Wow! now I know that I will never set foot in Disneyworld. I have had my suspisions about that place for twenty five years. Fake, fake, fake, and over priced. Newyorker should have know better. We'll stick to Real destinations.

You must have been a joy to travel with! Did your children enjoy the trip or did your whining rub off on them? Your complaints are so trivial.

Somehow, I was able to tune out the "sickening promo messages" on the monorails. I guess I was too busy interacting with my family to pay attention.

I didn't have to do a lot of searching to find fruit and yogurt and avoid the "junk food being served everywhere".

I took my kids to the evening firework shows and parades so I didn't have to pay a markup on the baby sitter fees. I'm assuming you tipped her well, since you are so concerned about her being underpaid. By the way, I didn't have to beat my "screaming exhausted kids" to make it through the evening. What was the markup on the glass of iced tea or glass of wine you enjoyed during your evening out?

What were you expecting?

My position on Disney is, if you love or like Disney, go and have a great time. But I am amazed about the lackadaisial, Oh well, isn't everything expensive? argument. No, most travel things, except cruises and high end resorts, are not as expensive as Disney! I averaged a week at Disney to be about $5,000. For under that amount of $$, we have flown and spent 10 days exploring Colorado; spent a week in San Diego (taking in zoo, LegoLand, SeaWorld and Animal Park); and spent 6 days at Atlantis (but stayed in Comfort Suites). My kids were not totally in love with Disney - they preferred Islands of Adventure to Magic Kingdom, and enjoyed all the above-mentioned trips much more than Disney.

I just think your travel dollar can go a lot further else-where, for a great experience. Maybe it's just me, but I hear an awful lot of families who go to Disney relate stories of cranky kids wanting not to go the park but to stay at the hotel pool. My boys didn't get the "magic"; perhaps it would be different if I had girls.

Negative or Positive... Attitude is the key ingredient in perception.

My wish for you Newyorker is that next time the sheer joy on your children's faces will be enough.

I'm kind of new to this, but I love reading Patrick's responses...so sensible. I couldn't agree more...I'm sure Newyorker must have had some idea of what to expect...just as people know what to expect in NYC. Tell it like it is!

C'mon, newyorker, you're giving all of us New Yorkers a bad name! Buck up! If you live in Manhattan, high prices should not come as a shock to you. Corporate greed? Heehee... visions of the film "Wall Street" dance through my head! Seriously, next time, perhaps quite a bit more research is in order. If this a troll post -- please come up with a different moniker.....

I've been to Disney World 3 times. Once when it first opened, once about 10 years ago and again about 5 years ago. Of course it's expensive and fake and all that.


I don't remember much about the first visit but what I remember as an adult is just looking around at everything and thinking what a well run "machine" it is. All those employees, all the rides, the stores, the restaurants and food stands, the costumes, the flowers and decorations and just on and on. How do they do it all. And how much does it cost to run that place. How many behind the scenes people are there. It's mind boggling to me.

I think it's everything you said and so much more. You just need to go with the right attitude!

WDW does not have to break the bank. For some innovative ways to save at WDW, go to DISBOARDS.com and visit their BUDGET BOARD.

I was amazed and learned ways to save with un-publicized codes, discounts. But I was also disgusted after reading how many people cook in their rooms on property, on electric grills, yuk! dangerous! rude - the smells!

It is possible to travel to WDW well below their *asking* price!

I respect that some people are not bothered by the corporate environment at Disney and overlook the negative in order to enjoy what there is to enjoy. Bennnie, I especially enjoyed your response. Ahnold you obviously have major issues if you think that beating your kids is preferable to leaving them with a babysitter while travelling. And those of you who rationalize the greed in charging a 200% premium for the babysitter, the insurance argument does not hold up. The hotels have plenty of liability insurance to cover misdeeds of all their employees. There would be a minimal charge (if any) to add babysitters to that list. But I do respect those who say that even though it is corporate greed at it's worst you still think that the greed is outweighed by the attractions.

But, did the <b>kids</b> enjoy Disneyworld?

Complaining to us about babysitting fees is worthless, write a letter to the babysitting service about the lousy takehome pay. Write to some elected official or fair-wage group.

If you didn't like the commercialization of Disney, stay away from NASCAR. At least Mickey and Minnie aren't covered in product placement tatoos.

S!@# ncgrrl

I have visions of Mickey wearing a Snickers label....don't give them any ideas.....

Greed schmeed. Like any other attraction they are <i>not</i> a non profit for heavens sake! Take a trip to any similar non-Disney park, and you'll find the same SOP and usually with less efficiency: Universal, Adventure Island, 6 Flags over anything, Busch Gardens, even your own State Fair!

