Off-Topic Orlando Theme Parks

JD08

Ready for Ska's fourth wave
Maude
Joined
Dec 19, 2014
Messages
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I was a Disney passholder for many years and recently went up to visit some relatives who are spending a few weeks at Disney. We took them to SeaWorld as we have extra tickets with our passes. I was surprised to hear them say they enjoyed it more than the Disney parks. Apparently all the changes have made it more stressful and expensive. You have to pay for fastpasses ahead of time and get up every day at 7 to make your choices on the app and hope you get a decent time.

Then I heard Disney annual passes were about twice what they were a few years ago. So for ~$3k I can get passes to Disney and visit the World Showcase in Epcot or fly to the actual Europe. Tough choice for my next vacation.
 
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Never been there personally, but many friends have raved about Universal.

Specifically the Harry Potter World.
 
I was a Disney passholder for many years and recently went up to visit some relatives who are spending a few weeks at Disney. We took them to SeaWorld as we have extra tickets with our passes. I was surprised to hear them say they enjoyed it more than the Disney parks. Apparently all the changes have made it more stressful and expensive. You have to pay for fastpasses ahead of time and get up every day at 7 to make your choices on the app and hope you get a decent time.

Then I heard Disney annual passes were about twice what they were a few years ago. So for ~$3k I can get passes to Disney and visit the World Showcase in Epcot or fly to the actual Europe. Tough choice for my next vacation.
Haven’t been since ‘81. Yea, I know. I’m not a theme park kinda guy. Went to Sea World in 2000 and really enjoyed it. When I was 12 (many moons ago), I had a Hollywood Sun Tattler paper route. They had a contest for getting the most new customers. I won and got a trip to DW. Epcot wasn’t even open yet.
 
There was just a big article about this in the Washington Post a few days ago. It has gotten crazy expensive but the price isn't even the problem. Even if it seems worth it at face value, it is almost impossible to get the real value because of the crowds. There are just too many people vying for the limited attractions. So you either spend all your time in line or spend all your time on your phone trying to work the crowd management app. The only other option is to pay more for an "exclusive" experience but so many people are paying for the upgrade that you still end up fighting for access. In the end, it just makes it annoying and destroys any sense that you are getting your money's worth. Crowds have always been an issue at theme parks and we used to purposely try to find down times to make it fun. But now it just seems to have passed a critical mass where it is never not crowded. I am done with it but it is less about the money and more about the terrible experience it has become.

 
Outside of a concert or a sports event, I have no interest in being around that many people. It's just not enjoyable to be sardined while a vacuum pulls every penny out of your pockets.
 
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I hear their customer service has gone downhill too. People have to wait on the phone for hours to speak to a human.
 
There was just a big article about this in the Washington Post a few days ago. It has gotten crazy expensive but the price isn't even the problem. Even if it seems worth it at face value, it is almost impossible to get the real value because of the crowds. There are just too many people vying for the limited attractions. So you either spend all your time in line or spend all your time on your phone trying to work the crowd management app. The only other option is to pay more for an "exclusive" experience but so many people are paying for the upgrade that you still end up fighting for access. In the end, it just makes it annoying and destroys any sense that you are getting your money's worth. Crowds have always been an issue at theme parks and we used to purposely try to find down times to make it fun. But now it just seems to have passed a critical mass where it is never not crowded. I am done with it but it is less about the money and more about the terrible experience it has become.

LOL. From your article.

 
I’m not defending Disney but just imagine the thousands easy of lawsuits daily they get hit with to get the minimum $10-20K let alone the OSHA requirements safety and the up keeping that huge property requires is unimaginable and of course the shareholders like there profits.

I’m sure people go there just to slip an fall and actually break limbs to get that big settlement.

I haven’t been to Disney or Universal, is Disney larger or has Universal gain ground?
 
I’m not defending Disney but just imagine the thousands easy of lawsuits daily they get hit with to get the minimum $10-20K let alone the OSHA requirements safety and the up keeping that huge property requires is unimaginable and of course the shareholders like there profits.

I’m sure people go there just to slip an fall and actually break limbs to get that big settlement.

I haven’t been to Disney or Universal, is Disney larger or has Universal gain ground?
I would say that the individual parks are roughly equivalent in size but Universal has 2 parks while Disney has 4. Combined with the expansive hotels and resorts, I would say Disney is at least twice as big.

