Frommers Article on Disney Park Woes

[noreenkate]

3 Changes Walt Disney World is Making to Bring More Value & Flexibility to Your Visits - Disney Parks Blog

UPDATE: Launch dates are now included below for Annual Passholder and Disney Genie+ service enhancements. Happy New Year from Walt Disney World Resort! 2022 was a big year for us as we continued our 50th Anniversary celebration with cast, guests and the community, debuted our newest...

disneyparks.disney.go.com

throwing this here cause park reset for AP holders was one of my complaints but they are gonna easy up on afternoon park reservations
Go Team Iger

 

[sfwilshire]

I just skimmed the article, but it strikes me as true. Our family has taken our longest break ever from Disney. Every business has a right to earn profits, but Disney has over-charged and under-delivered for quite some time in my opinion. We're hoping to go back in about a year if they start selling annual passes again and seem to get their act together.

Sheila

 

[sfwilshire]

3 Changes Walt Disney World is Making to Bring More Value & Flexibility to Your Visits - Disney Parks Blog

UPDATE: Launch dates are now included below for Annual Passholder and Disney Genie+ service enhancements. Happy New Year from Walt Disney World Resort! 2022 was a big year for us as we continued our 50th Anniversary celebration with cast, guests and the community, debuted our newest...

disneyparks.disney.go.com

throwing this here cause park reset for AP holders was one of my complaints but they are gonna easy up on afternoon park reservations
Go Team Iger

Good steps in the right direction!

Sheila

 

[noreenkate]

Good steps in the right direction!

Sheila

Disneyland is even better IMO park hopping at 11am

Disneyland Resort Announces New Updates to Offer Guests More Value and Flexibility

We are so thankful for you, our Disneyland Resort guests, and are always listening for ways to enhance your experience. As you begin to plan your trips to the Happiest Place on Earth in 2023, we have a few exciting updates to share!

disneyparks.disney.go.com

 

[rickandcindy23]

I would like to see Disneyland and Disney World offering annual passes to new people again. It's not fair that only some can have passes because they renew every year (and I am one of those who has AP's all of the time, so it doesn't apply to me). I just think it's favoring one category of people over another.

I don't like Genie+. I agree with @heathpack on that one. It's a money grab for Disney and it puts some guests ahead of others. Yes, I can afford it, but I won't pay for it, no matter how much they want me to. The early entry has gotten us in an hour early, not just the 30 minutes touted by the MDE. The parks are open a full hour before regular walk-in time for non-Disney guests. We rode Avatar and Navi River before the parks even opened, and the crowds were low. We also rode Rise today at Hollywood Studios before others came in and were done with the ride before the park opened "officially." We stood in line a little too long for Toy Story Mania and Mickey/ Minnie Runaway Railway. The signs were wrong by at least 20 minutes because LL people were going in ahead of the regular folks.

I don't see much loss of magic or nice cast members, and we are a week into our trip. We have 9 more days to go before we head back on the 19th. We drove, so it will be quite a long trip home to Denver with some stops along the way.

We go to Universal tomorrow and Wedneday, not that I ride much at Universal. I am not a fan of roller coasters, but I put up with Gringotts and really enjoy the train and the Forbidden Journey Harry Potter ride. I rode Haggrid's once and never again. That scared the living daylights out of me. We have AP's and decided to get a hotel night at Universal's Royal Pacific with Chase UR points in order to get Universal Express for two days. We won't stay the night at the hotel, we will stay at Saratoga Springs, so the room will sit empty. That's kind of a waste, but maybe we will go back for a nap tomorrow. We are old and retired.

 

[Inhislove]

@rickandcindy23 I love the mid day nap idea!!

I am so excited to see parking fees for Disney resorts go away. Thankful that passholders can come in after 2pm withOUT reservations as well.

My husband is convinced that everyone moves faster when there is no “special” line. When you get in line just before closing, you can tell when all the Genie+ people are on, because the line moves so much faster. This phenomenon also works during that early hour. Same place in the queue=less time to get through.

 

[noreenkate]

@rickandcindy23 I love the mid day nap idea!!

I am so excited to see parking fees for Disney resorts go away. Thankful that passholders can come in after 2pm with reservations as well.

My husband is convinced that everyone moves faster when there is no “special” line. When you get in line just before closing, you can tell when all the Genie+ people are on, because the line moves so much faster. This phenomenon also works during that early hour. Same place in the queue=less time to get through.

your husband is IMO 100% right… Genie + is a money grab. It works on the same counts as fastpass did 8 genie guests -1 stand by …which didn’t do anything to help standby time or the lightning lane. This wont earn me any likes but I had hoped that they would price it similar to universal express pass it’s quite a bit more but WORKS BETTER because less people have it. Even though universal gives it away to top tier hotels and some . pass-holders in afternoons…

 

[nomoretslt]

I’m so glad they also reversed their policy of charging to park at your resort (not applicable to DVC members staying on points). It did not affect us, but it was adding another financial burden ….Pop Century was $20/day.
I still don’t understand the whole no annual passes thing. A number of DVC members did not renew because of the unknown with the closures, never dreaming they would not be able to purchase a new one. Again does not affect us…..we kept ours….but I just don’t get it.
universal is steaming right along….two new parks in the works.
@rickandcindy23 can you point me in the right direction to learn more about Universal and annual passes? We definitely want to visit there but it is a complete unknown to me. TIA. Hope you are enjoying your trip….I see it’s gotten a little chilly down there.

