Is Walt Disney World Florida worth it anymore?

[csm93]

With increasing prices and fewer perks, has anybody been recently that could vouch for this being a holiday to look into and consider or would you suggest spending the money on going elsewhere?

Have been more times than I like to admit. We used to stay onsite for both Disney and Universal.

With Disney, no more free Magic Express bus from the airport you now have to pay but the biggest issue at present is no free dining which I think for us is £1700 ish and paying a stupid amount of money for Genie+ which used to be free. Previously you could book fastpasses 60 days out meaning you were in with a chance of getting on the latest rides (which we did) and now you have to wake up and book your passes at 7am on the day of your visit. Hardly a holiday if you can never lie in.

The only draw for us at the moment is the whole Star Wars bit however I do feel like Disney has culled too many things, especially the whole free fastpasss system and magic bands and it has lost its magic. Looking at the videos now so many people are just staring into their phones. Not really what I want to do.

I am gutted that the last time I was there I didn't know it was the last time as we were meant to be back again. But I have some incredible memories and seeing my children's faces light up at the whole thing was just incredible. Obviously Disney is a business but now it really feels like it is a business.

TomBrady I don't get going to Spain, eating "British" food and sunbathing on a beach for two weeks. But each to their own.

We were just there in February. Were nervous as have been many times pre pandemic and weren't sure if all the changes would have ruined it. We had an amazing time and look forward to the next one! 😎

@gogohm Yes! EuropaPark is amazing. I've been to Disney Fl & Paris but EuropaPark beats them both easily.

We are considering Florida in a couple of years and tbh I think we will swerve Disney in the main. Maybe buy tickets for a water park.

We will just do Universal etc instead.

Just spoken to my friend who is an Orlando vlogger just returned from the latest trip. In their opinion, as someone who does trips as part of a job, honestly it's not the park it was.

But that's not a representative experience as compared to someone who goes every 5 years as a massive treat.

I remember when the vloggers/bloggers/forum people were obsessed with the building of the Tangled toilets at MK and the disappointment when they opened 😂

@BulletTrain

I've been 3 times (not recently) but would continue to stay on International Drive rather than onsite Disney, and would never go in school holidays. If we ever take DS I'll take him out of school for a week.

This was us plus many times over. International drive was a great place to base ourselves for Disney. But I wouldn't go again. I can't see us ever visiting America again as a family. It has changed too much.

@TomBradysLeftKneecap

I genuinely don’t get it. Why would someone fly all that way, spend thousands of dollars, experience all that jet lag to stay in a really crappy part of Florida with 11 billion other people just to do some rides and eat at an overpriced Applebees? It’s honestly one of life’s great mysteries to me!

Looking at your username and wondering if you live in a different (and to me, much nicer) part of Florida?

Avatar is brilliant, all of animal Kingdom. Not a fan of magic Kingdom. (2018).

Best thing we did was volcano bay in Orlando.

I agree with PP comments about EuropaPark, by the way! Our children prefer it to Disney.

We've decided that with all the changes and price increases we won't begoing back. Luckily our children have been twice and I think we had the best years. Its now become too money grabbing and not what it used tobe. The removal of shuttle buses from airport, removal of Disney Dining, removaloffree fastpasses, the list goes on, but they still want you to pay more to go. So no thanks.

We did Florida every 2nd year from the Dc being 5 until Covid
Normally did 2 weeks of parks and 1 week on the beach
Had some brilliant times but at the stage they are now at and all the changes I can't see us going back for a while

I loved Christmas at the parks this year - we stayed at the Dolphin used the extra hour in the morning to get most done and just enjoyed being there. That said we are used to Christmas crowds and the current capacity levels are nothing like that.

I can see if you are used to something different it might be tough

@gogohm @MistyElla @MillieMollyMandi can you tell me a bit more about europa park?

Suitable for teens?
Did you drive there?
How many days are needed?
Where did you stay?

Thanks

@ForeverLooking are you me?

We are trying to plan next April but i am baulking at the amount of money 😬. We went 20 years ago so fully expect things to change but reading Facebook groups snd DIBBs, people who go every year are now serving Disney 🤷🏼‍♀️

[quote TomAllenWife]**@gogohm* @MistyElla* @MillieMollyMandi can you tell me a bit more about europa park?

Suitable for teens?
Did you drive there?
How many days are needed?
Where did you stay?

Thanks [/quote]
It is like Disney except with just enough tweaks so they can avoid being sued. 😂 Definitely enough rides to be suitable for teens. We stay in the official EuropaPark hotels—it’s about 500 euros/night for park, breakfast and hotel for a family of 5, so way cheaper than Disney and the hotels are (in my opinion) nicer. We like the Bell Rock for the pools and cafe. There’s also the Rulantica water park for an extra activity if you want. I think you could do it all quite easily in 2 days. We live nearish, so we drive, but I expect you could fly if you wanted to. It’s in the Black Forest area, so you could always make it a double center holiday and spend some time in nature and then do the park for a few days.

@TomAllenWife We flew into Basel and used the park transfer service. Very easy. Stayed onsite, we've been several times and stayed at all the hotels! The Bell rock is my favourite though all fab.
Loads of coasters for teens. Theres a good balance in that there is something for everyone. I found at Disney often the youngest and oldest guests can get bored and overwhelmed but EuropaPark seems to keep all entertained.

We went in 2017.
I was a little underwhelmed with the magic kingdom, I thought some parts were quiet scruffy and in need of a refurb. Preferred animal kingdom. The heat was very difficult to cope with and it was only May when we went! Harry Potter part of universal was amazing. We hired a villa and a car. I didn't realise how long it took to get in/out of the parks. I imagined going back to the villa for a break midday but we never did as it took us around 40 minutes just to get from the car park to inside the magic kingdom. A good experience but probably wouldn't return.

I think it sounds awful. Thousands of pounds to spend your holiday standing in queues to go on crappy rides and then standing watching people in costumes prance around and pretending it’s oh so magical.

Thank god my daughter isn’t that into Disney.

@ClemDanFango

How have people found the cost? (average cost for a family of 5 please) Sorry to highjack, we’ve been wanting to go forever but when I research the cost is ridiculous! How do people do it?

DIY … separate flights and either a villa or condo. We always go to Bahama Bay through a Facebook group. Last went in 2019, two weeks for a 3 bed was £900. Desperate to go again !

@Phos

I think it sounds awful. Thousands of pounds to spend your holiday standing in queues to go on crappy rides and then standing watching people in costumes prance around and pretending it’s oh so magical.

Thank god my daughter isn’t that into Disney.

Don’t knock it until you’ve been. It’s a great holiday.

There are good offers on Disney holidays at the moment for the summer

Too many people allowed in, so I found it quite crowded, and queues too long. And someone nicked my buggy.
I wouldn’t go back.

I actually prefer Disneyland Paris, not sure if it's just as its closer and cheaper- admittedly couldn't spend as long there but it ticks the disney boxes for me.