If you’re heading to Disney World for a vacation, you may encounter some problems along the way!
We’re here to help you!
Even though it’s “The Most Magical Place on Earth,” not every moment is going to be perfect. We found some of the “less than magical” reviews folks submitted online to see what impacted their experience and find some solutions to help you avoid these same situations!
Water Fountains
It’s no secret that Florida is a warm destination. Referred to as “The Sunshine State” with popular beaches, cruise ports, and almost every home has a pool in its backyard, packing for a trip to Florida means flip-flops, bathing suits, and shorts. But even if you know it’s going to be warm, the reality of how warm it is can feel jarring!
Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
We’ve gathered lots of tips for staying cool in the Florida heat and humidity, and repeat the importance of staying hydrated. However, some guests definitely didn’t care for the water fountain options in Disney World in their attempt to stay hydrated.
“The water fountains were dishing out hot water…”
“Very few drinking water fountains anywhere, water comes out luke warm and tastes like fresh out of the swimming pool.”
Alternative:
Disney vacations already cost a pretty penny, so forking out $3 (or more!) for cold bottled water every time you need to rehydrate could definitely add up! There are a few ways to help prevent drinking “warm pool water” from Disney water fountains. The easiest solution is to duck into any of Disney’s quick service dining locations and ask for some ice water from the Cast Member at the counter. They usually have cups filled at the ready for hot park guests, and it’s FREE! If you happen to have brought your own water bottle, you can also ask for ice and then use the bottle refill stations around the parks as well.
Free Water in Disney World
If you did bring your own water bottle, consider filling it half full with water and freezing it the night before, then, when you add more water to it in the park, the ice in the bottle will help keep it cold. And if you do end up refilling it at a water fountain, it will at least be cold “pool water,” or you can bring some individual water flavoring packs with you to make that classic Florida water a bit more palatable.
Everywhere You Can Find FREE Water in Disney World
Park Crowds & Long Lines
It’s no secret that Disney World is a busy place, because, well, it’s Disney World! We keep a close eye on Disney World’s crowds and wait times, so you know what to expect when you visit. Holiday weekends and the weeks leading up to the fall and winter holidays are notoriously busy in the parks, but sometimes Disney crowds surprise us…and not always in the best way.
That’s very people-y!
From some of the reviews we found online, the crowd levels surprised some guests, too (and not in a good way)…
“You’re going to spend more time in line than you are going to spend doing anything else…Lines. Lines. Lines. Everywhere a line.”
“Expect unreasonably long lines; waiting, waiting, and more waiting. Restaurants are booked up, as in all of them. The parks were packed; far too many people to make the experience enjoyable. The parks were packed; far too many people to make the experience enjoyable.”
“it’s extremely crowded, people won’t move they run straight into you when your walking.”
“Why do you have a reservation system if you don’t use it? This place has been packed all week and you are completely understaffed here.”
Alternative:
The elusive “slow time” in Disney World has become harder and harder to find. Before the 2020 closure, the park crowds could generally be expected to diminish in January and February, as well as in August and September after school resumed. However, with the influx of “revenge travel” and how much more accessible remote learning is for kids, park crowds are becoming less predictable and more constantly busy year-round.
Entrance
So, though you may not be able to avoid crowds completely, we do have some tips for helping you navigate those crowded park days. If you can, still try to avoid school vacations and holiday weekends. There is definitely an uptick in the already crowded parks on days when the Florida locals have days off to visit the parks with their families. In that same vein, if possible, avoid visiting the parks on the weekends as that’s when most locals and weekend travelers will prioritize the parks, instead, plan some time at your resort pool, playing mini golf, or exploring other resort activities.
Archery lessons at Fort Wilderness
And you can’t spend your whole Disney vacation avoiding the parks (that’s why you’re there, right?), but to help experience smaller crowds, plan to visit the parks right when they open (rope drop), when lines are at their lowest, and most folks haven’t started their day. And if you qualify, take advantage of Disney’s Early Access perk that allows Deluxe resort guests in the parks 30 minutes early. You’ll still experience crowds and lines, but these tips may make it a bit more manageable. And for all other times, just make sure you pack your patience pants and manage your expectations.
