sad

I think it is really sad that someone felt the "years strip away" at WDW. She was most likely feeling her soul being sucked away. The debate between low & high culture reigns on!

janedoe

Getting married (or honeymooning) at WDW is one of the bleakest and most depressing things i have ever heard of. What is wrong with people ?

lestat

Travel is like food, books, movies. Do you really want steak every night (if you are a carnivore ? I love Schindlers List, but I don't want a steady diet of that film type. And I don't want steak every night . And I don't want to read tthe Romantic poets every time I pick up a book. I like to travel to a wide variety of places & experience a wide variety of adventures - that would include Paris, NYC, Disney World, scuba in Fiji, hiking national parks, etc. Everyone travels for a variety of reasons - relaxation, escape, culture. adventure, etc. And why should anyone care if people like going to Disney ?? Personally, I don't understand why some people only take cruises every vacation (and then do nothing but shop - how much duty free Chanel & Waterford Crystal can you look at??!!) or stay at an All-Inclusive resort every place they go & never leave the hotel?? But its none of my business. If it makes them happy, its great!

xxx

Do you all feel that people who rave about Hawaii are cultlike? or how about the ones who go on cruise after cruise? Or how about the ones who go to the Caribbean year after year? Or how about the ones who go to Europe year after year? Damn people..get a grip..like a couple of other posters have said..don't read the posts if you're not interested!

Steve

To xxx,
The difference in visiting the same country or island every year is that you experience various people and activities each time. At Disney it's the same parade, same food, same fake country, same Disney schpeel.
My point of taking the money and going on a luxury cruise was because our friends saved for two years to stay at the Grand Floridian with their kids and enjoy the "luxury accomodations" while the kids hit the parks. Guess what - they all said never again - not worth it.
I do travel extensively and do not put down those who may enjoy this type of thing. It's just a little fanatical that people save up for years and others continue to visit every year like it's the Taj Mahal

Viv

Well I love Disney! My husband is taking me there in 20 days for my 8th trip to celebrate my birthday. If you don't like disney then don't go! I don't understand why a prevous poster starts bashing disney how she hates it but then starts spouting off how she was there last month? Dah, if you think it sucks DON'T GO! What is so hard to understand about that. I hate to camp but I have yet to start a post about how stupid camping is I simply DON'T CAMP. Get it?

gail

Viv's right. Leave WDW to the poor souls who are hypnotized into the cult.
It reminds me of the Moonies cult and Disneyites just empty their pockets to the "Big D" and walk around with those same scary grins and dilated pupils.
I hope they expand to be able and accomodate future recruits into their realm.

Jim

I think that the Disboards is a cult! I challenge anyone to head over there and post one thing that isn't a glowing review of everything Disney. I posted a very legitimate concern that Disney is letting their parks fill to over-capacity to make up for their post September 11 financial losses. I got so bashed and hammered that I refuse to visit those boards ever again.

Heavy Handed Fodor

A WHOLE lot of posts got cut off this thread overnight. Is Fodors a cult?

Lottie

What ARE you talking about? These posts are time-stamped consecutively right up to now. Must be some other thread you have in mind.

But then, Fodors could be sort of a cult for some of us

Mary

Viv, I think I'm the poster you were referring to who went last month. Read my post again - carefully, I did not say I hated Disney. I've always liked Disney, I said that on my last trip it was more crowded then ever, the hours were shorter and the food catered to the declining level of the American diet (yes I'm American, but the overwhelmingly overweight crowd at WDW, some of who are so big they can't even walk, with a churro in one hand and a 24 ounce coke in the other, is a sad commentary on our eating habits). The experience was not as enjoyable as previous visits, and I saw a lot of room for improvement. Unless Disney does something to lessen crowds and shorten lines, I will not go back.

This is in contrast to the Disney nuts, who apparently don't care how bad the crowds are, as long as they can experience the "magic" of Disney. Sorry, but the magic eluded me this time. The only lame response from these folks is "If you don't like it don't go". Very thoughtful and constructive.

nina

Jim, How true! I also posted a brief trip report on the disboards and commented that, while we had a good time, we were not able to see the MK because it was too packed and the lines were too long. I also commented that I found the food lousy. I thought Disney could have lengthened the park hours to help spread out the crowds.

