraced woke culture and the amusement park mentality. I predict that the current Disney company will no longer exist in the next 10 years
@@DougYeager-i8b I bet you’re right about it in the next 10 years. I almost wish I could “borrow” a flatbed and have my older brother drive it, go down to the [out of business] Magic Kingdom, uproot the castle, put it on the back of the truck, and drive it back to my home state…I just don’t know anyone who can operate a crane to lift it, and can’t get the permits to transport a [stolen] building across multiple state lines.
The $7,000 are better not spent at Disney, but invested and saved. Kids learn nothing at Disney!
Take them to museums, concerts, theaters, plays or libraries. And to your local pool, or whatever. They learn a lot more that way, and have fun too!
We do take the kids to a number of educational places as well, and we make wonderful memories in those places. We will actually be taking them camping in Gettysburg next month. We cant wait!
That money could at least be spent on a decent 7 day cruise or a 2 week vacation overseas somewhere
Local pool is a total white trash thing poor parents do.
1:30 Yeah the statement that a trip to Disney World is just not for the middle class anymore was absurd to me. It was never for the middle class and always for the super wealthy. That being said I can't say I've ever been there even once. Vacations are most certainly not for the poor!
Take them to Universal they're way better than Disney
My Disneyland memories as a So Cal kid from 1960-1990 was to wander around the park in awe and excitement, and the cost was inconsequential. The monetization of every square inch and second of experience since 1990 is something that would horrify Walt.
It really would. I can’t say I knew Walt personally, but I would think he would in fact be disgusted with the state of his company.
I bet the pressure on the top tier management is pretty heavy these days in comparison with Walt's day, It's all about the eye watering profits and share holders. Wringing every last penny. Charging for parking because we can't get there any other damn way. The toilets are next.
I used to work at Universal, and we had so many "disney refugees", a lot of them from the Disney College Program. They all had horror stories, most commonly about bad management that treated the employees like garbage and never took their side. It shocked me that universal had better pay for their employees, despite only making a small fraction of the revenue that the Disney parks do.
Universal def wasnt a perfect place to work, but the fact those parks have way less resources and lower expectations compared to Disney, yet still was generally better to employees? Insane to me.
The rides I worked on for Uni; one was old and unkempt, the other had some complex mechanics. So they'd both go down pretty often. Breakdowns are a weekly reality of any ride. But the longest we've ever had a breakdown was... two hours maybe? A ride being down all or most of the day would be a very big deal. Commonplace over at Disney.
I think I am going to do a future video on this very topic. I wasn't treated "horribly" per se, but I do have a few stories I could share that would open some peoples eyes lol. I have heard that Universal is a good place to work and a lot of Disney folks flock that way after their time with the mouse. Im not familiar with the compensation variances, as I worked for Disney in the early 2000's, so I would hate to comment on that since I dont have any first hand knowledge.
@@InLikeFlynns It's definitely not a massive difference and I've heard bad stories about working at uni as well (especially food service) but I know for at least the baseline pay for operations/merchandise employees, universal specifically tries to keep their hourly pay above Disney's, and raises it whenever Disney raises it. It was $2 above disney's when I applied.
But the dollars dont matter to me as much as good management does. I had a really great team of leads at Uni that all started out where I did and were very reasonable and understanding. That was the biggest complaint I heard from ex-Disney employees in recent years; bad management that had been promoted quickly but had never actually worked in operations and therefore, had unrealistic expectations for employees. A lot of soulless corporate meddling. Things like that.
@@ard4461 well said
A friend of a friend of mine told me that a cast member was in the hospital, languishing and near death from sepsis. He was fired from Disney for “No call, no show”, because his FMLA request was rejected due to a typo on the form. They have problems with guests going “Out of bounds”, requiring ride stoppages (especially on the Haunted Mansion). Other times guests think it’s cute to reach up and touch the emergency stop button on the ride control console. One guest even got busted trying to steal Madame Leota’s crystal ball.
What I don’t get is how the f Disney can get away with all they get away with WITH a union, meanwhile universal doesn’t have a union in sight with the exception of maybe few entertainment and maintenance positions and yet they manage to treat cast better than Disney.
Disney Parks used to be a thing of beauty, now they just seem like a cash machine to support the media division. The greatest compliment that I keep hearing for Universal is "do you remember what Disney was like in the 90s? That's what Universal is like now." I appreciate your video. - JJC
Awww thank you. I have heard similar sentiments for sure. Hopefully they can right the ship before it is too late.
The reason why you are seeing these changes is because Disney is not currently in the business of selling experiences. They are utilizing revenue to purchase and develop IP that they can in turn leverage into merchandise. The current revenue stream in descending order is Merchandise, Entertainment, and then Experiences (Parks).
Universal Studios on the other hand, has rebranded themselves from Parks & Resorts to Universal Destinations & Experiences, emphasizing its mission and vision.
Essentially, while Universal Studios may not be earning as much revenue as Disney, their market research is strong and positions them for great success in the “immersive experience” market.
@@InLikeFlynns They missed their chance with Igur's return.
Yeah, if you go and watch the Universal videos on their new park, Epic Universe, you can't help but think to yourself 'this is what Disney used to do/be, what happened?'. That creativity, that innovation, those risks. It's all been replaced with cost cutting, half-assing, and re-branding. The only reason we're going back to Disney is because our youngest was too young to remember it, and also to say goodbye more than likely. I'm honestly more looking forward to Universal, which was night and day better on our last trip in 2019, and will be featuring a new park with actually innovative designs throughout.
We live in Orlando. We prefer Universal. We can get an annual pass for far cheaper with no blackout dates. Our daughter and son-in-law get the annual pass that includes valet parking. Before we moved here, we stayed in one of their resorts and it was way more affordable than Disney.
Getting rid of Rivers of America and the boat for cars is horrible. They are ruining the theming of the park. The people making these decisions have no respect for the parks, castmembers, and guests.
I honestly can’t agree with you more. The best argument I heard is that they are building it for our kids and future generations, not for “us”. I don’t like that argument but it’s the best I’ve heard lol
Is there any way to reverse course?
They did _WHAT!?_ 😮
@@princessmarlena1359 It's not what they did. It's what they are DOING, or planning to do. They are planning to rip out Tom Swr. Island and the Rivers of America and replace it with a CARS land. Literally the worst Disney announcement I've heard in all of history
I have been done with Disney for many years. That said, as a little kid I remember 20000 Leagues Under the Sea being absolutely awesome. Things change. Disney is a place for the upper middle class and above. 58 million people are willing to pay to go to Disney World each year. They are willing to plan each second of the day to accomplish getting on the attractions. It is what it is.
Disney parks peaked in the 2000s and early 2010s. Not a cast member, just a local who has been about 100 times in his life.
Quality was just better back then. Disney was never cheap, but it at least felt like you were getting your money's worth.
I agree with everything you said, but you have to remember that you are paying a lot less as a Florida resident than I am. So it’s even more expensive for us, plus travel. It’s definitely an expensive trip lol
@@InLikeFlynns True dat. I'm technically a California resident so for me its Disneyland but from what I've seen and heard its true of both US parks. Disneyland is a whole day vacation. Disneyworld is a multiday vacation. RIP family wallet, the 1000th haunt in the Haunted Mansion :(
Eisner also saw that many people could not afford to have the true, stay on property and immerse yourselves type of experience, so he 1st had the Caribbean Beach Resort built. It did so well, and brought in a new clientele, so 3 more moderate resorts were built. ;Eisner then thought that maybe it would be nice to make a true, immersive Disney vacation available to people who would love to visit, but couldn't afford the moderate resorts and were staying on 535 or 192, so he built the Value resorts. He made money for the company, but didn't alienate potential guests. He tried to be inclusive, and a good business man. We need someone along those lines to come in and straighten out Iger and Chapek's mess. Some people didn't appreciate what Eisner did for the company until he was gone!
Im also a former disney cast member and i agree with everything you said. i worked thier from 2012 to 2020 and i saw the downfall of disney and the magic disappear. The magic is gone and i dont think its comming back any time soon. It is heart breaking to see.
I really just think at this point the magic is on life support. It is there for children...not so much for adults these days. But things need to vastly improve and quick.
We live 15 minutes from WDW. We quit going over the corporate greed of the company.
I was wondering how Florida residents were impacted by all the changes and increases. If Florida residents are getting frustrated over the pay walls, that’s bad
You’re a good man and dad to let folks and families know what’s happened/happening there - your ‘rant’ is deeply appreciated and insightful.
Wow, you sincerely dont know how much this means to me. I am humbled and grateful that you feel this way. I am hoping to be open and honest in future videos about my experiences as a Disney Castmember and as a guest of the parks for nearly 30 years.
@@InLikeFlynns 👍🏻😉!!
I am 60. Adding this to the list of "feel blessed I lived when it was best".
I absolutely love that line. Hahaha. So true though!
There with ya bro. The best of times. I actually grew up believing the world was going to get better in the 21st century. SURPRISE!
I’m adding it to my list of thing your generations greed took from us 😂
"Your generations" would be us! Milienials are old enough for management, But young Boomers and GenX are still in charge.
@@craigwapples4200 Good luck with that. Your gen will do no better. You think greed is gone now? Just watch and learn.
My generation is not greedy. MANKIND is greedy as a whole.
I was a childhood friend of Walt, knew him when Disneyland opened, (a young boy back then), and visited Disneyland many times. But...no more. When Walt died, the decay began, the dream was dead. I will not ever go back, and drain away the memories. Walt had ideas, dreams, that no one since has had. Sad indeed.
Yes. Walt was a visionary. A special person. . . probably irreplaceable
@@JosedeJezeus Absolutely. I think Walt totally irreplaceable. Walt was such a good man. Not perfect, but a childlike man who wanted always the best for the children and families, with strict standards. Our society is dying, partly because we have lost the "Walts' in our world. Stories I could tell....each a piece of golden sunshine in my heart.
This was one of the things I loved about the experience. How one man dreamt up this special place.
Walt was truly a visionary that left us far too soon. A man of magic and wonder who had an absolute love for the people. He didn’t care about money. He left that to Roy.
