10 Reasons to Hate Disneyworld
 

I just came back from that miserable place. It was the worst vacation I ever experienced. I felt liked I was locked up in corporate hell. Does that corporate greed have no end? Why after every ride do they try to sell you something at inflated prices? Why is the food so miserable there? Why do they keep replaying the same sickening promo messages over the loudspeakers on the monorails? Why are the overwhelming majority of the people there fat? (maybe the type of junk food being served everywhere gives a clue). Why are they so greedy? We got a babysitter through the disneyworld hotel we were at and we had to pay $19.00 per hour although the babysitter was only paid $6.50 an hour. Despicable. Why put it in Orlando, one of the most boring places on earth? I guess that way they get to run everything there. I stayed at arguably the fanciest hotel on the grounds. Why is it that everytime I called for any information I was given a recording? And what is it with the phony beaches along the miserable phony lagoon? Are people stupid enough to believe it? How about you? What other reasons can you give why you hate that god forsaken place?

Why if you hate it so much did you go there? Something about this post makes no sense. It is clear that you would have hated it before you went, unless you are the dumbest person in the world not to have a clue what a huge theme park is like!

I wonder if I hired a baby sitter through a major New York hotel, what they charge -- just the amount they'd pay the sitter?

How bright do you have to be to figure out on your own WHY they would build a place like that in the middle of Florida? Does the fact they bought all that land cheap in a land of "eternal" warmth give you a clue? Where do you suggest they should have built it -- midtown Manhattan maybe?

I suggest you take a pill and get some rest. Maybe you'll feel better in the morning.

I haven't been there. Have you been to Las Vegas? How does Las Vegas compare?

Thank you, Patrick!

I have never visited there because I was warned that I would have a similar outbreak newyorker. I was warned about the corporate,sell,sell,sell,buy, buy,buy....the disney police, the subtle manipulation to spend. It's sad. Poor Walt is rolling. If I had to, I would have gone for the kids, but that didn't happen. Patrick you surprise me in your vehement defense. I think newyorker makes a valid cry of the pure commercialism of disney that often crosses the line. It is certainly not being run the way Walt dreamed it and built it.

I don't know what all the complaining is about. First, EVERYTHING costs money nowadays, especially if you have rugrats as accessories. Have you priced a movie for the whole family, or dinner at a regular sit-down service restaurant? Why do you think Corporate America sells a lot of Happy Meals - it's still cheaper than the roast beef special at the local greasy spoon.

As for the monorails - as I recall, the main thing was the constant warnings in America's 2 languages to keep arms in, hold on, etc. No more annoying than "Mind the Gap" in London. (Hey, do you think that too is corporate sponsored!?)

The baby-sitting rake-off probably covers arrangements, and paying the liability insurance in litiginous America - having arranged the sitter, the hotel is the deep pockets on the hook in any perceived malfeasance or negligence. And in NYC, walking thru the MOMA's building full of paintings costs $20. Is that overpriced too? How about $100 for a 3-hour Broadway show, or $200/night for a hotel room? (Actually, the $200 NYC rooms aren't corporate greed. The $500 or $1000 rooms are.)

Well yes, Walt did put WDW in the middle of nowhere, specifically to afford control over so much land he could handle whatever he wanted. By the time Walt thought about expanding Disneyland in California, it was too late - all the adjacent areas had been bought up.

But as for boring - well, I saw no end of far more tawdry attractions in the rest of Orlando. Sure, it ain't the statue of Liberty, but unlike the SofL, they're fully open. By the way - boring? Last time I was there, I caught a bus outside my hotel that took me to view a shuttle launch 45 minutes away (Yes, it was a while ago...). Even better than the Macy's 4ofJuly fireworks on the East River!

As for the way the resort operates - I was impressed, when I compared it to Busch gardens. WDW had smiling, bubbly workers, neat planned efficient ride loading, and clean functional rides. Busch Gdns, OTOH, had bored attendants sitting at one end of the platform, no line control - just a restrained shoving match. If you think WDW is bad, how have you survived in AMerica up to now?