As to hotels having liability insurance to cover acts of employees...yes and no. My husband's large chain is self insured. His hotel will provide lists of sitters, without recommending any one, and let the guest do the hiring, simply because of liability issues. Many others use services, which charge their own fee as well as the hotel having one. Could that have been the case with your sitter? Was she part of an agency the hotel used?? That is a more likely scenario as the agency bears the brunt of the liability in such cases.

Regarding a 200% markup on baby sitting by a hotel, I have only one thing to say --
$12.00 for a smallish glass of orange juice at a typical New York hotel.

I do realize that there are some people who hate Disney. I am not one of them. I have been there many times, and even took my honeymoon there.

&quot;Corporate greed&quot; is every where. You don't need to buy everything you see. It is a free country this, US. Capitalist ring any bells?

The food isn't miserable. Most restaurants offer low-fat, low cholesterol, and vegetarian dishes. Even the fast food places have fruit, salads, grilled chicken, and turkey burgers.

There are award winning restaurants there. Like Victoria &amp; Alberts. I have had very nice meals in Artist Point, Fultons, and Wolfgang Pucks. Oh, wait you would probably think that is too expensive. (and NYC isn't? I lived there, it is.

You can always go to the more expensive
places for a nice lunch. Most of the time it is the same menu, but cheaper.

I do not remmeber the messages on the monorail. Maybe my husband and I were too busy talking and having fun together to notice.

As far as child care goes, I would think that $19.00 per hour to ensure the safety of your children should be worth it. There are kids working at McD's that make more than $6.50 per hour and we are in a depressed area.

Overweight people??? I am not even going there. The US is getting heavier, isn't that what all reports say?

I stayed at a deluxe hotel and a moderate hotel, they were very well staffed, with excellent service at both places. Staff members always willing to go the extra mile when we needed anything.

Phony??? Hello, land of make believe extrordinaire? Magic Kingdom, that should have been the first clue.

I love that very aspect of the amazing artwork of the imagineers. It is amazing to see such creativity. The way that some things appear to be so real.

It is a place that you go to escaping reality, and getting caught up in a fantasyland.

Reasons why we like it:

1. Attentive staff and great employees.
2. Sparkling clean park.
3. Great reataurants.
4. Parades and fireworks!
5. All the entertaining shows.
6. The hotels and their pools.
7. The fantasy &quot;factor&quot;.
8. Tansportation system is efficient.
9. I think you get a lot for your $$
10. The rides! Too many good ones to list.

But hey, my husband likes amusement parks, and I like Disney.

I avoid going when it is too hot. I will say that we are supposed to go to Animal Kingdom for a day at the end of May. It will be hot and probably crowded. But I will deal, because my niece will have a blast. If it gets too hot that is what the water rides are for.

No, it isn't a vacation through Europe, but I think it is fun, when you like that kind of thing, which we do.

Wow!! I read this thread from the beginning to end, and I just can't believe the mean-spirited responses to newyorker's views. Talk about attacking the person and not the viewpoint!! - I sure wouldn't want any of you as my friends, or even as my travel advisors!!

HI Borealis--please re-read my post and let me know what mean or attacking thing I said, b/c I feel strongly that this board should be civil. I want to be sure not to make the same mistake in any other response that I might post.

Huh, Borealis? I see a lot of &quot;attacks&quot; about the viewpoint, but very few personal attacks. You must be reading something else.
By the way, calling a person who goes to a theme park not knowing there will be commercialism &quot;ignorant&quot; is not a personal attack. It is a simple fact. Check the dictionary for the meaning of the word ignorant. That's about all I can see I said which might be mis-interpreted as a personal attack.

Hello socialworker - your posting was one of the very few that was civil and discussed the idea of WDW, rather than attacking newyorker. For that you get my utmost respect.
Just to clarify, my comment was not all-inclusive (I re-read it again just to make sure!!), but was meant to give a viewpoint on the nature of most of the postings. Reading through the entire thread gave me the impression of a bunch of piranhas atttacking a particular prey. UGH!! I am disappointed to see this on Fodors. There are other forums out there that disintegrate into &quot;wars&quot; and sometimes juvenile name-calling; I was hoping that this forum was not one of them.

The complaints in the original post are the same as if I take a trip to Paris then get upset because the people speak French and the food is different from home. Heelllooo... A quick reality check would had prepared 'newyorker' for what he would find at Disneyworld.

As for the mark-up on a babysitter this is similar in any service with a middle-man: office temp agencies, franchised residential maid services, personal trainers who work thru a gym, on and on. Finding this &quot;despicable&quot; is ridiculous.

I believe this entire discussion was wrapped up in the first sentence of the first post by Patrick...

If you hate it so much why did you choose to spend your vacation there?