@@InLikeFlynns You nailed that to perfection! I was in Disneyland the day it opened, and as a young teen, Walt would take us, some kids he loved, and give us a post- park closing nighttime ride on the Storybookland Canal boats in the dark, telling each story, acting them out. Magical evenings for me and my sister, and others!
Damn I miss Walt!
😥
I’m afraid if you think Chapeck was the problem, you missed that Iger caused all of Disney’s problems even when Chapeck was the paper CEO, Iger was running things from behind the scenes. Disney has taken a stance politically, socially, and ethically that is not family customer friendly and they have done severe damage to their brand….it’s a shame, but shareholders will also pay the price for mismanagement by Iger.
Oh believe me I think Iger shares a large part of the blame for where we are at right now. I have to believe that Guest satisfaction at the parks has to be at an all time low. Disney Studios isn’t much better. I’m honestly shocked they didn’t pull the plug on Snow White and the Mythical Creatures or whatever they are calling it lol
Between the two of them, time will be kinder to Mr. Chapek by default. If nothing else, he was there first so he remembers what Disney was like before the ABC merger that brought Bob Iger into the company.
Bob Paycheck was the magnifying glass that made it very clear the trouble the company was in. That being said, Bob Chapek brought his own personal brand of horrible. He was the worst kind of pandering, smug, boot licking elitist wannabe turd of a person. He ran his mouth on political matters. He utterly pissed off the governor and exploded the good relationship that had existed since the park opened. His grandiosity just reeked of his entitled bloated ego. He seemed to delight in dismantling and destroying everything about the disney company that made it special. He’s the grotesque representation of Nouveau Riche. A social climbing jerk off who had ZERO respect for the culture and the legacy of the Walt Disney company and all the things that had made it the best of the best for so many years.
Ugh. Barf. I HATE Bob Chapek.
What Iger was thinking with that pic I will never understand. Unless he purposely picked an inept moron so he could keep hold of the reigns behind the scenes. I wish he had picked Tom Staggs. That pick might have saved the legacy. As it is, I feel like a dear friend has died and there is no way to bring back the magic. Everything fell too far to the left and made the parks about the people who work there not about the guest experience.
Sorry. Word vomit. Bob Chapek is a nightmare memory. Even if it was Bob Iger’s fault. Bleh. Sad. Infuriating. 💔
So he was Iger to fk everything up.
Exactly!!!! I remember when Eisner was retiring, and some of my fellow castmembers were saying how happy they were to have a new CEO. My reply was "Be Careful What You Wish For".... I don't know how I knew... but I knew that particular change in leadership was not going to bode well for the company or the guests, and he was the beginning of the downfall.
We just cancelled our 2025 DW trip. This year was too much of a disappointment, and we felt that Disney fleeced us at every opportunity. As a non US visitor, I feel the biggest mistake they've made is getting rid of the Magical Express
Ooooh the Magic Express was my favorite. We always flew into McO and the trip would start on the Magic Express bus. It was so nice. Now it’s either renting a car, or for our last trip we just bit the bullet and drove to save money. Not fun
@@InLikeFlynns , I just flew in from Raleigh last week. We stayed at All star movies, and took the lynx 311 city bus from MCO to Disney Springs. Took the resort bus to the resort. We went to the Halloween party . Was there for one day. The party on 9/8 was a rainout, so they gave us party goers a one day ticket with park hopper good for a year. Uber prices were $50 from MCO. The bus ride took an hour with several stops. I saved $100 round trip. I agree that the magic is long gone and never coming back. Walt is rolling over in his grave.
Out of curiosity - will you direct that vacation budget to one of the non-US Disney parks?
look up Hotel Xcaret
@@Zandaman2321if you’re not going back, can I have your free ticket they gave you please? DW is my dream.
I took my family to Disney World every year for vacation. I absolutely loved it. 5 years ago, I stopped going and started going to Universal. 2 weeks ago, I went to Disney for vaca only because my brother was there and I hadn't seen him for a while. I was shocked . It is nothing like it was. Cast members yelling over the pa. Sloppy appearance. The rides are so badly showing age and neglect. Disney is failing, and it must fail. The only way back for them is to remember what they are and what they meant to families. I'm done. I will NEVER step foot on their property again. The magic is 15 minutes down the road at Universal it is what Disney was 10 years ago. Sorry so negative. Disney meant so much to my family.
You don’t have to apologize at all and I completely agree with everything you said. Universal has improved over Disney in quite a few facets. When I worked there you would get sent home if you were not clean shaven every day and would get written up if your shirt wasn’t tucked in. Now you can look like a slob and get away with it. We even overheard two employees talking about smoking pot off the clock while we were in line for an attraction. I guess it’s legal, but you shouldn’t be able to talk like that out loud in front of kids.
@@InLikeFlynns I would have registered a complaint at City Hall re: drug use by cast members...
The Disney movie studios are draining the parks dry.
I whole heartedly agree with you. I feel like the string of Box Office failures, which luckily ended with Inside Out 2 forced them to continue to raise prices at the parks to make up for their struggling bottom line. Luckily for us Deadpool and Wolverine was a huge success, as was Inside Out 2. We will see what the future holds with Moana 2 on the horizon.
If they don't return to the middle will lose value. Also, keep in mind that the parks are either 1/3 or 2/3 of the profits.
It's the opposite of what it was like in the first decade without Walt Disney around. Then, the theme parks got the lion's share of attention while the film division was largely ignored until the push to make PG-rated movies began with *The Black Hole.*
Disney does not sell magic, or experiences, or toys or movies or vacations. Disney sells stock. Disney has placed their shareholders ahead of their product, customers, and employees. Maximizing profits is the new Disney experience even though their stock is falling. Remember Chapek was a puppet it's been 2 shower a day weatherman Iger all along.
Disney +
Thank you for your rant! It’s all so true. Disney will never get another dime out of my family. That much I can 100% guarantee. They are a complete joke of a company.
I hope they can figure out the error of their ways….
I was a Cast Member at Disneyland from 1974-1980. I started at The Main Street Emporium then went to The Jungle Cruise and ended up at The Haunted Mansion. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment I worked there. The Guests were phenomenal, the food was amazing and the prices were very affordable. I haven't been back to Disneyland since I clocked out on my last day (I moved to Tennessee). The Disneyland of 'The Past' is the Disneyland that lives in my mind. All Great Memories!
I have great memories of my time at the Backlot Tour at Disney/MGM Studios. My wife worked at the Emporium as well, but the WDW version. She didn't have as great of a time over there lol
I'm sorry she didn't enjoy The Main Street Emporium . . . I think it was better for me because I worked 'The Graveyard Shift'. I would go in at 11:00p in my 'Gay 90's Costume' and then at 2:00a change into a white shirt and black pants to unload the trailers behind the shop. If there were only a few trailers that night to unload when we finished we had a few hours to roam around The Park and mingle with the other Graveyard Cast Members. That was the best! Then after about 2 years I moved to Attractions (and I became an 'Entertainer'!!) After I left Disneyland I moved to Tennessee and became a Paramedic (now retired). . .
Love your channel!!
Keep up the good work!!
I'm from the UK and have visited Disney World in Florida seven times now, starting in 2003. During the first few visits, I truly felt the magic Disney World had to offer, but this recent trip (10 days in September) was probably the weakest. We just didn’t feel the same sense of magic or wonder we once did. There was also a feeling in the air that I couldn't explain, and it was definitely negative!
That being said, like others, I have a few unfortunate experiences with rude or unprofessional Disney cast members. The first incident occurred at Dinosaur, specifically just before entering the stand-up theatre. My dad casually mentioned to the cast member, "I’ve heard Dinosaur is closing, that’s sad," to which the cast member rolled his eyes and responded, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, it’s whatever. There's no specific time frame for it yet anyway." I found his response to be quite rude and dismissive.
The second incident happened while we were boarding Kali River Rapids. I politely asked a cast member how they were doing, and they replied, "Do you want the honest answer or the DISNEY answer?" I said, "You can go for the honest one, I guess," and they responded, "I’d rather be at home, quite frankly." Again, I felt their attitude was unprofessional.
The third and final incident occurred at Expedition Everest. My sister accidentally boarded the wrong number, and the cast member snapped, "That is NOT the number I said!" and tutted at her abruptly.
All three incidents happened on the same day and in the same park-Animal Kingdom. I’ve never encountered cast members like this before. It seems like many of them are visibly unhappy with the current situation and how Disney is treating them.
I think this may be our last trip to Disney World, but I’m really looking forward to Epic Universe!
The “everyone get a trophy” generation has entered the workforce, and it’s not pretty
I laugh every time one of my kids gets a participation trophy. Heck, back in the day, if your baseball team finished 2nd in the Championships, there was no 2nd place trophy. LOL
Im sorry you had such bad interactions with castmembers. That would have never flown back in 2001 when I was there. It is going to be interesting once Epic Universe opens.
Former Disneyland cast member here and I agree with everything you said about the state of the company and especially the parks. The steady decline towards the quality of the treatment towards guests and employees alike is one of the reasons I left.
Its sad to say, but none of the cast members in Disneyland stood out to me. Back in the day there would be a cast member or two that I would remember that would go out of their way to make us have a magical experience and treat us with overwhelmingly positive customer service. I felt like most of the DL Castmembers were almost like Walmart employees. They came, did their job and went home. Nothing horrible per se, but nothing magical either. I used to be proud that I worked for the parks.
@@InLikeFlynns last time I went a couple years back, I had 2 separate employees being rude, barking orders at us guests! Was pretty sad to see, especially on top of the fleecing
Yup. They might as well PISS on Walt Disney’s grave at this point! They’re 100% RUINING the parks and they’re ruining the theming. The BEAUTY that once was is disappearing more and more 😭 The parks are dirty, the old attractions are not maintained, and the NEW attractions keeps breaking down. They need to wake up. They need to get back to where and to WHAT they once was.
