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Disney World is driving me crazy – PREP060

Disney World is driving me crazy – PREP060
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Disney World has been making too many unpleasant changes and performing crazy tests and it’s driving me crazy for people who are traveling in late 2014.

Today, I have some rants about those things as well as some proposed solutions to some of them.

I also have a quick tip of the day on getting Free Dining for 2015.

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These are notes from this episode. There’s much more info included in the audio so be sure to listen to the episode for a better explanation.

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Issues with Disney World

Preface: many of these are temporary, due to testing and an in-between phase as some rides/entertainment get removed and new stuff gets added. I get that, but feel for the people who are taking a trip right in the middle of it.

Issues at Magic Kingdom

  • Be Our Guest only allowing people in if they have a FastPass+ (have a backup plan if you had your heart set on eating there)
  • Premium events being offered during parties that are held at Magic Kingdom

Issues at Epcot

  • Maelstrom closure
  • Removing Off Kilter, Fife and Drum Corps, Mo’Rockin, and World Showcase Players. Though Disney is bringing new entertainment to the World Showcase, the first one to be introduced (this lumberjack act) doesn’t appear to be up to Disney World’s standards.

Issues at Hollywood Studios

  • Closure of Backlot Tour and American Idol Experience (though new things will eventually be opened, having two options taken away in this relatively small park is noticeable)
  • FastPass+ only tests at Toy Story Mania – although it was only a temporary test, it could have been handled in a better way. If you’ve only got 1 day to spend at Hollywood Studios and Disney surprises you with the fact that only FastPass+ holders can ride, that’s really disappointing.
  • Frozen premium holiday event – $89 to see the sing-along and eat desserts while watching the Osborne Lights does not seem like a good value. Instead, get a FastPass+ for the sing-along and enjoy the lights the last 30 minutes that the park is open while eating a cupcake from Starring Rolls Cafe.

Quick tip of the day

Bounceback offers are promotions that are usually found in folders in Disney World resort rooms (if you don’t find one, dial 8844 from your room phone to ask what’s available).

They are often good deals that you can take advantage of if you book your next trip while still at Disney World. Currently, the offer is for Free Dining for fall 2015 (get more details on the offer).

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Shannon Albert

Jen

Friday 17th of October 2014

Great podcast pointing out problems. Disney needs to listen to its people! I'm so thankful we went ahead & went last Dec for our lo's 1st birthday. We were in the fast pass + test group so we had a very easy week. But we did have some issues with the website & the ap in planning. We're not going again until May 2016 so they better get it all fixed by then

Kendall

Monday 13th of October 2014

Just listening to the podcast on my Apple TV. But we were a bit confused by your comments that lumberjacks are more American than Canadian. Even the term "lumberjack" is Canadian. hmmmm

Shannon Albert

Wednesday 15th of October 2014

Sorry, I wasn't clear on the podcast. The company providing the act is called Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show, I believe, and Paul Bunyan is more of an American thing than a Canadian thing.

Michele

Monday 13th of October 2014

FYI - The FastPass for BOG was for lunch. Dinner at BOG is still be reservations. They were testing the Toy Story Mania FastPass only last week which disappointed many people. For the FastPass+ it is a little complicated in how you can use them. When you make the picks prior to your trip you can make up to 3 picks in one park for each day. After you use these passes then you have to go to a kiosk in the park to add 1 pass at a time. So if you make a pick for a FastPass for the fireworks as one of your initial picks then you won't be able to make any additional picks for that day since the fireworks are so late and the kiosks are usually all done by around 5. It also was a pain if you have a park hopper and want to use the first 3 in one park and then use a FastPass in another park. You would have to go to that park, find the kiosks (which are at the middle of the park), and then make a single pick. Would have loved it if the app would let you add the additional picks. We did make changes to times and rides through the week on the app. Lesson learned was to make those picks early in the day. Also, if a ride goes down and it is during your FastPass time slot, Disney does send a message and let's you use the FastPass on any of a select group of rides within that same day. For instance Dinosaur went down for us and we could go in the FastPass line between 12-6pm for a choice of one of 6 different rides including waiting for Dinosaur to reopen.

We did do the Villains Soiree and though it was an additional price we had a nice cheese and meat tray along with the 4 desserts and got lots of goodies. We did have a special area for the parade and the fireworks. However if you have the early dessert time it does take away time for trick or treating and riding the rides during the Not So Scary party. The night we were at the party it was sold out and the trick or treat lines were so long that we only got to 3 of the lines.

Patricia Melson

Sunday 12th of October 2014

We started making all our plans in May hotel park tickets dining when it was available in September I started looking at my Disney experience and Disney had us linked to someone else with the same name but different address and email account after 2 hours oh the phone got it corrected or I thought so. Last week went on there again and still had 1 day not right after 70 minutes with a person I could not understand and on hold most of that time still no luck. All they will say is call make and maybe a time will open up this was for a sit down meal with Cinderella 2 points on each person and they cannot give me an answer. Seems like after they get your money or well they do not care someone needs to make this right but cannot get to right person any suggestions

Sharon R

Sunday 12th of October 2014

Is Starring Rolls Cafe even open the "last 30 minutes that the park is open"?