What Exactly is Rope Drop in Disney World and How Can YOU Do It Like a PRO?
Technology
There were plenty of comments regarding technology, either the over-reliance on it, the undependability of it, or the need to update it!
“Disney is no longer a fun place to explore. The spontaneity and curiosity is gone.”
“Who wants to be glued to their phone while on vacation? The Disney app is what you get when you mix out-of-touch corporate executives with software developers who rarely see the light of day. It makes for a very cold, rushed experience, running from place to place, then waiting, waiting, and more waiting. Zero spontaneity. Overly preplanned. Stressful. Dimming imagination.”
“…their rides are in need of some serious upgrading.”
“Extremely long wait times for rides that have broken components”
“Rides breakdown constantly, you have to stare at your phone obsessively to deal with the “lightning” system.”
Carousel of Progress
Alternative:
The best way to combat frustration with technology and its invasion on your vacation is to familiarize yourself with it early. Get to know how it works, how to use it, and what you may want to use it for, that way, once you’re on vacation, you’ll already know when you need to access certain tech components, and when you can just keep your phone in your pocket and be present in the moment!
There are some things you can’t avoid using your phone or the Disney apps for. If you plan to use Disney’s Genie+ and Lightning Lane system, that will require you to be on your phone pretty regularly to make the most out of your experience with it. And Mobile Order has become an important asset to the quick service dining process, as well.
My Disney Experience
You can still have a spontaneous and “phone-free” Disney vacation, but just be aware that the parks are now operated around the expectation that guests will be using their phones, so you may experience some higher wait times or might struggle to find information the “old fashioned way” rather than finding it on your phone. Park guests can still “live in the moment” and tour the parks on a whim, jump in a standby line for their favorite attraction, or stop into their favorite quick service restaurant for a bite to eat, but understand that you’ll be prioritizing spontaneity over efficiency so you can manage your expectations for what you can accomplish.
3 New Technology Updates That Could Change Disney World
Lightning Lanes
We could’ve lumped this in with the complaints about crowds or the complaints about technology, but Lightning Lanes are a category unto themselves. For those new to Disney World planning, let’s do a quick recap.
Disney Genie
Lightning Lanes are a paid way for Disney guests to skip the bulk of the line to experience Disney attractions faster. There are two categories, those in the Genie+ package, where park guests will be able to choose one attraction at a time and reserve a timeframe to use the Lightning Lane at that ride. When your lightning lane return time arrives, you can return to the ride and skip the standby queue and avoid the wait. Then, you’ll be able to continue making those Genie+ selections one ride at a time throughout the day. Then there’s Individual Attraction Selection (or what we sometimes call pay-per-ride). You see, not all rides are available through the standard Genie+ service. Select popular attractions like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, and others are not available through Genie+. Instead, if you want to ride these, you’ll need to pay to use their Lightning Lanes individually.
Princess Fairytale Hall
In the past (pre-2020), Disney offered FastPass+, a free service that was very similar. Now that Disney charges for this service and has created some extra rules and nuances to it, it can be more complicated to understand, and more difficult to master.
Many negative reviews came from guests’ experiences with using the Lightning Lane system, or the side effects of the system.
“The Genie was also a terrible idea as it never worked, the lighting speed queue also contributed to the excessive wait times as people who paid additional per guest were given priority pass which negates the essence of fairness as access should be on first come first serve basis and not on how deep your pocket is.”
“Super high prices, long lines (what’s the purpose of park reservations if you don’t control crowds) and a complicated Genie+ system are now the reality.”
“Almost every line had over an hour wait. I counted the number of lightning lane people vs standby people… 20 lightning lane people to 3 standby people…As it was the vacation cost a fortune and now they want to scam my family $100/hr to use fast lane lightning lane what ever they call it.”