On my last two trips, I must say that I was extremely shocked by what they now allow in terms of Quality Assurance. Yes, rides have begun to feel like they are dirty and run down. When animatronics are consistently malfunctioning, or not running to their designed tasks, and they let guests continue to pass by and see this....that is an issue. The fact that rides are breaking down for hours at a time each day....that is not cool. Especially not when you are paying such a premium to attend the park.
@@InLikeFlynns Agreed
They're letting it turn into Lester's Possum Posse!
@@Attmay I swear to God, I thought of that too, which is both funny and sad at the same time! 😢😂
It will be an absolute shame if they get rid of Rivers of America and pave it with a Cars parking lot. Pave paradise and put up a parking lot.
Apparently it doesn't move the people through fast enough. They could care less about the riverboat experience.
You don’t see KFC trashing their original recipe.
Disney is throwing away it’s industry setting, decades proven, winning recipe.
I absolutely love this analogy! So great!
They are into a whole new recipe...
"You don’t see KFC trashing their original recipe."
Yes, we most certainly do. They trashed their whole menu at one point I'm assuming for the purpose of being "innovative" which wasn't a good idea. 😒👌
Really well articulated. I really feel your pain. You're exactly the kind of person Disney should be listening to if they actually want to improve the experience for their paying customers.
Awww thank you so much. I wish they would. I do their surveys on every trip 🤣😂
They say "you can never go back" . As time goes by trends change, people grow old and generations evolve to the next shiny toy/experience. Walt had his idea and dream and created a theme park my generation will remember (im 68 years of age) until we're gone. It was a simple time where family values and characters were enjoyed in a fantasy land called Disneyland. It was escapism at its highest level. In time the technology and wide choices of entertainment made Disney compete for a changing society where imagination was not a priority. They exchanged Walt's dreams and vision with pie charts, financial algorithms and set aside what Disneyland represented to a family of 5. To interact with Disney characters, affordable food and being able to leave all your anxiety and stress at home. I love the memories I have of my mom and dad taking my sister 2 brothers and myself to Disneyland. It's sad when I talk to my friends who have visited Disneyland. I don't hear happy stories of meeting they're favorite character instead the hot dog cost 10 bucks and the waiting times were hours long. I guess "you can never go back
There is part of me that is constantly afraid that the level of Magic and Customer Service once achieved at Disney Parks may be long gone. You used to hear people rave about every trip to WDW and DL. And like you said...now all you hear is "the park was so crowded" "the lines were so long" "all these rides were broken down" etc
I went for the last time a few years ago. I had already booked my dream trip that I always wished for being a huge fan since the 60s. Then I found out the company was getting political and fighting against a law that protects children. I couldn't fathom in my mind why they would being doing this. I went and spent 8 nights at the Disneyland hotel which I always dreamed of doing but because of all the controversy and the company supporting something I thought was crazy I just couldn't have a good time because it was always on my mind. I feel Walt would really be disgusted in the direction the company is going. So sad 😔
@@InLikeFlynnsyou're right. My only trip so far to Disneyland, we got a deal staying at the Disneyland hotel. Could never do that present day. We walked up to check in and the cast member was so kind. He said "are you feeling magical today?" I replied "I'm at Disneyland for the first time so I guess so!" He upgraded us at no extra charge. It was wonderful. I'll always remember that. And that doesn't exist anymore. 😞
It cost me $32 to get in back in 1992. Counting for inflation that would be only $71 to get in today. Today it's $104 to $194 depending on which day you pick, an averaqe of $149. Disney literally double inflation! GREED!
I had my fun and got to ride some good rides before they were removed. I have little interest in all these new rides that use screen projections and require 3D glasses. The new King Kong ride at Universal is like that and it sucked. When I rode the first version with the giant King Kong in my face, THAT was awesome. They should have rebuilt it proper.
I've been a lifelong Disney parks fan, and you're absolutely right. Everything Disney is doing now is for the filthy rich, regular families are priced out of the parks. And every new attraction is designed to sell Multipasses and lightning lanes. So you're paying (here in California) $700 just to walk in the door, plus $100 for a multipage if you want to ride more than a few rides, and if you want to ride a popular ride without waiting 3 hours, that's another $100 for the family. There are fewer and fewer shows, fewer long rides (replaced by 50 second roller coasters), and off the shelf rides with IP glued onto them.
Add to that the terrible price gouging for terrible food at slow food service and souvenirs costing double what they did just a few years ago. Everything is an upsell, everything is incredibly expensive.
It's not magical, it's about stock price for a few billionaires and executive bonuses and compensation now.
I agree with every single thing you just said. To me it is sad that it has taken this long to get a parade back at MK at night. That was always one of the highlights of our MK evenings.
We are SoCal residents with Magic Keys that we make payments on. $88-$121 month and go as often as we wish pretty much. Never paid $700 . That monthly pass payment is less than one day ticket
@@InspiredByEbonyLove We had passes (didn't renew as COVID was hitting) and we were paying something like $1,300 each and about half the year was a blackout date.
We haven't gone to Disneyland (we're local to SoCal) in a couple of years. Too much money, too little magic left.
To your point, the only person I know who actually went to DW is my cousin, a highly paid mechanical engineer working at Raytheon on high tech missile systems. She and her husband probably pull in a little under 500k, pre tax, every year.
No one else in my family even thinks about going anymore. When I was growing up in the 90s, between my family and extended family, us kids used to go almost every year. That seems insane now, given my parents humble profressions, that they could afford this. It makes the 90s seem like this incredible time when everyone has easy money, lol.
I make a good living today writing software, but I'm not interested in squandering my money on one of these trips. Ot just sounds like a living hell. My kids and I can go on camping trips for the cost of a tank of gas and $25 for the camping space.
When my wife and I say we're done with Disney, we know Disney screwed up big time. Ifi said we've been on 50 Disney trips it would probably be low. After our last trip we just said we're done.
Preaching to the choir my friend. We were season pass holders doing 3 trips a year until 2019 time frame. Then we were just getting absolutely frustrated beyond belief. Been on one trip since then to WDW and our most recent DL trip for the kids. Might be the last one while they are still in the house sadly
I wish they would listen to you. 🧐
I'm on the west coast and I feel the same way about DL. I was on Pirates of the Caribbean and my boat got stuck in one place for ten minutes! A former cast member was behind me with his family; he said "this is normal." I didn't feel like arguing his point; I just wanted the boat to move like it was supposed to. In all my years of coming there since 1986, I had never seen things so bad. Or so expensive!
Lots of people have been trying to warn the company not to go down these roads, but like Mr. Toad, they didn't listen.
@@Attmay True story - My wife and I were stuck on Pirates of the Caribbean in Walt Disney World years ago. We sat for over an hour listening to "We Want the Red Head!" before finally being walked off the attraction backstage. It was the first ride we got on that night during MNSSHP. LOL It sucked.
After reading all the comments, there is nothing more to add. It’s just sad to think that the parks we once enjoyed as our kids grew up is now only a memory. Walt’s dream died when Bob Iger took over. Now on to Epic Universe.
Sooo many people are saying the exact same thing. You think Disney would notice. They are gonna feel that pinch when Epic Universe opens.
@@InLikeFlynns There's gonna be a new kid in town, and it will be kicking butt and taking names. Disney better get with the program if they want to continue playing with the big boys! Disney got too good on relying on their reputation, and now it is being challenged from all angles!
I also used to work for Disney, and I agree with your critiques. Disney has become a boutique experience for the upper middle class and the wealthy only, primarily because of corporate greed and mismanagement. There are a lot of middle class people still hanging on because of their nostalgic attachment to the parks, but I don't think Disney realizes that that attachment is fostered by a childhood of going to the parks and making memories, and once that generation is no longer going, there won't be another. Unless they're well-off, a kid today won't be visiting the parks once a year for the holidays, or on their birthday. They won't be creating those memories that make them want to take their own kids or grandkids to the parks someday. Add to that the frustration of all the additional charges that pile up-- including for services like fast pass-adjacent features that used to be free, or having to bury your face in your phone in the middle of the vacation day you're supposed to be enjoying to make a millisecond swipe ride reservation, or else risk never riding that attraction at all, and Disney has completely sapped itself of any magic it once had. Again, I doubt they even realize the long-term damage they're doing to their own brand with this senseless greed.
Born and raised in So Cal. Grew up going to Disneyland, it was amazing. Best Memories Ever. Fast forward to now and I have not been to Disney in over 7 years. Too expensive, too crowded and just not fun like it used to be.
I feel ya dude. It has changed so much since I went in mid 2000’s
I was never a huge Disney World fan (despite it being a couple hours drive for me), but each time I took my family there, it felt more a chore than a vacation. So much planning with the app and so much STRESS to try and have a good time. Because of the cost of going to Disney, you will always feel you have to plan and detail every hour of your day or you're not getting your money's worth from the trip.
Last year, I brought my family to Universal Studios for the first time because my daughter is a big Harry Potter fan. The cost was better, but even more important and valuable for us is that we weren't stressed going through the park. We were actually able to feel like we were on vacation and could just walk around and enjoy the parks and attractions. I bought us annual passes and haven't looked back at Disney World ever since.
I think I am going to do a video on this topic alone, because I completely agree with you. The amount of time spent on your phone now to keep up is ridiculous. You are missing so many of the little easter eggs and references. With Genie+ you are constantly checking the app for return times and ordering food...its ridiculous.
@@InLikeFlynns And your kids know when you're stressed, they can just feel it, and they end up not having a good time either.
It ends up being a feedback loop of misery.
An app should ENHANCE your experience, not replace it. It totally makes sense to have an app to look at a map, check wait times, make dining reservations (if you want to), and maybe some other peripherals (photos games, etc.) but it should be BY CHOICE. It's not fun when you have to use it to do anything.
I went years ago, and I enjoyed it, but even then it felt like Force Fun™️ I have no desire to ever return. I like knoebels in Pennsylvania. Pay as you go and the food wasn’t bad. Had the time of my life this year well under $100
This is the thing that drives me nuts the most about DW right now. When we started going when our kids were smaller, it was so much less complicated. People that wanted to overplan could, and people that just wanted to show up could do that also. I was the touring plan type, and everything worked because it was all based on the fact that some people were going to plan and some weren't. Once they made everything more and more and more scheduled and extra, it made the experience worse for everyone - except a small amount of people that would pay whatever price for the convenience and the other people that are going for the first time (or first time in a loong time) and they are willing to go into debt to give their family that 'dream Disney vacation'. Disney has been milking people dry and making the experience terrible for everyone. Seems like people are slowly coming around and Disney may finally (hopefully) be starting to feel the pinch.
