tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361690843089891169.post4395776981531869857..comments2024-02-12T20:59:15.860-05:00Comments on Main Street Gazette: Magic Your WayRyan P. Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350754822474406675noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361690843089891169.post-41838036078960067982015-10-14T19:04:58.712-04:002015-10-14T19:04:58.712-04:00Yes, it would appear that living in FL gives local...Yes, it would appear that living in FL gives locals a leg up on going to Disney. My eyes were opened when I moved to FL and started volunteering in my community school. There is a very small percentage of local children that have ever been to Disney, and fewer still who have annual passes. With prices going up, those numbers will definitely not be increasing. Cast members are going to be under the gun to make guest satisfaction a priority as guests expect more bang for the buck. Just like the man who put his empty glass on a food trolley even after he was told it wasn't a trash can, guests are going to expect to be waited on and given special treatment.Mini-Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02203128193821638284noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361690843089891169.post-32538990697051999342015-10-09T13:04:34.163-04:002015-10-09T13:04:34.163-04:00It's been a bit of a tradition for our family ...It's been a bit of a tradition for our family to visit Walt Disney World every three years for a one week stay on property. The first time we ventured to the House of Mouse as a family was in 2005. At that time, our children were aged 6, 10, and 12; and they had an absolute blast - almost as much as I did. I recall jokingly saying to my wife that the parks were so well staffed and spotless that you could practically eat off the washroom floors... any of them. I've never repeated that statement. With each subsequent visit, my overall rating for our trips has gone down. For our 2008 visit: 9 out of 10, 2011: 8 out of 10, 2014: 7 out of 10. Notice a pattern developing here? If we go again, will 2017 result in 6 out of 10? It's heading in that direction, and for me, it's not primarily because of the never ending price increases that I'm willing to pay - even with the low Canadian dollar we Canucks have to contend with when visiting the U.S. - it's because of the never ending construction, the cordoned off areas, and the crushing crowds. As new attractions are introduced, the crowds just become larger and larger because everyone wants to see them. I get that. That's just the way it is and it's not going to change anytime soon. The only way to avoid it is to simply not go. That's our dilemma now. Do we want to put up with even larger crowds in 2017 for what is shaping up to be a 6 out of 10 experience if our history of trips is any indication? At what point do you just say 6 out of 10 is just not worth returning for? Don't get me wrong, I still love Walt Disney World, and chances are, we will return in 2017. But... and I never thought I'd say this, our primary destination will most likely be Universal Studios instead. We've never been there, and I'm already starting to look into it. Yes, we will probably stay at WDW as well, but only for 2 or 3 days next time, not the usual 6 or 7 - if only to see the latest attractions. I'm sure the Disney folks would prefer us to stay with them for the entire week so they can clean out my wallet as much as possible via their Magicbands, but I'm afraid that ship has sailed. I just don't think I can take a full week of increasing crowds and longer wait times for everything from meals to It's a Small World. I guess that's the problem now; it's not a small Disney World anymore. Is it getting too big? It's not that I'm saying "no more" to WDW, from now on it will probably just be "not as much" and I can see our trips going from every 3 years to maybe every 4 or 5, or maybe even longer. I wonder what Walt would think of a guest's experience dropping a little bit with each subsequent visit... instead of the opposite occurring. Anyway, that's my 2 cents worth. Have a Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah day everyone.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09564230854655304280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361690843089891169.post-15148850097995147202015-10-08T11:00:29.440-04:002015-10-08T11:00:29.440-04:00So why not offer the Silver pass to anyone, regard...So why not offer the Silver pass to anyone, regardless of where they live? Would Disney really lose that much money from out-of-state guests who like to come during off peak times?AMKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09254272793264287189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361690843089891169.post-39100550773666477712015-10-06T22:20:49.517-04:002015-10-06T22:20:49.517-04:00I also noticed that the new Silver pass is somethi...I also noticed that the new Silver pass is something of a sweet spot for anyone who doesn't want to go during peak periods.<br /><br />But to answer the question, Disney will keep raising prices until the attendance drops. If the parks are full, why not try to get as much money from the crowd as possible?Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10607654373945364662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8361690843089891169.post-25335828098472092672015-10-06T17:50:35.414-04:002015-10-06T17:50:35.414-04:00I appreciate the thought you put into this post. I...I appreciate the thought you put into this post. It doesn't come off as a rant, which so many of these do. I still think there are a wide variety of pass options in Florida. I personally feel like I got upgraded. The limit of my previous seasonal pass was the expense of parking. To me, the cost of my pass went up a relatively small amount, while I gained the benefit of free parking. The blackout dates are largely the same for the new silver pass, it is marginally more expensive, and I save 20 bucks a trip? This pass ends up being cheaper for me. <br /><br />That said, I wouldn't get my wife there in the summertime even if I weren't blacked out. I get to see all of the holiday trimmings, despite my two week banishment from Christmas to New Years. And why would I want to wait in the spring break lines?<br /><br />I also realize that my wife and I don't have any children and my perspective on the pass may be different if I had any concern for school schedules...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15861029016605384295noreply@blogger.com