My only comments about WDW are theoretical, as I haven't been there since I was a wee one, and it's changed a lot since then. I agree (based only on hearsay) with all your negative comments. BUT I do agree with the other posters that if you chose to go there, what did you expect? Did you think it wouldn't be like that?

We haven't taken our kids to either of the Disney's (yet), choosing to visit places that to us, are more real and authentic, or at least cheaper (i.e., our local amusement parks). I personally don't like the corporate Mouse, and my kids know it. Getting away from theme park criticism, I really don't like the way Disney has taken age-old fairy tales and sanitized them (the Little Mermaid being the best/worst example). So there's another reason to dislike Disneyworld (I save "hate" for more important things) - but then, I haven't chosen to go to a place that I think so little of.

Thank you very much for spending your money at Disney as I am certain my rather substantial stock investment in the company has benefitted.

I'm sorry that you didn't realize what you were getting yourself into prior to your arrival, but that's part of the "magic" in being able to attract a diverse group of folks to one's business enterprise.

I can appreciate your concern about those "same sickening promo messages" in the Monorail; they actually remind me of those "same sickening promo messages" they used to play in all the taxis in New York.

In terms of its location in Orlando, I think they would have actually preferred New York City for the location but people kept saying that people in New York didn't possess the frame of mind necessary to keep prices, supply and demand, etc., in the proper perspective despite New York's reasonably priced real estate, fabulous Winter weather, absolutely top-notch transportation system, spotlessly clean environment, and low crime rate.

But I'm sure you already understand all that and by the way, how <b> did </b> your children like the place..or do they have that &quot;attitude&quot; already?

Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!

Funny, what I noticed was the look of sheer joy on my kids faces and how much fun they were having.

I guess I'm lucky that what my son remembers is he and I being hit with a large wave on a water ride and his first ride on a roller-coaster.

Perhaps next time, we should have a more jaded view so that we won't have too much fun with our kids amongst all that manipulation and corporate greed.

In regard to why I went it is because I have never been there and thought I would check it out for myself. I also thought my kids would like it. I had been warned about how miserable it could be but I also heard good things. And in truth, there were some good imaginative rides/sites. But the positive was nothing compared to the negative aspects of the place.

In regard to questions/comments from other writers here, I find it deplorable that the hotel would keep two thirds of a babysitter charge. Marking labor up 100% should be the top end of greed. The 200% mark up was disgusting. And the &quot;eternal warmth&quot; lol lol of Orlando may seem to be that between November and March, but for most of the year it is eternal heat. As far as the constant repeated messages on the monorail, how many times do I need to hear about the famous &quot;Mickey breakfast&quot; at some hotel? Do I really care how many golf courses are at Disney? If I wanted to golf don't you think I would have gotten that info from somewhere other than the monorail monotonous messages? How many times did they repeat the word &quot;disney&quot; in between stops. I guess the writer who didn't hear any of that was the perfect specimen for the corporate testing of how many times they could use their propaganda and still not have people consciously notice. And as far as the phoney smiling Walt Disney World waving workers with those blank stares and robotic motions all I need to say is that I prefer a real person to the fake smile to earn your ears attitude.

People either love or hate Disney. We have gone several times and our children have loved it. We enjoyed ourselves too as we had not gone as children. We watched it through their eyes. We are done with Disney for a while, but did thoroughly enjoy a happy and clean place to take our kids on vacation. It is corporate america at it's best. Anyone buying their tickets realize that. I think your post is over the top.
The knock about everyone being fat? Have you been to the beach lately? America is fat. That is life. It is everywhere around you. Just don't let yourself fall apart. It is a healthy reminder not to over-do it!

I'm no Disney fan, either. I've been twice with my kids. I thought they'd enjoy it, and the buzz created by Disney says that your kids will have a miserable life if you do not take them to Disney. :) My MIL lives in Florida and we decided to extend our vacations with her twice to spend a few days in Disney. Was it horrible? No. (Well, sometimes it was) Was it the best family vacation ever? Not by a long shot. Disney is exhausting and outrageously expensive. We can take a 10 day trip out west for a 5 day trip in Disney, and we have a lot more fun with all the variety out west. We have so many more vacation memories with a western vacation.