The responses I got were sadly typical of the disboards. People were hammering me too, in defense of the mouse. It was almost a surreal experience. You cannot make the slightest negative remark over there without being attacked by the posters wearing mouse ears!

jb

Dear Sad,

I have to comment on your comment about my "soul being sucked away" when I said I felt the "years strip away." I know you were being facetious; however, I just have to say that I have spent 16 years working very hard at my job and being a "grown up" and when I went to Disney, I remembered being a kid with no worries and my imagination on fire.

So my question is what is the real "cult" - the jobs we are all tied to and put every waking hour into or Disney, where our imaginations run free?

Cult

We've got a definite Disney cult member situation here with jb. I think it requires an intervention, she thinks her imagination is running free and that everyone is working at their jobs because they want to, not because they HAVE to! Oh, and she actually thinks fodorites put every waking hour into their jobs. Clearly her ability to reason has already been affected. We may already be too late!

xx

Yes, I agree with those anti-disney culties,those who say to leave WDW to those poor suckers who waddle through there with their churros and super-sized coke. They only "think" they are having a good time. We, the higher level beings that we are know better. While we tsk-tsk them, they are standing in line with their wallets open, handing money to their screaming kids to pay homage to a rodent! What saps! I say we start our own board just to talk about them in peace- none of this foolish dissent we keep hearing from them. We will feel so superior while we brag about our "real" vacations, you know, the ones that really count. Let me know who's on board!!

David

topping, because this whole argument is too funny to let it slip to the bottom

I just like the headline

gimmesome

I don't care if you want to go to WDW every year, or every month for that matter, let everyone do want they want. Just don't tell me that when I say it's crowded, or the lines are too long that it's OK, and it's still a great place to be, because even though you have to wait an hour for a 5 minute ride, it's still the most "magical" place on earth. Are those Disney culties smoking something that I don't know about? How anyone can have a "magical" time with some smelly guys armpit in their face when they are standing in line for a delectable choice of fried, processed food is beyond me. OK now culties, tell me all about the great healthy food at Disney, the salads full of iceberg lettuce, pink mushy tomatoes or a wrap sandwich filled with processed chicken. I'd rather starve.

Oh yeah, Disney has great rides and engineering, but they really ought to do something about crowd control and lousy food. Next time I go I'll be sure I take a "magic" pill, so I can get through the day in a state of oblivion.

NeverBeen

My imagination runs free when I walk through a really big department store,jb

pamr

Its pretty obvious that unless you are a fan of Disney and/or theme parks you are probably not going to enjoy Disney World. I have been several times & enjoyed it, but cannot imagine going for every vacation any more than I could eat fresh tuna every night (well maybe I COULD do that...). I have never waited for a ride at Disney more than 15 minutes (and that was the exception, not the norm). We get there early, see what we want to see & then go do something else. I will no longer wait more than 15 minutes to see anything (well, except for Sting, maybe). That said I agree Disney has become overcrowded - there is no "off-season" anymore & the thought of the MK on a Saturday makes me run for the rum bottle. And yes, a great deal of the food stinks & is over-priced. Come to think of it, thats a problem everywhere... I have noticed at theme parks, as well as historic homes & castles, Museums, etc. throughout this country & Europe that a LOT of people seem to think standing in line is just part of their vacation. I did stand in line for 30 minutes to see the crown jewels in London & in D.C, to see the Hope Diamond. And several hundred of my closest friends were with me... and I felt both of those attractions were over-rated.

erlsegaard

I vote yes for cult. I find their influence in the culture singularly degrading, oppressive, humiliating and depressing. I cannot believe people do not feel violated and break into cold sweats at the openly fascistic methods of organization and control they employ and advocate as a model for other businesses (the last 2 places I worked enthusiastically gave us a deluge of Disney training and inspirational videos). I don't want to live in a society where it is considered normal to totally obliterate whatever individual personality one may have left to begin with, to submit so fully to the will of the Corporation to the point that even the words that are permitted to come out of your mouth in your official capacity are meticulously prescribed and circumscribed to the blandest and most insignificant banalities. When this increasingly becomes an acceptable mindset in most of the supposed adults and almost all of the media that surrounds you, it's rather difficult to just ignore it and blithely say, "to each his own", which is doubtless the kind of rigorous philosophy that will be propounded in the new Disney-inspired schools, which will no doubt excel in producing more efficiently that class of student whose dearth is so lamented by our nation's leaders, those who have been properly trained to be employed productively by corporations.