Alternative:
Much like the technology section above and avoiding crowds, preventing a negative Lightning Lane experience will depend on your preparation. Do your research on the Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane tools, see if any of them fit with your family’s vacation priorities, and know that you can absolutely still have a wonderful Disney vacation without any of these extra expenses tacked onto your vacation bill, but that you might have to adjust how you plan to visit the park to make the most out of it. Get to the parks early, know which attractions your family wants to prioritize, and in those cases where you might experience a longer than anticipated wait time, be prepared with some fun ways to interact with each other in line. After all, attractions are only part of the memories you’ll make in Disney World.
Is Genie+ NECESSARY Now in Disney World? We Spill the Tea.
Bad Customer Service
Disney vacations are not cheap, and that’s no secret. But one of the reasons guests can justify the extra expense is that “extra mile service” that the Disney Company has been reputed to deliver. Cast Members are the embodiment of magic in the parks, whether waving to you as you walk down Main Street, U.S.A., creating water art on the pavement, or dancing and smiling in an iconic Disney parade.
Disney World Cast Members!
Disney guests have come to expect this above-and-beyond service experience, so when a situation falls flat, it leaves a much more devastating impact.
“I was down there last week when the hurricane hit. We were only able to utilize 3 days of our 6 day tickets. Now they are being extended for use for 1 year. I live 1000 miles away and am not able to make it back in 1 year as it took me over a year to save for this vacation. We spent $3000 for park tickets for 3 days. I did not ask for a refund I asked them if they could extend the expiration date til the end of January 2024 and they told me I was out of luck. What kind of customer service is that? I asked to speak with a manager and was placed on hold for over 20 minutes and was then hung up on. So much for being the most magical place on earth.”
“One of our party required a electric ride on vehicle. Got them all the way to park and was told none available. This happened two days in a row. And all we heard from staff “ first come first served” You can reserve meals, ride times, park visit, but if you need a mobility cart. You are out of luck. So much for the disabled”
“Horrible customer service. Yes a hurricane changed our stay accommodations. We were guaranteed with numerous calls that it would be taken care of and Disney would be calling soon. Never heard back from them. Have spent over 8 hours on the phone with no one that knows what to do to accommodate our family. They keep passing us of to someone over and over with no one able to help at all.”
“I have never paid more and been treated worse.”
“We called the help line, sit on hold for an hour, then get disconnected. That happens and I get that. So we call back, and it gets disconnected another 3 times. Finally after about 5 hours and half a day wasted trying to get ahold of someone to get these tickets changed to the correct date…”
“Our last visit to Disney world was definitely disappointing. We’ve been in the past, but it seems that the customer service has definitely declined. This is definitely not the happiest place on earth anymore- it feels like they’re packing you in, and charging AS MUCH as they absolutely can…”
“I always heard they had this amazing customer service… not at all. I have had multiple bad experiences here. Big one was the princess photos at Magic Kingdom. Me and my daughter waited an hour to meet 2 princesses and when we got our turn they said no photographer because their scanner was down. My phone was dead. One of the biggest things you do at Magic Kingdom with a daughter is get the princess photos. They could have told people before they waited an hour. ”
“We visited Disney World Orlando in September 2022, however one of our trips to the parks (Epcot) was unachievable as they closed due to hurricane Ian. We had tickets booked for this day and were looking forward to it, although we understand it was best to close the park due to uncertainty with the hurricane. I contacted Disney World whilst in Orlando to enquire about refunds… Upon contact them for a refund as I had 2 park tickets that were not usable due to their choice to close the parks, but was refused a refund and told to use the tickets within a year after the original booked date…When I contested this and requested to escalate to a complaint and provide me the terms and conditions that outline they “could not” provide me with a refund in this instance, they suddenly stopped responding.”
Alternative:
We can’t fix every experience you might encounter, but we can help you with some tips that we’ve learned to help make the best of an unpleasant situation.