 

[TheHolleys87]

can you point me in the right direction to learn more about Universal and annual passes?

The Universal Orlando Resort main page is https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/gb. The page about UOR APs is https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/tickets-packages/annual-passes/promo.

UOR isn’t as friendly to Shrek-sized people as WDW is to Pooh-sized, so in recent years we’ve visited only with my extreme roller coaster-loving sister. However, the Harry Potter sections are amazing; be sure to buy park to park tickets so you can ride the Hogwarts Express.

 

[nomoretslt]

The Universal Orlando Resort main page is https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/gb. The page about UOR APs is https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/tickets-packages/annual-passes/promo.

UOR isn’t as friendly to Shrek-sized people as WDW is to Pooh-sized, so in recent years we’ve visited only with my extreme roller coaster-loving sister. However, the Harry Potter sections are amazing; be sure to buy park to park tickets so you can ride the Hogwarts Express.

Thank you for this info. I’ve heard of some couples that will only buy one annual pass to get access to discounted hotel rooms there that give early entry, and their version of fast pass. I would not mind doing a two night stay and then moving on to a DVC stay. I really dislike regular hotel rooms….I’ve gotten extremely spoiled with DVC. But the idea of traveling back and forth for a couple of days does not appeal to me either. I-4 has become a nightmare….we do use the back roads sometimes, but they’ve become congested too. Apopeka-Vineland Blvd between I-4 and the Winn Dixie is impossible especially during shift change at Disney.
I’ll dig into it a bit more….husband has been having issues with vertigo (will never go on Guardians again, or space mountain) and I’m not a fan of crazy thrill rides (although expedition Everest is fun…..and Rock and Rller coaster I’ll do once a year). But really want to do Harry Potter world.

 

[noreenkate]

The Universal Orlando Resort main page is https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/gb. The page about UOR APs is https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/tickets-packages/annual-passes/promo.

UOR isn’t as friendly to Shrek-sized people as WDW is to Pooh-sized, so in recent years we’ve visited only with my extreme roller coaster-loving sister. However, the Harry Potter sections are amazing; be sure to buy park to park tickets so you can ride the Hogwarts Express.

We are a family that is never quite sure if we are gonna fit…
We aren’t necessarily Pooh sized but we are taller i am the smallest in the family and I am over 5“10 while we are mostly proportioned for our height we don’t always make ”ideal“ manufacturing portions. For example my son cannot get the leg restraints to close on Flight of passage it just lands in the wrong spot if he is wearing sneakers, flip flops he fits. None of us will ever ride 7dwarfs again- our shins and knees get bruise.

There is a great YouTube channel “theme park express“ he does great breakdowns on ride seating and requirements…lots of tips and tricks.

 

[noreenkate]

Thank you for this info. I’ve heard of some couples that will only buy one annual pass to get access to discounted hotel rooms there that give early entry, and their version of fast pass. I would not mind doing a two night stay and then moving on to a DVC stay. I really dislike regular hotel rooms….I’ve gotten extremely spoiled with DVC. But the idea of traveling back and forth for a couple of days does not appeal to me either. I-4 has become a nightmare….we do use the back roads sometimes, but they’ve become congested too. Apopeka-Vineland Blvd between I-4 and the Winn Dixie is impossible especially during shift change at Disney.
I’ll dig into it a bit more….husband has been having issues with vertigo (will never go on Guardians again, or space mountain) and I’m not a fan of crazy thrill rides (although expedition Everest is fun…..and Rock and Rller coaster I’ll do once a year). But really want to do Harry Potter world.

Depending on which annual pass, we get the premier for the perks, we get early opening no matter where we are staying, I prefer to stay at timeshare rooms with kitchens as opposed to hotels, afternoons the express pass is free and the pass also gives free valet parking

*******edited name of pass******
lol I have a serious addiction to theme parks and way to many APs to keep all the named straight Universal is Premier Pass

 

[TheHolleys87]

Thank you for this info. I’ve heard of some couples that will only buy one annual pass to get access to discounted hotel rooms there that give early entry, and their version of fast pass. I would not mind doing a two night stay and then moving on to a DVC stay. I really dislike regular hotel rooms….I’ve gotten extremely spoiled with DVC. But the idea of traveling back and forth for a couple of days does not appeal to me either. I-4 has become a nightmare….we do use the back roads sometimes, but they’ve become congested too. Apopeka-Vineland Blvd between I-4 and the Winn Dixie is impossible especially during shift change at Disney.
I’ll dig into it a bit more….husband has been having issues with vertigo (will never go on Guardians again, or space mountain) and I’m not a fan of crazy thrill rides (although expedition Everest is fun…..and Rock and Rller coaster I’ll do once a year). But really want to do Harry Potter world.

Even with just two adults, the price break on getting the Unlimited Express Pass included with a reservation at one of their 3 deluxe hotels has been enough to have us book there. On two visits, when we had four or five adults staying in a timeshare, it was cheaper to pay for the hotel room for all of us and not even sleep there, especially after adding in parking.

 

[noreenkate]

Seriously though Universal is really kicking butt in the theme park world