I moved to Jacksonville about 2 years ago. One of the first things I thought of when I was preparing to move was "Oh sweet! I'm gonna be 2 hours from Disney!". We went to Hollywood Studios and EPCOT soon after I moved down and neither seemed near the condition they should be in for the price of admission. I put buying APs on the back burner and haven't bothered buying them yet. This is gonna sound like old man yelling at cloud but one of my problems is having to use Genie+ or whatever they've changed the name to. I shouldn't have to be buried in my phone all day just to have a chance to pay Disney EXTRA just to ride something that's in a park I already paid to be in.
My goodness, I cant agree with you more, especially in regards to the face buried in a phone app all day. Remember back 15 years ago when Disney was preaching for all of us to put our phones down and take in everything around us? The subtle nuances. The theming....the hidden mickeys. The little nods to movies, and easter eggs in attraction queue's.....now its "Pound that 'Join Virtual Queue' button at exactly 1:00 to ride a ride, or to constantly look to book your next Lightning Lane, or order your meal virtually ahead of time. You need to constantly be on your phone to try to keep up with the crowds and it detracts from the experience. And I agree with the prices getting to be not worth it for single day admission. I nearly choked when I saw MNSSHP tix being sold for over $200 per person on 'premium' nights. UGH.
Yep. I'll pay a premium for a premium experience, but the minute you start nickel-and-diming me, I'm out. Frankly, it's insulting, and I won't deal with it on principle.
@@kevincoleman6246 Im the same way. There is no way in heck I am going to pay you $15 per person to go on a ride I have been on 50+ times. Thats $60 for my family to do a single attraction. No way. And now if you want a decent viewing area for fireworks or something....get ready to shell out for that as well.
I live south of Jax and about 90 minutes from Disney. We had APs for our family of 4 from March 19 through March 20. They expired right before COVID. We have Disney reward points through our credit cards and almost enough for APs, but it is not worth it right now. I have to make reservations. I am not going to pay for Lightning Lane or whatever they call it. I'm hoping things change after Epic Universe opens.
@@craigcavaliere6744 oh man, me too. I am REALLY hoping Epic Universe changes the game.
You’re not alone in that sentiment. I was a pass holder pre pandemic times. I saw nothing but happy people in those times. Today I’ll go occasionally and I’ve noticed the mood and face expressions of a large amount of people is just miserable. On a personal note, the few times I’ve gone, I’ve had fun but leave with a feeling of regret for the amount of money I’ve spent and feeling it wasn’t worth it.
P. S…. I live in California
We definitely had a good time in DL and CA despite the many frustrations. I do not think it was worth the price tag, but I know it is something my kids really wanted to experience, and I am glad I was able to give them the opportunity. But there needs to be better hiring or oversight of the employees that are working. In our training, it was always stressed...."its all about creating magic for the guests" Seems that has slowly gone by the way side. I remember getting written up for a five o'clock shadow one day because I forgot to shave one morning before work. These kids have it easy.
My friend’s cousin, when she last worked there, would hear angry parents saying “This is ‘The Happiest Place On Earth’! You’re supposed to _SMILE,_ goddamit!”
I feel the same. 😢
I agree. I watch a lot of content from Disney vloggers and notice all the time how guests around them never seem to have happy expressions on their faces.
Another Wow! factor with the Rivers of America was hearing the steam whistle of the Liberty Belle while walking through the park.
You are 100% right. It was iconic and a real part of the Magic. You were transported back to that time. I’m sure whatever they do will look fantastic, but it won’t have the Magic
@@InLikeFlynns Former cast member here & I agree. I literally grew up with the parks. Going on family vacations was one of the highlights of my childhood. I remember when Disney World was just the Magic Kingdom & only 2 Disney resort hotels existed (The Contemporary & the Polynesian). My first job was at the Disney Store in my local mall. We got lots of cool perks in addition to our discount. As the years went by, I noticed that the powers-that-be were doing away with many of the perks for both guests of the parks & its cast members & things have gotten worse. One of the things I am most afraid of is walking into the Magic Kingdom & not recognizing it. I am not against change, but some of the changes in the past were great & others not so much.
@@Vanipollonia1I too fear the time will come when the park is unrecognizable. If you compare it to what it was in the mid to late 90’s it’s already vastly different. As is Hollywood Studios vs. Disney/MGM Studios. Some changes for good, some for bad. But they have to hold on to their roots to a certain extent. I really feel like it’s time for the 5th park.
@@InLikeFlynns I totally agree. Opening a "land" within a park where there are only 2-3 rides is not the business (i.e. Toy Story Land, Galaxy's Edge). The average "land" consists of 6-7 attractions each. I have always said that WDW should open a 5th park, but some argue that Disney cannot keep the current attractions clean and/or running properly. Be that as it may, a 5th park is still not a bad idea.
@@Vanipollonia1 "Opening a "land" within a park where there are only 2-3 rides is not the business (i.e. Toy Story Land, Galaxy's Edge)."
Wow, that's being generous. Galaxy's Edge was just ONE "ride" in the form of a video game screen. RotR was a year after the land opened.
Everything the middle class enjoyed has been taken away.
As a member of the middle class, I am definitely in agreement with your comment lol
Agreed. It's the beginning of the end, for the middle class.
Hunger Games, either filthy rich or dirt poor!
@@donnaturpin5995 Im living in District 7 or 8 and getting priced out. HAHAHA
You are amazing. ❤️ Love for you and your family. Thank You for this video.
You are so kind. Thank you so much
Walt envisioned an amusement park in which his cartoon characters could come to life and interact with the wealthy visitors. He also wanted a park that catered to the entire wealthy family. The stereotypical American amusement park was not what Walt Disney had in mind. Walt was turned off by the vulgarity and grime that he found when he went to other amusement parks. Disney's goal was to create a park where wealthy parents and children could have fun together. A typical amusement park in the early half of the twentieth century was a random assortment of roller coasters, merry-go-rounds, and Ferris wheels. Hot dog vendors littered the streets. Beer was sold and consumed in large quantities. Sanitation was never a priority at these parks. In short, they did not offer the best setting for a wealthy family outing. Disneyland was created with the intention of having no roller coasters. Main Street, USA, the hub of Disneyland was bordered not by hot dog stands, but by souvenir shops. Alcohol was not sold on the premises. Walt wanted his to park to be different in that it would lack the dirtiness and deterioration of poor and middle class families that were typically present at amusement parks. This concept would be critical in attracting large numbers of wealthy visitors.
I went to Disney on my own for the first and only time June 2021. I had booked the trip in February of that year. And I'm pretty sure I got the last of the pandemic pricing. I took my camper and stayed in Fort Wilderness. I paid for 8day park entry with park-hopper pass every day. I went to the cirque de soleil show and ate in the best park restaurants. I had a magic band and used lightning lane every day. I basically got everything you could get at disney for enjoying the parks. I even spent every afternoon at the waterpark... I spent about $2000 on 9 days and 8 nights at For5 Wilderness, with all of those add-ons. That same trip, just two years later for 1 person, even camping would be over $5k. The day I was supposed to leave.I actually stayed on the campsite one extra day because I got sick. My camp fee went from a $115 per night to $400 forthat one extra night.
I'm glad I went when I did, because I'll never go back.
Well it sounded like you had an amazing trip the first go round. But yes, prices have skyrocketed since then sadly :(
Yep, you totally nailed it.
HAHAHA thanks. Sad that I did, but I am glad you agree. Seems like a lot of people are feeling the same thing.
On our last trip we heard so many cast members talking crap about each other, customers, and the park as well as encountering rude cast members. I don’t think Ive ever come across so many disgruntled employees in the park
We overheard them talking about smoking weed and drag racing.
@@InLikeFlynnsWOW! 😣
To be fair, Disney castmembers are not treated well by management, because management is rewarded for having no complaints, so they throw their subordinates under the bus to look good. Castmembers work in poor conditions without many of the necessities they need to succeed; Disney has set guest expectations so high that when the guests come and the reality doesn't jive with the hype, they become verbally abusive or worse. Many of the people who work at Disney came down with their own Disney dreams, and it's not living up to their expectations, either. Kindness goes both ways. What you are experiencing is the manifestation of too many years of poor treatment and lack of respect from above
@@MISSYMORGAN4624 I agree with your sentiments. My frustrations weren’t with the CM. I understand they deal with a lot. My expectations and frustrations lay with Disney. Both for not treating their employees well and nickel and diming their customers. How is it that some companies can treat their employees well in addition to giving the customer a great experience all while remaining profitable, while others struggle to do this? I would expect a company as big as Disney (either with their highly paid CEO) to figure it out. They’ve been in the game long enough!
As a Disney adult with a partner (two incomes, no kids), we have more disposal income than most, especially families with multiple kids, but adding up the receipts from our WDW trip last year, I was shocked at the total. Growing up in SoCal, my parents took me to Disneyland a lot, and I would have been devastated as a kid if they told me, we can't go it's too expensive. So I honestly do feel for families, like yours, when it comes to the current state of Disney. You want to give your kids something, but at what cost. Both literally and figuratively. The current product Disney is offering is becoming less and less with each day, but costing more and more each day.
Yes I remember the days before kids when we had more expendable income to spend on nicer meals and exclusive tours and experiences. I miss it, but I wouldn't trade it for the World. But now that there are 4 of us we have to tighten our belts a bit. Instead of my wife and I purchasing merchandise for ourselves, now we let the kids pick out something. We have to pack lunches on occasion and take them into the park. We eat meals in our room to save money. I'm fine with all of this so my kids can have a great time on vacation at a Disney Park. But when they start to not enjoy themselves because we cant afford lightning lanes and Genie Plus's and have to stand in hour long lines for every attraction, then the Magic is getting lost on us all, and that makes us not want to go back. The idea that we have to stay in a Deluxe resort to enjoy an "Extra Magic Hour" is absurd.