Cast Members
On the Phone: We’ve been there when it comes to those long Disney hold times on the phone, so we know exactly how frustrating it can feel to wait on hold for hours, but sometimes you can you minimize that frustration by knowing exactly what number to call, so you don’t end up transferred around. And we found those phone numbers for you! Hopefully, you’ll never need them, but if you do, at least you know who to call now!
Regarding Cancelations/Refunds: Sometimes, Disney has to cancel events due to weather, safety, a myriad of other reasons. Or sometimes you might have to cancel your plans on your end due to an unexpected situation. We dug through the fine print so you know exactly what to expect when a cancelation interrupts your trip. Cancellations are never planned on either side, but they do happen, so its helpful to know about the policies and guidelines around them so if you happen to experience it, you’re not totally blindsided. And though nothing is 100% fool-proof, we do recommend considering using a Disney-certified Travel Agent (like Small World Vacations), so when something unexpected occurs, you’ve got someone in your corner to help you navigate the red tape without the frustration or waiting on hold yourself.
Less than Magical Cast Members: It can happen. Cast Members are only human. The vast majority of them are the joy and magic and the heartbeat of the Disney Parks. But they can still have a bad day, may have been transferred last-minute into an unfamiliar role due to some staffing shortages, might be dealing with back-ordered supplies, might be experience some trauma in their personal life. You can’t control them but you can control how you respond to them. If you extend grace and kindness to them, most likely that will diffuse any tension and result in a positive interaction.
How One Magical Moment in Disney World Totally Changed a Guest’s Life
Final Takeaways
Disney vacations have evolved since how they were even 5 years ago, and when you make that decision to spend $3,000+ on your Disney vacation, you’ll want to make sure you do your research and prepare for it as much as possible. Think of it as you would any other large financial investment, but instead of sinking your coin into stocks, bonds, or real estate, you’re investing in an experience. Do your research before you buy. Shameless plug, but read more DFB articles, watch our videos, and consider other reputable Disney sources to really understand what you expect from your Disney experience.
Germany Pavilion in EPCOT
Guests can have a magical time any time of year, but it’s all about managing those expectations and planning appropriately. Each decision has an opportunity cost, because your vacation time and vacation funds are finite, and you simply can’t do it all! If you want to experience as many attractions as possible and minimize your time waiting in line — then you’re gonna need to brush up on all of the Genie+ tips and tricks, and be ok with pre-planning and organizing your trip well in advance. If you want a spontaneous trip where you can just hop in line at the nearest attraction, or sit and have a Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar in the grassy knoll in the hub, you can do that too — just realize you might be sacrificing some other attractions for this experience.
Expedition Everest
Those are some problems that you may have to deal with on your trip and what to do when you encounter them! We hope that this saves you some stress in the future. Stay tuned to DFB for more tips on how to successfully navigate the Disney parks!
Here Are Some Tips You’ll Need in 2022!
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I understand the necessity of policies and standards of practice but if there is any company in the world to understand this…they aren’t really rules they are guidelines!! At least they should be! Cast members should be empowered to make judgement calls in things like ticket expiry dates or transfer of names on a ticket and be able to make that happen . The small percentage of times this would happen is negligible and it would just make their customers so happy and isn’t that the goal? Much harder and more expensive to get that customer back than it is to keep them.
There are too many reasons what fans hate about the parks. Some are legitimate, others are just people wanting a perfect world to revolve around them. But hopefully Bob Iger and Josh D’Maro will listen and pay attention to all the loyal fans and guest, and fix all the bad things Bob Chapek implemented during his reign of terror. Time will tell.
I’ve been visiting WDW for almost fifty years, planning trips for my family and others. Never had a problem canceling or getting a refund or some kind of workable solution, even (especially) under extraordinary circumstances. Cast members were great, doing everything they could to resolve problems. I can’t say that all of the good will has gone away, but certainly the magic has. My next vacation has been booked at a Universal Orlando hotel. That will be my go-to destination until I see if Iger makes any significant and acceptable changes. After all, it is my hard earned money I’m spending.
