Where is Olivia located??
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Old key west itās the TS there
Table Service
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/old-key-west-resort/olivia-cafe/
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I noticed on my trip last month a lot of CMās going out of their way to be pleasant and helpful. It was very noticeable and made me happy. They made up for the Walt Disney Companyās gross money grab. It is astounding they are charging upwards of thirty five dollars per person for Genie +.
As far as guests, I work with some of the worst people youād ever want to meet, so I have a higher tolerance level than most. 
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We are just home from WDW. My sister remarked on perhaps day 5 of 7 that CMs seemed more inclined to chat this trip.
Weāre looking forward to our December trip.
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Magic is there for me but my trips as a kid were 2005 and earlier, and now Iāve been 7?? times since 2021 (and once in 2019).
People are rude and inconsiderate everywhere and I donāt find Disney to be different. At least at Disney the CMs are mostly fantastic and Iām in a cheery mood so I donāt let it bother me like it might at other times.
Itās expensive but with some aggressive maneuvers (looking at your @JJT) Iāve made it much more affordable than I imagined.
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Everyoneās experience and opinions are valid, but for me the magic is still there.
- By and large, the attractions we are most excited for on our upcoming trip next week didnāt exist 10 years ago. 7DMT (2014), FEA (2016), Pandora (2017), TSL (2018), SWGE (2019), MMRR (2020), Remy (2021), and ā most importantly ā GotG (2022) and Tron (2023). We are literally planning our trip around those last two rides, with plans to ride each one three times over four days.
- I experienced some nasty CMs at DLR right after the pandemic closure in 2021, but other than that, CMs have been as polite and accommodating as ever on both coasts.
- Dining at Disney can have mixed results ā thatās inevitable when youāre feeding people on such a large scale ā but for the most part, we love our TS experiences and many QS as well. Dining is always a highlight of our trip, even if every meal isnāt up to snuff.
- I have very nuanced thoughts about Genie+ that would take a whole thread to lay out, but basically I donāt consider it equivalent to FPP and you get what you pay for, for better and worse. I find the system to work pretty well, and once they allow you to book in advance instead of 7am, I wonāt have any major complaints.
- The cost of a WDW trip is more expensive than ever due to general inflation, and especially because of service industry inflation, but I consider it a positive that people who work the hardest (literally) are getting a bit closer to the pay they deserve. Yes, there are excess corporate profits baked in too, but I donāt expect to solve the ills of capitalism on my WDW vacation. I wish it were cheaper, but Iām willing to pay what I pay for this luxury, so ā¦
Overall, WDW is a unique place on a scale and with immersive storytelling elements that you will not find anywhere else. Itās easy to take that for granted, especially when its runner up is just down the street. UOR is a great place to go as well. Epic Universe will be a giant leap forward for them, but Disney will always have my heart.
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like make it FPP?
I prefer day of, be it FP or MaxPass. I would prefer it be included in the cost for everyone, or a static charge. I would do away with all ILL$, though.
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What Len has said they are going to implement is a rolling 7 days in advance with a Disney resort reservation. I think you would just book your first one in advance (rather than 3), so it would otherwise be like Genie+ except if you booked your first one 7 days ahead of time instead of 7am. But they could go back to picking three.
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do we have any idea when this is gonna start?
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No. I doubt even Disney knows.
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ugh see this is where I get frustratedā¦
honestly they have got me nuts today between on line check in and ticket purchases- I really do miss the days when I could just check in at the desk purchase length of stay tickets and go about my business. Spent the entire day trying to figure out email and MDE account for family that havenāt been since 2020ā¦It shouldnāt be this hard-
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Gee, if it does roll out I hope itās 3, otherwise whatās the point of advance booking a single thing?
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Not having to wake up at 7:00 on vacation. Unless you are booning a VQ. I think thatās their thought processā¦
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I think this is IT every where.
So many apps
Mobile order ahead
Look at medical records on line
Everyoneās carrying around a computer
Thereās not enough bandwith at Disney and a lot of places
Without even mentioning software upgrades and patches.
Itās difficult to separate the software issues from all the learning curve issues for the new ways of doing things.
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This. I actually prefer it to be only one at a time and then move on to burn and churn in the park. Booking three in advance often ended up with one good plus two duds that needed to be dumped, sometimes by physically scanning in! Unnecessary hoops.
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With having to pick which park for Genie+ I donāt like the idea of purchase in advance- because what happens when plans change?
Iāve never had an issue with the 7 am ā¦ because Iām up anyways. ā¦even if a late start to the day, Iām up. Everyone else can sleep in.
I know DLR lets you purchase in advance- but we did not because we did not need it for everyday - and I found it a pain having to purchase and book the ride as we were entering the park. I prefer the WDW way.
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I think you hit the nail on the head with this topic. I agree with all the criticism others have expressed, but one needs to adapt, improvise and make the best of it for yourself. I agree with all the terrible Cās about WDW ā¦ cost, crowds, complicated, etc.
We got back Sunday from a trip last week. Personally experienced 2 rude incidents with other guests. One was with a young girl who accidentally pushed her kids stroller into me as she was looking at her cell phone in her other hand. Basically texting and driving. The other occurred in Epcot as I was leaning against the hand rail on the bridge between England and France admiring the view waiting for my wife to finish doing whatever wives do in the shops in France. It was at that time I heard someone say: excuse me, Excuse Me!! There was lady in her ECV or motorized cart, whatever they are called, about a foot from my leg. āIād like to get by please,ā she said. It was obvious she expected me to be the one who moved. I glanced over my shoulder to see how crowded the bridge was. There was plenty of room. The ornery side of my brain kicked in and I took a big step the other way still holding on to the hand rail. Then I said, āThere, you ought to have enough room to get by now.ā She didnāt say a word, but if looks could ā¦ well, you know ā¦ I wouldnāt be here this morning typing on my key board.
I share all that belly aching because I also ran into infinitely more other good, courteous and friendly people. We had a very memorable conversation with a young college couple about the job market as we stood in line for the RoR, had a young boy quickly pick up my MB for me when I accidentally dropped it on the monorail, and had some very cool conversations with other guests as we did the monorail crawl one evening. And then there were those who volunteered to take some of our most memorable photos after they watched us struggling taking āselfies.ā
ryan1 is right. Make the best of it and it will still be a memorable trip. We did!!!
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I think when all is said and done you have to decide if itās worth it. For many on the board, it clearly is. If you make adaptations and change your expectations, WDW can still be a desirable destination for you/your family. And if you have money, you can really always find ways to do everything. If you want it to be your happy place you can find new goals vs attractions.
For those whoāve decided the current version isnāt measuring up, it can be very disappointing. And I guess I want to encourage that group. We went over and over from 1994-2014. Then I was really sad in 2014 when we canceled our trip at the roll out of FPP. I couldnāt put that muc of our familyās money into a less-than experience. I studied up and saved and used every hack to make our 2016 trip the most amazing trip ever and then had to kind of accept it wasnāt the same for us anymore. DH and my boys havenāt been back since 2016!
BUT the good thing is, we discovered the joys of cruising and road trips and DLR and USO. The best thing that could have happened was we did new things.
I commiserate with you OP. It stinks big time when something you love becomes undesirable. Grieve away. And I hope yāall find something you like even better.
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To prove your point out VIP guide at universal used to be a performer at Disney. She said quietly so I wonāt state her name but Universal pays more and has better benefits. So your intuition is dead on.
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We have run across quite a few TM @ UO that were former CMs since Covid. That said we had our first trip to UH this year and by far the greatest group of TM/CM I have ever encountered.