I went to Disney quite a bit between 2012 and 2023 and saw a lot of what’s here unfold in real time. The 2023 experience was by far the worst and I was even fortunate enough to be staying at a deluxe resort. I have no desire to go back.
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Had an AP for five years - the different between pre and post Covid is INSANE. It’s like a completely different place now.
aug 29, 2025, 1:39 pm • 1 0 • view
I have almost no desire to ever go back. The nickel and diming (more like the Granting and Benjamining) last time was exhausting. It was never a cheap vacation, but I could at least ignore the $ once there. Last time I couldn’t and it just dampens the experience.
aug 29, 2025, 2:01 pm • 0 0 • view
The best? 2021 post COVID vaccine. A lot of the premium, personalized, stuff was gone and park capacity was lower. Sure, we had to wear masks and cast member meet and greets were at a distance, but everyone felt equal in the park. You want to ride? Stand in line.
aug 29, 2025, 12:05 pm • 0 0 • view
Lines moved quickly because there was only one per line. No fast pass or VIP park goers to integrate. I don’t know if I had a wait over 40 minutes the whole week, and if I did, it was for Peter Pan.
aug 29, 2025, 12:09 pm • 0 0 • view
I would be ok going back to the old Fast Pass system. It worked. It was fair. Disney won’t do it though because it makes too much money charging for the privilege. Regardless of how it markets itself, Disney exists to make money. If you want to change how it operates, strengthen the middle class.
aug 29, 2025, 12:09 pm • 0 0 • view
Very similar timeframe for our many park visits and I have to say our worst visit was July 2024. Too much time spent on lines and no opportunities to maximize your time in the parks. Low chances of being able to ride something twice. Compare that to just 2019 when we were able to do so much more.
aug 29, 2025, 12:52 pm • 1 0 • view
2019 was when I went with my kids for the first time. It really was magical and a great time. Contrast to 2023 when my niece was with us for the first time and it was just frustrating. I felt bad for her and my sister because it felt like such a hustle.
aug 29, 2025, 2:04 pm • 1 0 • view
We called it the wasted time trip. Just felt like a waste of our money and time.
aug 29, 2025, 2:07 pm • 1 0 • view
Definitely. My aunt went with us who is a retired cast member which saved us a ton of money. Even with that, looking at that Lightning Lane bill in the app of hundreds of dollars for a ride just felt gross. I couldn’t bring myself to do it. We basically skipped a lot of the big attractions.
aug 29, 2025, 2:09 pm • 1 0 • view
I had never been so thankful that my kids don’t like Star Wars so we didn’t have to endure the wait for Rise.
aug 29, 2025, 2:10 pm • 1 0 • view