We’ve been Disney visitors dozens of times in the past 35 years, and we’ve seen a rapid decline in quality and service over the past 5 years – even before the pandemic closures. We are now planning a short visit in January because we weren’t able to do all we wanted to in two visits earlier this year, despite staying on-site at deluxe hotels and paying for Genie+ each day and ILLs several times. In fact, we noticed big differences between May and November – especially in staff knowledge and accessibility of Photo Pass people. It used to be that you couldn’t walk more than 20 feet or so without seeing a photo pass person, and we never paid for it in the past. But in both Epcot and Hollywood Studios in November, it was very hard to find someone – even near Spaceship Earth! And because we were rushed, the quality of the photos was not great- some blurry or dark, and some missing the “special effects” so that we look like idiots blowing into our hands. No one in the parks says “Have a Magical Day!” lately! In fact, we would say it back to them and they’d look surprised. I remember studying Disney training methods in my quality methods work modules for years, but they certainly aren’t using them nowadays. Despite everything, it’s still a really cool (but EXPENSIVE) place to escape for a few days. Let’s hope Bob Iger can bring the magic back!
Just came back from being in Disney world from Dec 10-20, 2022 and the thing I wasn’t a fan of was lack of seating everywhere. I understand the purpose is to keep people moving but standing in lines are a killer on the feet, especially if you’ve been going since 6-7am. Couldn’t they have more benches around lines and parade/fireworks areas. Maybe people won’t be as cranky if their feet/backs weren’t in constant pain everyday lol
I believe that this food blog may have been before the change made to Dining reservations . Let me know if this is wrong but I have been told that you may now cancel your reservations just 2 hours before in order to not have any fee to pay. Going in January.
I don’t know where to start. I am so sad that Disney World has been destroyed. You have taken away the wonderful traditions and replaced them with total madness. We went a lot in the past. My children are 48 and 50 now. I now have grandchildren and and been going as a group with both sets of grandparents and families. Usually 9 or 10. Because of your greed we can no longer afford to come. Even if we could the whole Disney system if in chaos. The parks are packed, the price of food is totally unbelievable. The portions are down and the quality also. We would get the Dining Plan and that would allow us to eat at some of the nicer restaurants. Now, the walk-up meals are like fine dining costs. You pay extra for what used to be Fast Passes. The Cast Members are just as unhappy as we are. Their numbers have been slashed and they are overworked. They don’t have time to be friendly and helpful .Now, instead of people wanting to work there, they no longer do. They do more and get no compensation for it. The whole experience is now all about excess profits. Hotels have tripled or more. The last time we came we rented a house with a pool and it was half the cost of Disney. But, you loose the atmosphere of staying on site and the amenities that come with it. Those also seem to be going away. You say you’re trying to control crowds but I think you are allowing more people in ( profits again). The biggest thing that saddens me is that Walt is looking down from above as you destroy everything, and I mean everything that he visioned and stood for. I know he has shead tears over this. Shame on you for lining your pockets instead of continuing the dream.
Disney is a very greedy company. They refuse to pay their fair share of taxes in Florida and are fighting DeSantis tooth and nail to keep their outdated sweetheart tax and autonomy deal. Stop paying these ridiculous prices people.
When my son’s were younger, we frequented disney parks often …since we had annual passes. We always had a wonderful experience.
I recently visited epcot within the past few months and was very disappointed. First, you pay $25.00 for parking, then since they no longer have a shuttle in the parking lots, you havevto walk…and walk. I was parked 1 1/2 miles to and from my car. That in of itself probably would not be a problem; however, I am 68 years old and walking distances is not very pleasant. The walk in the park was not too bad because I was rested. The walk back to my vehicle was a horrible experience. I was exhausted from my day at the park and barely made it to my car. Had to stop and rest 3 times and nearly passed out at one point.
The lines inside the park are horrible. We spent 5 1/2 hours waiting in lines and made it to only 3 rides. Lunch took over 2 hours.
Lastly, the disney pet hotel holds all the reasonably priced rooms for guests staying in their hotels. It would have cost me over $300 to board my dog for one day.