Gone are the days when you could just show up and have fun. Now, everyday has to be planned out in advance, you have to get up at 5:00 a.m. every morning if you want your lighting lane passes, you have to be glued to your phone the whole time so you don't miss something, and make sure you don't forget your powerbanks. It started going downhill after about 2000 but, really started going downhill after about 2010. Now, it's just awful what has happened.
I honestly think I might do a video solely on this. It takes so much away from your vacation.
I stopped going to Disneyland after 2007. Best decision I ever made. I'd rather think that Disneyland is like it used to be. Sad.
@@InLikeFlynns You should. Seems to me that things were better for everyone when the planners could plan and the doers could just do. If you wanted to show up at the crack of dawn and wait for rope drop, then race between fast pass booths, you could. If you wanted to just show up an hour after opening and walk around, you could. Bringing months of planning and then constant reservation management while you are there takes so much away from the experience.
totally agree - and not only do you have to get up early, you need to stay late to get all the rides in. then you are dog tired everyday and can't enjoy it
Right and then with all the planning, if something falls through you get completely agitated and it spoils the rest of your day and a lot of your plans
I'm 32, my sister was part of the Disney College program in 2018 and was Photopass, at times exclusively, for Tinker Bell. The level of physical abuse she had to deal with made me very scared; hours in the sun with constant exposure, no flexibility in scheduling, extremely long evenings and having to walk for sometimes an hour just to get from clock-out to car. This was if a guest didn't scream at you or get mad because a cloud made it into the background or you couldn't fit 57 relatives in front of the Train Station. When she finally quit, it broke her heart because she was friends with Tinker Bell, but by THIS time, Disney World was testing out the automated Photo Boxes. Instead of my sister getting to accommodate special needs guests and coming up with fun ways to get shy or scared kids to smile and wave, she was replaced by a box. Her colleagues were reduced to boxes. When she left and went to Universal I was *so terrified* because Universal prides itself on being more real and raw and genuine than Disney. I was scared she'd be treated worse...
She was given giant security guards to walk her 5'3 self from the gates, to the parking lot. When someone was injured, they changed your costume and allowed you to SIT if you still wanted to perform. If you were harassed, you were pulled out of there and the protection was valid. It was a *relief* that a company saw her as a functional human soul and not just a number. Granted, this was 2020-2021...but for Post-Pandemic that was impressive of Universal to have compassion.
Wow that is eye opening. I knew a few PhotoPass folks and they all loved their jobs, but none were on Tink detail. They usually revolved around different stations at the parks and got to interact with guests. I guess I can see how some of your concerns are frightening. Glad it came out well in the end!
@@InLikeFlynns Tink was the jackpot because her meet spot was indoors and air conditioned. My sister all liked working with shy or special guests in that zone more than on Main or Animal Kingdom because it was less overstimulating too. Kids felt calmer in lower lighting with the fairy garden setting. Her second favorite was Stitch because he also had a very “chill” way of being placed in Tomorrowland.
Former Photopass here. That’s almost exactly my experience with the working conditions. It ain‘t right how we were treated by Disney.
What started a change for me was the soda monitoring at Disney World hotels. It’s supposed to feel like a vacation. Even McDonald’s has free refills, no questions asked. 😂
I know. I remember buying that refillable mug as soon as I walked into the resort. Free slushies, hot chocolate, soda, tea, lemonade...it was the bomb. I guess that is still there, but not quite as magical with having to scan and all that stuff.
Polynesian village has free refills free food and snacks 3 times a day water soda juice cookies muffins etc buy a collectible cup at cap cooks and I got as many refills day or night as I wanted
@@danemoreno88 I love Polynesian Village. Such a great vibe there!
You are so right on everything!
When we first started going to Disney, the magic started long before we left, when the Disney booklet and luggage tags arrived in the mail. And, the Disney bubble started at the airport with the magical express and by the time you got to the resort, the excitement was already in full swing. Then you got your magic band with personalized inscription. A great thing we loved was that after we’d paid for our flights and the Disney resort, we were done except for food and whatever else we chose. Now we live on our phones and are constantly having to pay extra for everything, starting with the airport transportation which btw is anything but magical. And, I don’t know about anyone else, but the Disney must-dos was constantly on when we were in our rooms. We LOVED that show and really miss it. We can watch regular tv at home. I feel like we’re running more than ever to try to get back to rides within the time frame, and miss the queues because of having to get back on the phone for another LL or miss out on a ride.
I don’t know about anyone else, but when I went a few weeks ago, the resorts now have to take 2 buses to get to the water park. The first was to take the resort bus to downtown, then transfer to another bus to the water park. It took 45min to get on the first one, then go around some partitions at downtown and go to the next bus and repeat going back. TOTALLY takes the magic away. Not only that, we said we’re never going back to the water parks with this system. It was a total waste of time!! And, nothing like riding 2 buses there and back in a bathing suit! If that’s what they do with the “free” water park tickets next year, good luck to everyone who feels like this is going to be a big bonus!! Nope, not for us….
And, we miss the coin machines that you could put in a quarter and a penny- what’s this- swipe your credit card system now. I’m not carrying my credit card around the parks. Isn’t that supposed to be a perk of the magic band.
Remember when Chapek started the paid fast passes- he said it was to basically track guests to keep guest experience awesome during to COVID times. Remember they started at $11. ‘Course any sane person knew the price would quickly go up. So if it wasn’t for the money, then get rid of them, but we all know it’s for the money. And we all know that eventually it’ll be heading towards universals system where it’s crazy expensive unless you book the deluxe hotels. The problem with this that Disney didn’t think about is that their resort rooms are already insanely expensive and unless they’re only catering to the rich, it’ll really backfire. They are totally out-pricing a lot of people. And, whether they want to believe it or not, those are their “regular” guests. Does no one recall Chapek telling locals and AP that they didn’t want them, that they wanted those people that came for a once in a lifetime trip. I just loved how when AP’s finally went back on sale and they thought they would sell out that day and they never did. We live in Canada and have been AP holders in the past but definitely not worth it anymore. The only people they are worth it to are people who live close. What I never understood is why people who live a distance HAVE to only buy top-tier AP which is ridiculous since they’re penalizing people who are saying we’ll come back in the first place. And, frankly with our Canadian dollar soooo low, everything at Disney is even that much more. Money is tight everywhere, and while we used to go a few times a year, we aren’t going at all this year and are going to Universal this summer instead. I think the only reason we kept going for as long ad we did is chasing the magic dream of what was, but have finally realized, it’s just gone. When I look back, I think all this started when they got rid of the “unexpired” tickets. Remember those good days?! Now, everything down to the day has to be so planned and face in phone and too much planning, and constantly paying, it’s just not a vacation anymore. Lots of people around here are saying the same thing and are taking their vacations elsewhere. Not that long ago (about 10yrs) that deluxe rooms were $200 and value was $65, now be hard pressed to find value for $200 and deluxe is closing in on 1k a nite. Young people may say, oh that’s 10yrs ago- sorry, but how much has your pay gone up since then, cause ours hasn’t changed much during that time. Anyway, for those still finding the magic, I’m glad you are and I hope you enjoy many more years. We’re tapping out and going elsewhere.
Wow....thank you so much for this post. You hit on so many things that I feel as well. Especially the two bus system to the waterparks. We encountered that on our last trip as well and it was a total slap in the face when you realize they are only doing it to save money. They don't care that they are wasting 15 extra minutes of your life riding on a bus in your bathing suit. I'm sorry that a lot of the magic has been ruined for you because of the costs, inflation, taking away of perks, etc. It's hitting all of us. We used to fly down every trip from Maryland, but the last two times, to cut costs we drove our own car, and believe me, that is not a fun 15 hour drive lol. I hope the magic returns so you and your family can once again call the Disney Parks your home away from home like I used to.
Epic Universe is gonna put the hurt on Disney big time, unless Disney's announced additions come quickly. However based on what Disney has built in the last 5 years, thats not gonna happen. Its gonna switch, at least for a while that people are going to Univeral, with a quick 1 or 2 day disney visit, versus what it is now. Covid timelime is when this all started, for me at least. I always felt special when I went to disneyworld by the castmembers. Now...now so much. The start of the "special" of disney started with the free magic bands and before that, a box with goodies and a "cant wait to see you" card. Now its, oh you want that now,? 100 bucks. Then take away the special feeling know you had a private are in the MCO airport, with a bus reserved for you to whisk you away...gone. They really are taking away the specialness and magic away. :(
I seriously cant agree with you more. I remember how the "magic" used to start at MCO. The giddy feeling of getting on your Magical Express bus and the video starting to play, welcoming you to your WDW vacation. Magically seeing your bags appear in your hotel room later that evening. Personalized cards and souvenirs. All gone by the wayside as we continue to pay more and more for a lackluster vacation. It's a shell of its former self.
I can’t wait for Epic Universe to open. It really will be epic from looks of things
Absolutely!! 💯 agree with this. Instead of Magic Express and Excitement it's an Uber and Stress
All of Disney's additions just look like reactions to what Epic Universe will be. Not to mention, Disney's recent record of delivering on what they initially promise has been pretty poor. Meanwhile, it seems like Universal is hitting on all of their promises, even if some of the smaller stuff will come in a later phase.
Epic Universe opens May 23 and it larger than Epcot and MK combined. The prices are less than half on every item that can purchased from them! WDW is in deep deep trouble!!! They are now projected to fall to #2 with universal taking over as the new king. Universal has started 3 other parks and dirt has been broken! You can’t take 5 years to put up a stage and a few sprinklers!!
I mean I think Disney is getting extremely nervous with the turn of the tide. I have my popcorn ready and I can't wait to see what happens once Epic opens in May. People grow more and more frustrated with Disney everyday. And instead of expanding, they are filling in Rivers of America and putting up a Cars attraction.
