Disney World can be LOTS of fun.
Hollywood Studios
But sometimes…it isn’t. Between the crowds, weather, and other random mishaps, things are not always perfect in the parks. And if you’re visiting soon, you’ll want to know what to expect! So of course, we asked our readers to tell us their BIGGEST Disney World park letdowns. Here’s what YOU said!
Getting Rid of Old Rides
If you’ve been going to Disney World for a while, you may know that quite a few rides just aren’t around anymore — and our readers MISS them! A lot of you expressed disappointment that the Studio Backlot Tour was gone, or that The Great Movie Ride and Maelstrom have been replaced. And what about The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights?!
Oh, Great Movie Ride, how we miss you…
Ultimately, Disney’s parks will continue to evolve with the times, and that means the closure of some attractions and the opening of others. We’re seeing that as Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is nearing opening and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is shaping up! But sure, we’ll always be a little nostalgic for rides past.
Check Out More Rides That Used to Be in Disney World!
No More FastPass+
When the parks reopened last year, FastPass+ was temporarily suspended, to help manage attraction capacity and facilitate social distancing. But as park capacity increases and social distancing decreases, we’ve heard no news on when (or if) we can expect FastPass+ to return.
Will FastPass return to Disney World soon?
Many of our readers miss this handy way to bypass some of Disney World’s longest lines. Unfortunately, Disney hasn’t provided us enough information to confirm this perk’s future. But we DO have some helpful tips for minimizing wait times without FastPass+!
Here’s What We Know About Disney Reintroducing FastPass+!
After Hours Events
Before the parks’ closure, Disney hosted a variety of After Hours events, like Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Villains After Hours, and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. These have been canceled since the parks reopened — although we ARE seeing a Halloween After Hours event called Boo Bash this year!
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party
These events are meant to be limited capacity to let guests hop on attractions with little to no wait — in addition to the unique entertainment and special treats, of course! But a few of our readers expressed disappointment in the crowds here. One explained that they “thought the crowd would be much smaller.” Most of the event-exclusive merch sells fast, too! We’ll keep an eye on things to see what the capacity situation looks like by the time Boo Bash rolls around.
Read More About Boo Bash!
Annual Passes Aren’t for Sale
If you’re looking into your Disney World ticket options, you may realize that Annual Passes are not for sale — at least in most situations. A lot of our readers are less-than-pleased that they have to buy individual day tickets for their trips, especially if they’re planning multiple vacations in a year. After all, it’s much more cost-effective to go on and snag that Annual Pass.
Annual Pass
Disney has not stated when we can expect Annual Pass sales to resume. Of course, we’ll keep an eye on the situation and let you know when we get any updates!
Here’s Why Annual Passes Aren’t for Sale!
Other Guests
The majority of our readers’ park letdowns, though, had to do with other guests. One reader stated that she’d seen too many “screaming” guests, adding, “Go in with joy and a whole lot of patience. You’ll have a much better time.” Other readers mentioned line-cutters, guests being rude to Cast Members, and more.
EPCOT France Pavilion Crowds
We’ve got a tip for ya if you’re heading to the parks soon: don’t be that person! We get it — the parks can get hot and crowded, you can get hungry, or things may not go according to plan. But you don’t wanna be the group causing problems for others. Spread kindness instead 😊
Check Out More of Our Readers’ Experiences with Other Guests!
If you’re heading to the parks soon, you’ll want to keep these letdowns in mind. After all, it’s better to go into things knowing what to expect! In the meantime, we’ll keep bringing ya plenty of Disney tips and tricks, so stay tuned to DFB.
Heading to Disney World Soon? Don’t Do These Things!
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The biggest letdown? We have not been to Disney World since 2012! Why? Complete and total over-pricing of everything. Walt Disney wanted to create a place where families could enjoy themselves. I don’t think he meant to exclude all but the rich or those who must go in debt to afford the trip. I think he would turn over in his grave if he knew this! Pay for parking too if you’re staying at a Disney resort! What’s next?
I love that there are no Fastpasses. It keeps wait times shorter than they would be!
Disney needs to get back to the way it was, fast passes, annual passes etc
We have supported Disney thru this last year plus
The residents of Florida were the ones that kept going when other states were not allowed to visit
We are of course concerned with our health
We have kept our annual passes thru all this we are just asking you to eliminate park reservations, bring back fast passes
We want to go to the parks when we want to
I’m disappointed that Magical Express is being discontinued. I miss the nightly parades and also fastpasses.
I am a Florida resident and an annual passholder. I’ve been going to Disney World for 40 years now and I must say that I find a big difference in the way people behave in the parks these days. Lots of rudeness and no consideration of others around them. I honestly feel that your park capacity is too high and should be lowered so that it is easier to have the experience and the “magic” be more enjoyable and less stressful. Too many people in the parks make things harder to enjoy and maneuver through. We loved being in the parks when capacity was lower during 2020. It was a wonderful and relaxing time. We were able to see things that we couldn’t see with too many people in the parks. I think you should limit the amount of people and then maybe everyone could have the great time we had in 2020 as Floridians!