Wake up Disney or you will be loosing many customers. Get vacation to providing shuttle service inside the parking lots and shorter lines.
Can’t say I will ever return after this bad experience.
Grandpa and I took my daughter and her three boys for a magical trip to Disney! None of our first time experiences.
Expected the high cost and even paid for the lightening passes thinking it would be easier on a 3,5, and 7 year olds.
Not so. Such a complicated process to sign up, and some times not even accepted by those gate readers. After finding a customer service rep and fixing the problem (a half hour experience) we had to go back to our ride and try again.
But then we had to wait to sign up for another ride and went there and couldn’t get in until a 4 minute pre arrival. We only got on 2 special rides the whole day and meanwhile you wait (and spend money on food or gift shops while waiting).
Disney used to be magical for our family but will never go back and I
Will tell everyone who asks why…
Disappointing experience for one and all
The only way things will get better is if we don’t go. When the money goes they will make changes. DON’T GO!!!!!!
I do not need Disney to be perfect. I would like some respect for those of us who have been going there for over 40 years. What I believe has happened is the park goers have been left to flit the bill for all these new endeavors. Streaming services and ESPN.. This seems to be the only way that they can keep themselves afloat. I truly believe that Disney is using us to pay for whatever they want to pursue. I used to be a stock holder, I used to be a DVC owner. Let me say that in my heart I believe that this is WRONG. On a smaller scale the parks are NOT maintained as they used to be. The end
Disney has created a class system and even has a name for it; Standby i.e. Standby while the upper class “lightening lane” walks onto every ride while you in Steerage er I mean Standby wait 140 minutes to ride. Complete discrimination as they are not loading even a portion of standby customers to the lightening lane customers.
Just visited Magic Kingdon last week. Far too many people. Paid for the lightening pass and only got on two rides. Ended up paying an extra 20 dollars to ride Tron. These costs were on top of the entry fee which was £157 for a day pass. It’s now all about making as much money as possible. Shame on the people that are now running Disney. I will never return again and advise people to stay well clear until they get their act together.
Reading these views has just scared my big family and i AWAY!
We will definitely look for another family gathering spot.. Thank you for sharing…
walt disney should be called wait disney. spent most of my time waiting. waiting to park, waiting get into park, waiting to get into a ride, waiting to get food. terrible vacation, will never return.
I noticed many of the comments mention they hope Bob Iger would change things for the better. That wish has passed. Things have actually gotten worse. Prices are through the roof on everything. It might not be so bad if the service, quality and magic were still there. In my opinion nothing at Disney World is worth going for anymore. You are paying outrageous prices to stand in line for hours only to ride 3 or 4 rides a day. Pay for food that should be fine dining according to what you pay. Smaller portions gigantic prices. You are paying 2 or 3 thousand for two people to have a miserable, stressful, horribly expensive nothing. I keep thinking someone will step up to turn it around. I am now convinced that the Board of Directors not only have no sense of what Disney is about and don’t care!! I’m done!
I was very disappointed on this trip this year. we went last year around the same time. We stayed at the Carribean Beach Resort. The only thing i have to comment on was our room had a roach in it on the third day. We had the quick service dining plan. the food in the resort was okay. not enough selections for children. WE went to Hollywood studios, epcot and magic kingdom. The food is lacking as far as portions and selections. Disney is too expensive and i will not buy a pass to get on the rides faster or less lines. We paid to go to Ohana’s and that was also too expensive and the food was very disappointing, the servers were not helpful either. The reservation was late (9:45)pm. no personality, no no offering us warm towels to wipe our hands. the food was disappointing. Never again. Families will no longer be able to go to WDW. Even wealthy people who pay the big price to go to the deluxe will find another vacation spot. Some rides are closed and some rides are in need of upgrading. our trip for my son, 2 grandchildren and myself was 5,400. too much. the corporation only cares about money. the housekeeping we had could not speak english. i guess they pay low wages to them. oh well its is so sad.