I, too, am a former CM - 12 years at Disneyland. For 10 years I went to WDW twice a year - sometimes more. For me it isn't about the cost, but about all the up-charges and how complicated it now is. Even going to a restaurant or ordering quick service means using the app. You are so right, Disney Parks are no longer something unique and special - it's (barely) industry standard. At a premium cost.
I really dislike how your face has to be buried in an app all day long. And you aren’t wrong about it being overly complicated. True story - We sat down with friends of ours who had never been because they wanted help planning a trip. We started going over reservations, Lightning Lane, Dining, Genie Plus, the App, etc. and they literally said “Nevermind, this is way too much” and they decided not to go. Sad, but true
My 2009-2013 trips were my favorite onsite stay years. Then I got sucked into the planning, fast passes, ADRs, and the Disney bubble. I got bitter, frustrated and then realized that I control my vacation much more than Disney did.
Just a few weeks ago, we did our 3rd Florida trip of the year. I had a blast at Disney staying offsite in a 3bd/3bt home. No lightning lanes, no ADRs, no planning.
Hubby and I saw shows, watched the wait times and got many big attractions for 20 mins or less. We split meals or just got a snack when needing energy. We did so many photo passes and character meets. We talked to 100s of CMs about life and Disney memories and magic.
It rained every day. Some shows/parades were canceled but hubby and I laughed so hard. It was such fun not knowing what we were going to do or which parks we would park hop to or which resort we would end up visiting.
I think the main problem is the cost to expectations ratio. Disney created this problem. They advertise all the exciting stuff that often can’t be experienced (due to cost, crowds, ride breakdowns, weather)
When I was young, we went yearly just to relax, laugh, be in the sun, be around the Disney magic we saw every Sunday night in our living room.
Disney just needs to bring back the magic, stop replacing what is working and build out. Bring back more entertainment and street atmosphere. Bring more entertainment and activities to the resorts. Invest in their cast members.
Port Orleans should have a weekly mini float parade with throw swag(golf cart size), better fishing tim, daily yard games, different character meets every afternoon, a weekly high school jazz band performance. Each resort needs to sell their theming at low cost. I could talk about all the resorts but being a Louisiana girl, I see the most missed opportunities at Port Orleans.
Disney was always about the atmosphere. The rides were a bonus, something added to enhance the atmosphere. Families were to come and enjoy doing everything together, getting out of the harsh World into a make believe reality where animals talk and you dance in the streets. You are to laugh until you hurt.
I ignore all the stuff Disney promotes as a magical vacation and create the magic I experienced in the 70s/80s going as a child and early 2000s as a Mom. You gotta change your idea of what you’re paying for so you can enjoy it.
We are Disney annual pass holders this year. Every year we switch it up. It will probably be Sea World pass holders next year. We will skip Epic and Universal for a few years. Some years we do no annual passes and just do things like museums, escape rooms and spas.
We continue to pick Florida as our vacation spot due to location to our current house and wanting to stay close for medical reasons. We could go other places but Florida is nostalgic for us. We have so many memories with our now grown children. We relish the time we spend in those memories while creating more as an older couple. It’s easy days now but we still love our coasters.
I feel like I could sit down and just talk to you for hours and hours. You have so many magical memories and amazing points. You sound like you have the love of Disney Parks in your heart as I do. But I feel there is room to vent and criticize from time to time. All my future videos won’t simply be rants, and they will come from a place of love and admiration for the parks and what they used to be and what they can hopefully return to one day.
The key is that you are able to visit multiple times a year. So, you can kind of sit around and soak it in. My guess is that for most people it's a once or twice in a lifetime trip. For others like myself, it's once every 3 to 5 years. So, as much as you'd like to stop an smell the roses more, you feel compelled to check out everything you haven't seen yet, because you don't know when the next time you'll be there is. That's where a lot of angst comes from.
I so agree! Disney is dying. The magic is long gone ! As a Disney fan since the 70’s it breaks my heart to have experienced what Disney once was and watching as corporate greed has been cannibalizing Walt’s legacy and his dream into being a past memory a shadow of what it once was.💔💔💔
I wish I could have experienced the parks in the 70's. I bet it was a really cool time.
I’ve been with the company since 96 and still love working there. It is what it is. I treat the guests first and foremost because they pay for that experience, so that’s what keeps me going! Not going to lie. Call it what you will, but I do it for them. The backend may of lost some magic but you guys still come and I will always be there to make it special
We are a lot alike! When I was there in the early 2000’s, I took pride in my job and the only thing that mattered was providing the guests with an amazing magical experience
Thank you for making it special and for caring. You are so appreciated, the work you do is magical and special. Thank you.
My parents were former WDW cast members from the early 80s to the early 90s. They both met while working Space Mountain in summer of 1986 and had a commemorative paving stone placed outside of MK in 1994. Both of them very often express their shock and disappointment in the current management, with my dad saying "I have to set my expectations lower and lower every trip out there".
OMG that is so sad that your dad now has that outlook. The story of your parents meeting there is super cool though. My wife and I used to have one of the Leave a Legacy tiles at Epcot. It was cool to see while it lasted.
WDW back in the 80's and 90's was awesome. We stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort when it very first opened in 1988 and we paid 65.00 a night, it was so much fun to be able to have a vacation where my whole family could enjoy, as my daughter was in a wheelchair. I wish so much I could go back in time , it meant the world to us , we had so much fun, it was the very best time of our lives. Now my daughter has passed away and my husband. And I think it's so sad now families like mine can not go and make memories, small working class families can barely makes ends meet let alone go to Disney. WDW cares more about your money than people now, such a shame it was such a lovely place at one time. No woke, no agenda, just pure magic.
My wife and I stayed at CBR on our honeymoon in 2003 and it was pretty awesome back then. I think we paid $199
My wife and I were just at Disney. I feel this. We wanted to stay at a resort they wanted 2,500 for a 2 day stay with a meal plan. Told them no meal plan and they wanted 1,800 for a 2 days. Just absurd! Buc-ees is a great second option 🎉
OMG, should I do my next video in one of my Buc-ees shirts?
Agreed
I have taken a few trips to WDW over the years with my now 13 year old daughter and some other family. We still had fun, but it definitely isn’t as magical as it was decades ago, except for the dedicated Cast Members who work hard to make it better. So thank you to the Cast Members who still believe in making the guest experience magical despite the park management issues. I can’t see myself returning much in the future, if at all.
This is what a lot of people are saying and it is scary for sure
I gave up my annual passes in 2019 and I’ve not been back to WDW since then. The magic was gone for me. I live in Florida so it was easy to pop into the park for a few hours, ride a few rides and grab a bite to eat. Instead you had to deal with kids screaming while their ‘parents’ were busy on their phones. Don’t even get me started on the fights that would break out over a souvenir. All this was on top of the added fees on top of your ticket price. I decided to walk away from the mess, before my passes expired. There are so many great places to visit in the US, where you’ll have a much better time for a lot less stress and money! So long Mickey! Thank you for the memories!
I completely understand your frustration. We gave up our AP's in 2018. Honestly, we do not miss them. We have been on a lot of great vacay's since :)
My wife and I visited Disney Orlando from the UK 5 years in a row from 2013- 2017. 7 years later we cannot afford to take our kids because everything has gotten so expensive. Like you say everything has been monetised and it's just not feasible to pay the prices for what you get in return. It just doesn't appeal to me anymore and the thought of spending that type of money for a two week holiday for a family of 4 gives me anxiety and that's without considering universal tickets etc also. The whole vibe and magic has gone for me now. You hit the nail on the head when you said it's an upper class holiday now!
Sadly it is true. My wife and I both work two full time jobs and make average middle class incomes. We had to save for a few years to make the Disneyland trip work. We recently priced out a WDW trip for our family of 4 and it felt crazy to us what we would have to spend on simply a value trip which only included hoppers and nothing else. Sad. We feel nearly priced out unless it was our only vacation in 2 years or so.
@@InLikeFlynns yeah exactly the same boat(middle class salaries, we do okay for ourselves) I'm glad it's not just me feeling that it's out of reach now. Good video thanks.
Former cast member here! This was a down right MAGICKAL company to work for in the early 2000s. It's sad to see its gotten this bad.
Yup, that’s when I worked there! Back in the early 2000’s. I miss it for what it was back then for sure
I love the classic Disney films because of the amazing music music is not just music to me it’s my passion
Oh for sure, me too. Especially in the late 80's and Early 90's. So many hits.
As someone who grew up 15 minutes from Disneyland in the 70s through 90s, I remember so many times when we could just spontaneously decide “let’s go to Disneyland today“, and we were very much working class. Even as an adult who was struggling paycheck to paycheck, I could still wake up on a day off, decide I was in the mood to go to Disneyland, and enjoy a full day for like $50 including a bite to eat here and there. I could just wander around and decide which rides I wanted to go on, what shows I wanted to see, etc. without having to have everything planned down to the minute. I moved away in the mid 1990s, I would love to be able to get back someday but I know it will never be the affordable, spontaneous days I used to love.
I mean you still could do that, but you would be paying a lot more, and the experience might be slightly degraded unless you spring for Genie+ for the day and have your face glued to the app. But that is really cool what you describe. I wish I had that back in the day.
My thing is having to pay extra for rides when you’re already paying for a park ticket. If you pay for a park ticket you should just be able to ride anything in the park. Disney must really be struggling if they’re nickel and diming this much..
Any opportunity to make a buck they take advantage of for sure.