A T-shirt in Disney for a toddler was $48. There is no justification for this - this is insane. The same T I found in the Disney store in the nearby mall for $18. We stayed in the $300/night Wildnerness Lodge (and this was the price about 6 years ago) and the room was very small and had no sound-proofing. I know we were also paying for location, but c'mon.

I have friends who think Disney is awesome, and that's fine. If they don't mind shelling out tons of $$, I'm not going to stop them. (Nor to I criticize their choice to them.) I can name several family vacations we've taken that just blow away Disney, and it does make me sort of sad that Disney seems to be the &quot;default&quot; for family vacations.

newyorker - you would enjoy Carl Hiassen's books. He writes humorous fiction about Florida, and he also wrote a scathing non-fiction book about Disney. I can't recall the title, but it has the word Rat in it. I think you'll like it.

It's not Disneyland.

I am a 64 year old grandmother from Ohio who went to Disneyworld for the first time ten years ago. We went without kids. I did not want to go - I had my sights set on Santa Fe!!! But that trip didn't work out. Who would want to go to an amusement park instead of NM, etc. - that was my mindset. Well, I LOVED it! We went back five years later and are planning a trip in early Dec. Sure, things are expensive but things are expensive lots of places. We know it is not the real world and things are 'fake' but that is why we go isn't it? We just ignored most of the things we didn't like. It is clean, warm, happy, and fun. By the way, I did get to Santa Fe and loved it too.
There are lots of great places out there and they are all different.

Hey newyorker, whats the point?
Do you work for Universal?
WDW is what it is.
If you want glitz, slots and good eats, you do Vegas.
If you want nature, you do national parks.
If you want fantasy and fun and feeling like a kid again, with or without your kids, you do WDW.
Capitalism is what it is.
Unless you've been living under a rock, I'm sure you knew what to expect.
There's no such thing as a free lunch.

HI newyorker--many of your points are, of course, true. But as another poster pointed out, commercialism is everywhere. Just go to one of the major exhibits at such a cultural venue as an art museum and you will see similarities. I also think one either loves DW or hates it--there don't seem to be a lot of take it or leave it types--but I could be wrong. I don't know your age, but I suspect you are not a baby boomer and so this article may not resonate w/you, but I thought I would send it along, b/c it clarifies, for me at least, the basis of why a lot of the people who love DW cherish it. Even though this article references Disneyland, many of the points are relevant....BTW, I am not trying to talk you out of or refute your opinion, which I respect your right to hold, just letting you know why some others may not feel as you do.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/desti...ey-essay_x.htm

WDW is what it is. None of this should have been a surprise to you if you had done more than about 30 seconds of research.

If you did this for your kids and they enjoyed it - well that was the point - parents do lots of boring things to make their kids happy - that's the package.

As for the prices - what do you think a babysitter should cost. Here an adult is at least $20 per hour (the reliable teenager down the hall gets $12) - nothing in life is free.

As for people being obese - unless you;ve been under a rock for the last 10 years - everyone knows obesity is skyrocketing in america - why should Disney be different?

(If you want slender and beautiful go to South Beach - I'm sure your kids would love that. Oh - but that's EXPENSIVE again - perhaps just stay home.)

Disney tried to build a &quot;historical&quot; theme park in rural virginia about 10 years ago.

We ran them out on a rail

I think it was the video footage of children dragging mickey mouse in effigy through the streets of Washington DC that finally did it.

Disney is what it is. I would never go there expecting any bargains, fine cuisine, or beautiful beaches. But the day I took my son to Disneyland was a great day for both of us. It was so much fun to watch him discover something new at every corner. And to be honest, I didn't think it was that much more expensive than any other of the theme parks we'd visited. I heard no sickening promos and bought my son a tshirt for $20. Big deal. And, by the way, there were plenty of healthy food choices at the park. The visitors at the park that are over-weight didn't get that way AT the park for pete's sake.

Isn't the site that disney wanted to build on in northern Virginia now commercially developed? I have heard it's now a Walmart. Can any Virginians confirm?