But you are correct that the insurance, maintenance and everyday cost to run is massive in both cases. Disney is essentially it's own municipality with it's own water, sewer and fire departments.
 
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Universal is adding another 750 acres for a new park shortly.

I just heard that the trams aren't running at Epcot. Imagine spending twice as much for tickets as you used to and having to walk all the way to the park.
 
I would say that the individual parks are roughly equivalent in size but Universal has 2 parks while Disney has 4. Combined with the expansive hotels and resorts, I would say Disney is at least twice as big.

But you are correct that the insurance, maintenance and everyday cost to run is massive in both cases. Disney is essentially it's own municipality with it's own water, sewer and fire departments.
Example true story:

My customer was doing the electrical in the new Williamson Cadillac here in South Dade many years ago.

He hired the young man to be a helper he wanted to learn the electrical construction business.
He said all the right things to get a shot he was the PERFECT NEW BROOM .
The first week ( there was witnesses) but it didn’t matter.

He climbed a 20’ scaffold than threw himself off he was witnessed unhooking his harness.

Didn’t matter broke many bones at court he put his whole family on the witness stand crying in Spanish with a legend of psychiatrist how there whole family tree even all the way back to Cuba were victims.

Well you get the point, well he’s a millionaire now and his who family.

Sad true story

Imagine that thousands of times a week at Disney and Universal this happening.

YEP EXPENSIVE TICKETS
 
I'm an annual passholder at Disney. It sucks now. Every ride "breaks down" once or twice a day. The lighting lane is now totally paid for...so they are doing what they can to make lines longer or seem longer. That's one of their new business models. Add to that the post COVID rush and it's just not a good experience now.
 
I’m not defending Disney but just imagine the thousands easy of lawsuits daily they get hit with to get the minimum $10-20K let alone the OSHA requirements safety and the up keeping that huge property requires is unimaginable and of course the shareholders like there profits.

I’m sure people go there just to slip an fall and actually break limbs to get that big settlement.

I haven’t been to Disney or Universal, is Disney larger or has Universal gain ground?
But that’s everywhere and yet you don’t see Universal or Sea World treating its guests the way Disney does. Or their employees for that matter.
 
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Disney does not need your business. Disney does not need your employees.
Disney just is. Complain all you want. They will continue to thrive and the second they don’t, Bob Chapek will get all the blame and be placed directly under one of their buses.
 
My brother in law just put his DVC contracts up for sale because his experience there was absolutely awful this time. He said the genie plus was a waste of money, the food was subpar, and the customer service was terrible.

He sold one of the contracts the day after it went up for sale. They'll continue to have demand.
 
DVC is a waste of money. So are all timeshares. DVC is over glorified renting.

Disney cut me loose with 90% of their actors on New Year’s day. After a year and a half of my stages being closed, the spell was broken for me.

Disney is like Coke to Colas. People just go because that’s what you do in Orlando.

You could always get better food than Disney on Sand Lake Road in Orlando.

You could always get better quality and prices at Gaylord Palms or Grand Cypress hotels.

Only now are people noticing.

I hope Universal has an immersive hotel experience planned for the Epic Universe property. It would be great to keep the Galactic Starcruiser on its toes.
 
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DVC is a waste of money. So are all timeshares. DVC is over glorified renting.

Disney cut me loose with 90% of their actors on New Year’s day. After a year and a half of my stages being closed, the spell was broken for me.

Disney is like Coke to Colas. People just go because that’s what you do in Orlando.

You could always get better food than Disney on Sand Lake Road in Orlando.

You could always get better quality and prices at Gaylord Palms or Grand Cypress hotels.

Only now are people noticing.

I hope Universal has an immersive hotel experience planned for the Epic Universe property. It would be great to keep the Galactic Starcruiser on its toes.
It's funny because he actually made money on his because of when he bought them and the current demand.

Gaylord has gone downhill since they added those extra rooms. Good luck finding a seat near the pool.

The biggest winners will end up being everyone not named Disney in the long run.
 
It's funny because he actually made money on his because of when he bought them and the current demand.

Gaylord has gone downhill since they added those extra rooms. Good luck finding a seat near the pool.

The biggest winners will end up being everyone not named Disney in the long run.
Anyone selling any property in 2022 is making money regardless of when you bought. If he made money after all of his expenses, that’s good.

I bought a 2 bedroom condo in Oct and already have an additional 20k in equity.
 
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