I also worked at Disney MGM at the time that it became Disney's Hollywood Studios. I gave almost 14 years to the company, and for the 1st 11, it was amazing. I started at The Disney Store in Va, and 3 1/2 years later moved my family to Florida when Disney was selling the stores to The Children's Place. I loved it!! My 1st 7 years at the parks. I was able to attain my dream job and work at 3 different parks in that capacity. I made some of the best friends of my life there, and we still get together every other month for dinner. In my time at WDW I managed to work in every park except Typhoon Lagoon. I really thought I would stay there until they had to cart me out on a gurney. It was when Iger came in with his "it's all about the money" approach that things started going south. His 1st 2 years, the changes were subtle, but once he got established you could see the nickeling and diming start. The hotels were being remodeled to look more like Hilton's, loosing their unique Disney charm. It was not longer about making the magic, but about making the money. It was especially noticeable in the department in which I worked. It was so sad to see a company that I dearly loved become a corporate shark that not only was loosing its magic for it's castmembers, but it's guests. I left the company with almost 14 years in, 1 1/2 years before I hit my 15 years and almost 4 years before I could have retired. I injured myself, and was unable to continue in my role, as it necessitated standing on my frayed Achilles tendon for hours. The company wouldn't accommodate me because I couldn't prove the injury was sustained at work. After being out on medical leave for a year, I couldn't bring myself to go back and work for a CEO who cared so little for the guests and the cast. Because I was out that long, had I returned I would have lost my seniority, my paygrade, and my time toward my retirement. I did try to go back a few years later, but only stayed a year before Chapek came, so I moved on to work for other central Florida parks where I have found that caring attitude from management and the upper level executives again. I could have never imagined that things could get worse at Disney, but with all of the cuts in benefits and perks Chapek implemented, it just wasn't worth 4 more years to try and bridge my time to retire from there. IMO Disney would have done well to have brought in a CEO who honored the vision of Walt after Chapek was dismissed. Bringing back Iger did not improve anything, and they are still continuing down the road to being an elitist park that any average American could MAYBE splurge once to take their kids. Unless one lives near the parks, and invests in the lower priced annual pass with lots of blockout dates, visiting numerous times is out of the question, unless one is on the upper spectrum of the earning curve. There are so many other opportunities that cost less now, that people aren't hurting for places to visit, but it is sad that something that we grew up loving and believing in has been monetized and the experience cheapened. It will be interesting to see who takes the reigns from Iger, and if they can help Disney regain some of its glory.
Wow, I can't believe how much they have truly fallen from Grace. I too was once a proud cast member and praised Disney every chance I got....that was back in the early 2000's. Now I criticize them more than praise them. It's sad. And it is absolutely absurd how they treated you after your injury. I am glad you found a place that treats you with the respect you deserve now. It sounds like you were at the Studios a little after me, as it was still Disney/MGM Studios when I departed, but they were in the early stages of getting ready for that rebrand. Where were you at when you worked there?
The comments about price is spot on. We started going in 2010 when our 3 kids were 3-8 yrs old and back then, even though it was costly, I felt like I could justify the cost. Now I REALLY, REALLY struggle with it.
You arent the only one. I'm right there with ya.
As a local that gets dragged to disneyland a couple times a year bc other family members love it, I agree. Its insanely expensive and Disney does not deserve that kind of money from a family of 3. The experience should be better for that kind of paywall. We spend so much time on our phones figuring out a plan for line waits and it just becomes stressful. And we spend the extra money for line passes too! funny you mention lighting lane and Indiana Jones breaking down during our board time. THat happened to us a few weeks ago and it cost us so much time.
Indiana Jones was constantly going down when I was there. Probably our worst experience was getting stuck just prior to boarding and we waited at least 45 mins and my son and I had to pee so bad but didn't want to get out of line lol
Stop going people. It's that easy. They'll get the message
This is the way. At minimum, reduce the frequency of visits.
I’m a disabled person, when I went to Disneyland Paris earlier this year it was absolutely beautiful, the staff were outstanding, I was given loads of support for my disability. We just got back from Florida and the experience couldn’t have been any more different. I had to have horrible interview after which I was told essentially that I wasn’t disabled enough for support, it was very probing and unpleasant. As such we ended up having to pay for lightning lanes so I could do the parks comfortably. The vibe was wasn’t good at all, staff weren’t happy at all, as in they weren’t happy to be doing their job. It felt like Disney aren’t looking after their staff. The rules! Staff were so obsessed with the rules, constantly telling us off like we were naughty children. Universal Studios on the other hand was staggering, it was amazing, they were supportive, the staff were great, very chill and chatty. We’re life long Disney fans but if we come back to Florida it’s unlikely we’ll come back to Disney World and if we do it’ll maybe be for a day at Animal Kingdom and a day at Hollywood Studios, with the rest of our time at Universal. Or, simply stay in Europe. We still had a blast, especially at Universal and Halloween Horror Nights, but Disney World didn’t live up to our expectations. And at that cost, that expectation has to be met.
Wow, that really stinks. I know a lot of people are having issues lately with the revamped DAS system, and I feel sad for anyone that has to go through that and sit in a queue for hours online just to be told they arent disabled enough to warrant a DAS pass. So sad. I am glad your experience in Paris and Universal was pleasant though!
That's exactly why my last trip to Disney was in 2018. The magic is truly gone! 😢
I've only been once since 2018 and we used to go 2-3 times a year. LOL
My grandfather was one of the 1st cast members at magic kingdom at WDW and my mom would talk about the cast parties that they used to do for the cast members and their families. My mom worked at reedy creek for 18 years and I worked at magic kingdom for 3 years 2016-2019. I was trying so hard to make the magic for people but unfortunately I got to see the shady side of Disney adults and my god it’s horrible how much people will abuse a system that is wonderful for other people. I lost the magic and faith with humanity when I worked at Disney.
When I was there I remember three "parties" for the cast members that I attended. All were after park hours. The first was an evening in Tomorrowland where we were able to ride Space mountain with the lights on, amoung some other open attractions. The second was a similar evening in Liberty Square with the ability to ride Haunted Mansion with the lights on. The third was an after hours cast party at Disney/MGM Studios. They were fun for sure.
No faith in humanity.? U got bigger problems than Disney.
Nah, I saw the shady side is the company. Now I have a love and hate relationship with them. Cheer and laugh with joy everytime Disney falls on their face. Like the Star Wars hotel utter failure 😂
Always great to hear a perspective from a former castmember. Disney is really losing the magic touch which made the premium you pay to experience it worth it.
Awww thank you. I am hoping that I can do some intriguing future videos to shed some light on what it is like working there and how I feel they can improve. It's just my opinion of course, but it comes from a place of both caring and wanting them to do better.
We are done. I hate the direction things have gone. There’s so many better places to visit that we haven’t been to before. We will be going elsewhere.
I mean this breaks my heart. I still love Disney and want them to succeed for our future generations. I just want them to do better.
My husband and I took a trip to Disneyland for our anniversary last November. Little did I know it would be our last trip. It was absolutely soul-crushing the amount of logistics on your phone you had to undertake just to have anything resembling a decent experience. We did the 2-day Park Hopper and by 4:30 on the second day I remember sitting on a bench near the Matterhorn, in tears, utterly defeated. I just couldn't fight to have fun any longer. Even with the $30 pp/pd Genie + we couldn't do all the things we wanted to do. So, we just...left. It was the end of an era. I'd been going regularly from Oregon since 1975. So sad. And all-in, for one and half days of misery it cost us around $2500. I always accepted that it wasn't a cheap trip, but it was never this expensive and always worth it. Not anymore.
Wow. This is truly heartbreaking. I'm not just saying that. I legitimately feel horrible for you. The days are gone when you could go to the Parks with the semblance of a plan...like what you wanted to rope drop, where you wanted to eat, etc. and that was it. You could do fast passes, enjoy the park. Not worry about planning everything on your phone. Crowds are insane. Plus, you had that experience with Genie+ as well. So sad and troubling. If you would ever want to discuss your experience further, I would love to maybe do a video about it with you sometime. You can reach out to me at inlikeflynnschannel@gmail.com if interested.
I started noticing the shift when took away the fast pass booths where you got a return time ticket, and went to this 3 reservation limit. That killed the “magic” for me when I realized you could ride crap cause you’d spend 80% of your day waiting in lines.
My favorite ride used to be TTA because you could go and chill on a busy summer day and relax. Then follow it up with Carousel of Progress and I’d be ready to take on the rest of the day!
Family, friends and I visited the (CA) park, which I lived fairly close to, dozens of times from 1963 to 1993.
Then I got moved away for a jolt in salary. In 1995 a pal called who had gone with us on many Disneyland travels, and I suggested I could set some time aside to visit the park again for old times sake, my treat. Thinking he'd jump at the chance, I was very puzzled to get from him only two words: "Don't bother!"
Wow….that is crazy. I mean I’m not even sure I’d be able to turn my back on free. Is the offer still on the table?! 😂
Hi! Former Disney College Program participant here. (Jan-May 2024) I want to say that I agreed with most of your points in this video. Honestly, I hope and pray Disney management has their eyes opened, and works to make the changes needed.
Awesome. Hope you had a blast on your CP experience. Where were you working?
@@InLikeFlynns Custodial at MK. It actually was a ton of fun, and my managers and coordinators really cared for me. Honestly, it does make me want to go back and work for Disney again. I think the first step to getting the company back on track is to ensure us as Cast Members do what management refuses to.
Custodial is where it’s at!!! One of the best positions ever! Would you ever be open to do a collab video so I can pick your brain on your CP experience?
@@InLikeFlynns Potentially! I’ve done a collab with SirWillow on my DCP experience, and those videos will likely be coming out soon, but I wouldn’t be opposed to doing another!
nah that’s ok. I would never want to step on another Tubers toes! 😂
I departed WDW last July after 10 years. I was done being poorly treated. Disney is ruining the parks. I hate most of the changes now and ones coming.
Oh no, that is so sad. I surely hope that one day the Magic will return. I still hold out hope.
Re. New DAS policies. I feel sorry for families with members with significant disabilities and I'll explain. My husband has a significant physical disability requiring a wheelchair. So when our son was young, there were a lot of father-son things that they couldn't do back at home (outdoor adventures, sports etc). My husband takes a long time to get ready to go anywhere and gets tired easily. So every minute in the parks counted. For our little family of 3, we so appreciated being able to get through the line quickly because maybe we could only be at a park for 3-5 hours. We stayed at the WDW resort for more days so we could have those short days at the parks. This was 2 separate trips 2008 and 2014. I have so many wonderful pictures of father and son having a good typical fun together, laughing and our son remembering that dad could be on that ride with him. I went to Disneyland with only my son and a friend once and I did the lines and we stood all day and that's fine. Our son is in his 20's now so we're not going now, I just feel bad for the those small number of families who could benefit from the old accommodations for the disabled because they will definitely not have that magical experience that we had.