Honestly, this is so over the top, don't you think it sounds a bit trollish? It does to me, and I'm not even a Disney lover. Stereotypical troll comments: &quot;corporate greed, commercialism, inflated prices (At a theme park? No, say it ain't so) fat people, price gouging hotels, boring, god forsaken Orlando, phony anything (again, in an amusement park?) Sounds as if this was written for one purpose and one purpose only: to get a rise out of as many people as possible in one short paragraph.

What I really hate is someone who advertises 10 Reasons and comes up with maybe 8. Some of them were cleary a continuation of the same gripe, merely packaged differently.

So, what I hate is someone promises 10 reason and fails to deliver on that promise.

I've never been to Disneyworld, but we go to Disneyland a lot and like it. Sophisticated, it is not. But it is a lot of fun if you have the right mindset. A quick point: We were recently in NYC for vacation. We paid $25 per hour for babysitting plus a &quot;travel charge&quot; to the sitter that varied depending on the lateness of the hour. And Disney has nothing over NYC in terms of commercializing itself. If I saw one store hawking NYC firefighters shirts, Osama toilet paper, Yankees shirts, pens with King Kong, etc. etc. etc., then I saw a dozen more. Every museum had a gift shop; at the Natural History museum and the Met, there seemed to be a shop at every turn. You've got to applaud that good old American commercialism. The powers that be wouldn't do it if we didn't buy stuff.

We took our kids twice to WDW and they loved it. And I was impressed with how smoothly everything runs there, how helpful everyone was, and the excellent service attitude. Any question or problem we had was promptly handled and solved in our favor everytime, whether we were at the Disney park, Disney hotel or Disney restaurant. The worker would personally walk with us if we needed directions, the entree was comped if we had any problems at all at a restaurant.

Being in advertising, I was amazed at the &quot;machine&quot; that keeps that place humming by hiring and training good people, keeping everything spotless, and operating without a hitch. In general, I get creeped out at &quot;amusement&quot; parks with questionable-looking rides, and want to see everything maintained to a T, as Disney does.

Bottom line-- it's for the kids. You have to suspend disbelief and enjoy it, using common sense about avoiding $48 toddler t-shirts and buying full meals within the park.

I daresay many would have similar complaints about New York City-- to each his own. Don't go somewhere you know you'll dislike.

I was actually more amused/annoyed by the man-made lagoon (was it stocked with plastic fish?) and fake beach at the Hilton Waikoloa on the Big Island, when there was a perfectly gorgeous real beach a few minutes away, than by anything at Disney World. Disney World is supposed to be fake. It's about cartoons, isn't it? Should we get upset because Mickey isn't a real mouse?
We've been there several times and are often impressed by the ingenuity (certainly fakery if you want to look at it that way) of Epcot. You have to leave your brains in the parking lot when you get there, but it's a lot of fun nevertheless.

None of what you describe is a big secret. What did you expect? I agree with some others that your reactions seems a bit over-the-top.

As for the babysitter, I think you are extremely naive if you think this is unusual. Heck at my gym or pilates studio I pay $50+/hour and the trainer or teacher gets &gt;$20.

As for Americans being fat, take a look at the stats they are shocking, and it ain't just at Disneyworld.

Obviously not everyone hates &quot;that god forsaken place&quot; or it would not be as popular and profitable as it is.

Dick, yes museums have a gift shop. But they don't have a gift shop after every room in the museum catering to what you just saw in that room. That is what Disney does. NYTraveler, it wasn't the cost of the babysitter that bothered me as much as the fact that they pocketed two thirds of the charge. If they paid the babysitter a fair amount of their high charge I wouldn't have thought twice about it. And I forgot to mention the four hour minimum and the $8 travel expenses they tack onto the babysitter bill. The 200% mark up on labor plus those extras make the policy disgustingly greedy in my book. Kath, you found plenty of healthy food choices in the park? Is a hot dog a balanced meal to you? I saw dozens of pretzel stands, many chocolate confectionaries, but not one salad bar. Maybe I missed something. Ahnold, getting a babysitter instead of dragging the kids out past their bedtime seemed like the way to go to me. That way I wasn't one of those parents dragging their screaming exhausted kids through the park at night. And I forgot to mention the parents beating those complaining kids. I guess that must also be part of the disney experience. Ryan, I hope I've been able to fill in the blanks on the two reasons I left out of the original post.