I hope in the future Disney will continue to explore its DAS offerings for the families that really need it.
The magic as you put it I would say the Wonder the amazement is gone everywhere in the world
It is certainly dwindling everywhere in the World for sure. I can’t argue that point one bit
My family and I used to go to Disney World, and I remember the dining plans, which were amazing! It’s unfortunate though that many of the perks and fun that we used to have is no longer at the parks. It’s too expensive to do these trips anymore unfortunately, as I had a great time there. Thank you for making the magic happen while I was there!
Making the magic is seriously all I strived for when I put on that uniform. And I would do it again if it meant bringing the parks back to where they once were
I've been a fan for 22+ years, took to know all the Disney facts, I do feel like Disney is the shell of its former self and that there's so much of what made the parks so magical for me seems like a distant memory, that much I agree on, but as to seeing that some people says that there's no going back and its a dying brand, I'm not so sure about that, I hate what Disney has become and the agenda they have nowadays, and that my love of feels fading at times, but I feel like it could eventually come back, depending on certain circumstances, it could end up dying 100% within the next 10+ years but I just really hope I'm wrong
I have hope. I feel like eventually they can find their way back home
@@InLikeFlynns I hope you didn't think I directed any of this at you, I just know that there's people that's just really negative about it, which is who it was directed at
Nope not at all. I think you and I are a lot alike :)
Disney has been surviving on 'the dream of going to Disney World' for decades. There always seems to be demand, no matter how bad things get. So, if the powers that be put their foot down and said 'we want to the very best and most innovative theme parks in the world, no matter the cost', they could do it. I just don't see their current leadership as caring at all. They've split their attention elsewhere and don't really seem to consider the parks sacred anymore. Universal is probably your only hope at the moment. If they can turn their immersive experiences and innovation into a cash cow, then maybe Disney will take notice.
disney had something that was more valuable than anything...people's hearts. If they lose that all they are left with is mediocre rides and merch stores nobody cares about...as a former cast member myself and someone who once loved everything disney, i can honestly say that our next trip to florida doesn't include a disney theme park and I or my kids couldn't care less. The magic has fizzled for sure
You don’t know how shocked we were when our kids told us last year that they specifically wanted to do a non-Disney trip to Universal. We were floored.
I completely agree. Some people have family coming from other countries. It is almost a once in a lifetime experience. Do better
Well for us with California, that is a 6 hour flight over 3,000 miles. Not cheap. Compared to a lot of people that isn't much, but when you are traveling that far and spending that much money, you want to have a Magical experience. You shouldnt have to worry about all the attractions that are down, plus, for us, we had to actively monitor whether the DL employees were going to go on strike. We were going to cancel if they did.
I'm no cast member, but the last time I've gone to Disney World was during the pandemic on August.
Its very disappointing that Disney isn't the same as it once used to be. I do fully agree with your rant, and as a middle class, the prices for one day or more in WDW is insane
Without any extras, it would cost me over $600 to take my family to MK for one day. Plus they might kick me out early due to a Halloween or Christmas Party. Not cool :(
I am 67 yrs old. I remember Disneyland and it WAS MAGIC!!!!! Now, it is gone. I grew up when it was affordable for families and teens to go. We pooled our babysitting $ and it only cost $3.50 for admission, and the cost of ticket books. We would all go to the front gate at 7:00 pm and look for frazzled parents with strollers. They couldn't go on the "E" ticket rides (grown-up ones) as the babies were too small. They would give us all their leftover tickets and off we went to ride and dance the night away! Our Grad Nights for 8th Grade was just as good as the Senior High School Grad Nights. Open from 8 am - 2:00 am every night! The park was absolutely immaculate and you couldn't find a spec of trash if you looked for it! There were 2 FULL Parades every day! And the original Electric Light Parade was a whole different kind of magic that only it could bring. Tom Sawyers Island and the real Steamboat and the tall sail Pirote Ship was all about AMERICAN HISTORY AND PRIDE! Now, it is all changed and all about squeezing every last cent out of the visitor and forcing WOKE APOLOGETIC IDEALS onto all who enter. Sad and Disgusting all at the same time.
Those are some truly magical times that you speak of. I wish I had a Time Machine to go back and witness first hand what you describe.
I'm a former Disneyland and Walt DisneyWorld Cast Member and I 100% agree with you. I ended up leaving in late 2019 when Bob Paycheck made it clear that we were only going to focus on our wealthier guests and that was it for me. It's such a shame. Disney, like most of corporate America, is al about profit over people. DisneyWorld is now just a "Magical" place for those who can afford the private experience.
Do you feel like he was just the scapegoat for Iger behind the scenes? I’m hearing that a lot
@@InLikeFlynns We didn't seem to think so at the time. Paycheck really seemed to lack any vision. Combined with the push for profits, he seemed like the bad guy at the time. My bet is what you are hearing is correct.
As a lifelong Disney fan I agree with your take & so many of these comments. It’s disheartening to say the least. Rivers of America & TS island are Americana. It’s like taking the heart out of the Magic Kingdom. Such a tranquil place in the otherwise busy park. Paving over water & trees home to many creatures isn’t very environmentally friendly as Disney typically likes to be either! There’s been so many changes over the years (good & bad) but this one is major. MK is really Walt’s park it seems & there is so much nostalgia. Thousands of acres to expand but they want to plow it over? I don’t get it. Hopefully there’s enough of a pushback they listen (about all of these things)! One can dream. °o°
“They paved paradise and put up a parking lot”
My last trip to Disney World cost around $10,000.
That’s everything from a week pass to the parks, airline tickets, Airbnb, car rental, food ect, ect.
Sounds about right lol
Thank you for validating my experience at Disney this past March. My family took my five year old nephew for his first time and he hated it. It was kind of a let down because even a child could see the magic is gone.
Even the children saw it? That is terrible. I never in a million years would think it would get that bad. Heartbreaking :(
The appearance of cast members is one of my biggest things. When I worked at Disney, we had to be clean cut. Short hair, shaved face, no hair touching the ears and neck. Always a professional appearance. No tattoos etc. These days, some of the people working there... I wish disney would remove all of my past employee write-ups for appearance standards, like getting written up for showing up with 5 o'clock shadow a few times. These days no one cares how you look. Full tattoo sleeves, hair coloring, ungroomed facial hair, ear gages, etc. Its just crazy that I almost got fired for not shaving for 2 days.
I got a write up for a 5 o’clock shadow! It sucked. We were told you HAD to shave every single day.
Grew up going to Disneyland every year as a kid with my family for our yearly vacation and while it was always a stretch for my parents to make it happen since they were for sure not rich there is NO way I can afford to take my two kids there today. Outrageously priced park tickets + most of the perks being taken away for Disney World attendees (I’m on east coast now) = no visits from me. Let alone a return trip to my home park, Disneyland, in California. The cost to fly, stay, eat and attend is beyond reach at this point. If I’m honest Disney needs a swamp drain. They need new leadership who is focused more on the family and not just to see more $$$ on their bottom line. So much more I could say but I’ll leave it at that. Get it together Disney.
We did enjoy our time in California which included a lot more than just Disneyland, but to be honest, the bulk of the price was DL. Was it worth it in the end? Probably not. But the kids had a blast and we did it for them.
Family of five, Caribbean Beach, four-day park hopper passes with meal plans--we spent about $12,000.
That is unbelievable. That is a moderate resort and should not cost anywhere near that amount even with dining plan. Not many families can afford that sort of vacation and not go into significant debt. And that is sad and not what Walt wanted at all.
For that kind of money, I could've saved up for a down payment on a house.
Walt wanted people to be able to live there because he wanted to prevent things like what we are seeing right now.
Why would anyone spend that much to go to WDW?
People do though. And they go into debt because of it. I mean for my family of four….if we went cheap for a week, my guess is we are probably dropping at least $6k. In today’s economy that is a lot of money for a value trip.
Twenty years ago I worked at Fox Corporate in Beverly Hills and, even back then, Disney's Corporate employees were unhappy with the undertow of negative vibs that permeated that company, and were always looking elsewhere.
Thats funny. So they went to FOX, and then eventually ended up back at Disney after the buyout? Those poor unfortunate souls....lol.
@@InLikeFlynns No, Fox didn't hire them ... I was pointing out the rumor back then.
I went to Disney world in November 1999. It was awesome. I celebrated my birthday. It also was not very crowded. I was able to ride any ride I wanted with less than 20 minute wait. Including rocking roller coaster and tower of terror. I honestly feel like I did everything there was to do at the time in 5 days. I remember the millennium parade, going to all the worlds in Epcot and getting my passport, etc. My husband has never been to Disney and I thought it would be fun to take him. We currently live in SD nearish to Disneyland. I really would love to do the Star Wars area especially with him, but the crowds just make it unattractive for us. He hates crowds and waiting in line. I watched another TH-camr critique who said there is nothing to do in Disney except wait in line. Like you stated, rides are closed, weather issues, long lines make the whole experience seem awful. And Disney wants you to spend sooooo much money. There are so many food options and stores and not enough rides, attractions and experiences. Why take away a sure thing like the steamboat and replace it with something that is going to break? Maybe Disney wants you waiting in line spending money on food and in stores. If anyone has any thoughts for going to park when it’s less crowded I would love to hear about it. Maybe abroad would be better?
Me and my wife are in the middle of our Disney trip right now. On the plane here I was telling her how much the cast members make some rides so special (I have gone many times as a kid and this is her first time).
Well yesterday we went to Hollywood studios and while in line for the tower of terror I was more excited for the cast members than the ride. And when we got to the front there was nothing. Just cast members who seemed like they hate their job and want to go home.
I expressed to my wife how surprised I was that so much could change in such a short amount of time since I was a kid. Throughout the trip so far it’s been the same from nearly every cast member and really is a shame.
As a former Disney/MGM Studios cast member, I am so sorry for the lackluster performance of the Tower CM's. All they usually have to do is look miserable lol. I hope the rest of your trip is a magical one though. What park are you at today?