We take our 3 kids (ages 7 and under) to Disney World every other year. We stay for 10 days, but we've always stayed in a suite or villa with a full kitchen (either on or off property). Yes it's expensive but so is everything. We were in New York last month and went into the city for one day. Parking was well over $100, a not very good meal at Planet Hollywood was $150 (that's 2 adults, 3 kids meals). Granted, the ferry to the Statue of Liberty was only $30 for all of us, but my littlest two were too young to appreciate it and unless you take the tour (we didn't) you what, look at the statue for a few minutes, take a picture or two, hit the gift shop for another $30, then leave. Plus, we had to stand in line for almost 2 hours to get on the ferry.

I think the price you pay for admission at Disney is well worth the potential 14 hours or so per day of entertainment you can get from it. No one's forcing you to buy souveniers. Sure the food is far from the best, but the only theme park or the like that I've ever been to with decent food is Sea World. We went to Six Flags (Massachusetts) a couple of years ago and not only was the food horrendous, but it cost twice as much as the equivalent in Disney.

If you can't stomach paying such a markup for a sitter, don't use one. It is a family vacation after all, isn't it? I understand wanting to get out one night without them (my mom always goes with us, so it's not a problem for us), but you can always do that at home, can't you?

Disney is all about the kids. If your kids love it, put the cynicism aside and enjoy it through their eyes. I admittedly love Disney, but half the reason is probably because I love watching my kids enjoy it. I'm even having a blast lately as my 5 year old, in anticipation of our next trip in December, is trying to convince his big brother to get over his fear of the dark so he'll go on the 5 year olds favorite ride with us--Tower of Terror!

By the way, it was a stretch for me to even remember hearing the repeating messages on the monorail. I guess if you're looking for something to be irritated by, you'll find it!

You're leaving your kids with a total stranger for $20/hr. If they are still there when you get back, that is money well spent. No law says you HAVE to go out without them. Put em to bed and get takeout.

When I was there I had a fruit salad and grilled chkn. My son had a ham sandwich and baked chips. So yeah, I found healthy stuff. True, there was not a lot of selection. Actually, for as much walking and running around that we did that, I guess we could have lived it up and ordered cheeseburgers!

After reading all the posts, especially your replies newyorker I am really at a lost as to why you even went to Disneyworld. It is what it is, and do be surprised at the cost of things you really must not of done any research before going.
We have only been to WDW once (Disneyland twice) and the greatest part is experincing it through the eyes of my children, just priceless.

Apparently you failed to do your homework before you left for your trip. Disney IS a huge corportion. Disney has managed to create it's &quot;own little world&quot;. If you would have relaxed &amp; just given it a chance you may have actually enjoyed it. Are you aware that Disney hotels have child care centers open every evening that will serve your child dinner. We left our boys there one evening &amp; they begged to go back. Did you take the time to see Disney through your child's eyes? The fun that my kids have at Disney what makes the trip worth it for us. BTW - Disney doesn't have to be expensive. In fact, our family of four can travel to WDW for a week - driving, food, lodging &amp; park admissions included - for less than we would spend at Ocean City MD in a week. We stay at Disney's value resorts &amp; purchase multi-day tickets. We eat two main meals per day &amp; a snack. We could never eat three meals a day in the parks. Most of our meals are at the food court at our value resort. Let's see, Ocean City, MD or WDW? Don't have to think long on that one.
This year we are taking the kids out West to Yellowstone, SD, CO, MT... to see some of the vast natural wonders in this world.
So New Yorker, tell us what you consider the ideal vacation.

Interesting that a person didn't find FantasyLand interesting considering they seemlingly live in one when it comes to the reality of our nation circa 2005.

Whoever said that you either love Disneyworld or hate it is right. Many who love it, love it with an almost cult-like fervor, I've noticed.

I don't hate it but am truly happy that our 2nd trip to Orlando was hopefully our last. We went to Disneyworld one day on our way through Orlando 7 years ago, when our kids were 5 and 8. It was...okay...no one was too sorry to leave. The 5 year old had the best time, especially when her dad took her on Space Mountain (eek).

Last summer, when the kids were 15 and 12, we went to Universal one day before leaving on a cruise from Port Canaveral. Again, it was...okay. Fun but not worth it for the prices. We stayed offsite both times--absolutely loved the Orlando World Marriott and would stay there again just for the pool.

Guess it boils down to the fact that we're just not theme park people. I didn't find the commercialism shocking but can say that Univeral Studios was the better atmosphere and overall experience. It seemed more 'real' if that makes any sense. Give me a Caribbean beach or a trip to our nation's capitol any day over Disney.

I give this thread another 30 minutes until the thought police arrive...but until then...

Disneyland is a casino without slots. It is meticulously designed to extract from its patrons the maximum amount of cash in the shortest amount of time.

I, especially, appreciate the lack of sidewalks on the roadways between venues....why wait for walkers when you can whisk them to the next buying opportunity in an air conditioned bus?

Having said that, we cherish the two trips with our kids to Disney, as we do the trips to Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Bermuda, etc.

Not to harp on the NY museum thing, but yes, the Met is set up so you look at the mummies, and wham, there is a mummy gift shop. You look at the Moderns, wham, there is a modern gift shop. Natural history museum, same thing: you look at the dinosaurs, and there is a dino gift shop. Disney is definitely worse, but Disney isn't taking something artistic or educational and then marketing it to death.

Why is it that every poster who ends up hating a destination is invariably told &quot;well, you should have known it would suck in all those ways&quot;?? I thought newyorker's criticisms of WDW were pretty obvious, too, but in the end, they tried it, hated it, and won't go back. Personally, I think WDW is downright creepy in its plastic perfection, and the less said about Orlando the better. I welcome newyorker's point of view not only because it happens to match mine pretty closely, but because its a small rebellion against the massive WDW marketing juggernaut that would have us believe WDW is the destination of a lifetime.

Here's 10 reason's why I like WDW...

1. The rides are fun. Some are silly, some are thrilling but they are all fun.
2. The parades are fun. I like the floats, the bands and the dancers.
3. I like the hotels. They are interesting to look at, clean and convenient.
4. I like the pools - Stormalong Bay is like a mini water park. The pool at Coronado Springs is very interesting to look at and has a fun slide.
5. The food is fine with me - I'm not looking for gourmet and I can easily find healthy choices.
6. The price is fairly reasonable if you take advantage of available discounts. I've paid $129 a night for the Beach Club - generally considered to be a superior hotel. I don't feel compelled to buy Goofy hats, or all the other junk, nor am I put off by the amount of merchandising. Generally this family of 4 spends 5 nights, stays on-site, and spends about $3500 including airfare, food, tickets etc. Spent more to go to DC for 5 nights.
7. Its easy. Everything is right there - when traveling with kids this does make for a less stressful trip.
8. The staff is very accommodating at both the parks and the hotels. The staff have helped make some pretty special memories for my kids - like when my daughters were selected to be escorted by Mickey on a tour of his house. When you're 4 and 7 this is pretty special.
9. I like fireworks.
10. My kids like it so therefore I like it. We've been 3x together and we'll probably go one more time.

Hey, its not Paris or New York or the Grand Canyon or any place else. It is what it is.

OK, I have to pipe in as I just returned from WDW a mere 12 hours ago after thoroughly enjoying myself. As for the babysitting cost-the cost difference is soley due to liability issues and insurance costs they assuming by offering people the opportunity to drop their children off with strangers to watch them. If your child falls and breaks a leg, you're not suing the babysitter, you're suing Disney. As for the food, don't know what other theme parks you've been too but at least this one has some healthy fare-every restaurant/counter service place we stopped at had healthy options. As for the announcements on the monorails, chock that one up to liability issues again. Maybe if we didn't sue everytime we stubbed our toe(I'm speaking in broad generalities here I realize), they wouldn't have all those announcements. You went to a theme park resort! What did you expect?!