Visited WDW last spring and noticed that Disney was losing its freshness. My first visit was to the visitors center in 1971 and until the last five years Disney has always focused on quality. Now we are on day three of our 8 day summer vacation in the parks and the problems are everywhere. Chapek is totally cheaping out by turning the AC to 80 degrees everywhere. Rides, restaurants, stores and even the restrooms. Reliability is now a huge issue. RotR was down most of yesterday and today FotA and Nrbr were down in animal kingdom. GotG was down half day Monday and on top of it they are constantly holding up the lines so they can clean vomit out of seats. While we were standing outside some was talking about how they got sprayed in their face with something while spinning around in the dark. Definitely not water.
EVERYTHING costs 15%-20% higher than last year and based on the attitude of Disney’s staff these days they don’t care anymore than Disney management does. My wife is a greeter kind of person and says hello to everyone. She always says have a nice day and clearly not many of the staff seem to enjoy their jobs. I have come to Orlando to enjoy the parks at least once every year of my life. Sometimes much more when I lived in South Florida and I have stayed in the majority of all the hotels on property at least once. At least a hundred visits since we stopped at the visitor center in 1971 when I was seven. Been here for the opening of MK, EP, and AK and Fantasmic has always been a favorite in HS. Of course that’s down also. On top of that my DIS stock sucks and it’s clear that Chapek doesn’t have a strategy. He’s just screwing this company and damaging the brand left and right. Walt and Roy would have never trusted their brand with the current bunch of knuckleheads. Oh…Genie+ is a total rip off and poor copy of the lines app. Can’t remember how long ago I found Touring lines but I love the service you offer building custom touring plans. Thankfully you also do Universal because WDW is way off the future list and next year it’s Universal for sure.
It’s spelled Cheapek …
DD18 is super sweet and thanks CM nonstop. It was rare that anyone responded to her to the point it became a running joke. We really felt the CM were overall not enjoying their jobs as much. We still had a lovely trip, but we really noticed the change.
I’m not looking forward to the motion sickness on GotG. Yuck on the getting sprayed! Oh gross.
That’s why I’m not going to ride it. 
This is why God invented Dramamine! 
I get motion sickness, but taking half a “less drowsy Dramamine” (aka Bonine) seems to keep it firmly at bay. I also will make sure to eat before riding. (Riding something on an empty stomach tends to worsen motion sickness.)
I didn’t get around to doing a post trip report for my May trip because I wanted to get over the feeling that I had lost some love for Disney.
I’m usually chilly in the AC, especially coming from hot, humid outdoors. I didn’t notice that in May although it was very warm outside. I convinced my large group to go to Frozen Ever After because I heard it was a good show (it was) and it was air conditioned (it was but barely).
Yuck. Supports my decision to not get a one day park pass just to try GOTG.
I tried to send cast compliments when I encountered someone who seemed to be enjoying their job and seemed to be concerned with the guest experience.
You just convinced me not to ride if we ever go back to WDW. I cannot do vomit. I can barely stand to deal with my own or my children’s, much less stranger’s.
I am constantly amazed by people who KNOW they get motion sickness yet insist on going on Cosmic Rewind and other things they know will make them sick.
Is that really a fun way to spend a vacation? Being sick or over-medicated the whole time?
Why not do the many other fun things that aren’t going to make you sick - ruining your trip and that of others affected in one way or another??
(Incidentally - does anyone know if Disney will provide a voucher for a new shirt or a new t-shirt if someone not in your party pukes on you? Or do you have to take park time to go back to your resort in puke-covered clothes and change?)
I can only speak for myself. I find the half a pill of the less drowsy Dramamine is enough to keep motion sickness entirely at bay without making me drowsy. If I start to find otherwise, I’d definitely avoid such rides. (I did try taking a FULL pill of the less drowsy Dramamine, and it did make me a little groggy, so I prefer to avoid taking the full dose.)
For example, I don’t bother going on anything that goes in actual circles, such as the Tea Cups. That WILL make me sick, and it simply isn’t worth it!
Thanks for explaining your take on it! You are intelligent and avoid some things. 
I’ve seen some people - maybe not on here but elsewhere - who are flat out “I don’t care if it makes me sick! I am going to ride this/cruise/etc.” and I just don’t get why you’d choose to do something - especially a cruise which is multiple days! - that you know is going to make you miserable!
With a brand new ride especially, I can understand some people who either didn’t think it would make them sick, or were worried, but wanted to try the fancy new ride that’s getting great reviews. Now if it makes them sick and then they ride again, well…
We rode it 4 times last week - I didn’t see any evidence of anyone getting sick after riding. One day there was a CM in the exit hallway handing out “barf bags”, but only on the one day for some reason. Not sure if that meant that day, someone was sick just before we rode, or if it is an understaffed position that they normally don’t staff. I honestly expected to see more evidence of people having issues. And obviously my observations are highly anecdotal here…
GotG is a new ride so it will take time for people to figure out whether they can handle the motion.
And most visitors aren’t big planners, so they would not be as prepared even for something new. And even many that know of the risk still need to try it once no matter the ramifications.
I’m w/ you. I’ve tried GotG 4-5x? and when I just think of it my tummy starts tumbling so, I don’t’ think I’ll go on it again b/c there is too much to do that doesn’t make me feel ill.
Exactly!!
I remember riding Everest like 4 times in a row during the after party for the Expedition Everest 5K when I did that. It was to the point where they were asking if people wanted to ride again and not making us get off. After time 4, I was like “I’m good.”
And I don’t get motion sickness! But I knew my body was good with that number of times in a row.
Something else at play is how we change over time.
When I was young, I could ride everything over and over with nary an issue. Once I hit about 30, I found my tolerance for certain rides (spinny rides!) dropped considerably and I found I just had to watch my kids ride them.
But 40, the ride experiences that cause me trouble increased. Today, roller coasters without inversions are not an issue…but inversions are a no go without the Dramamine!
So, some people who might not have previously had issues might start finding they do.
For me, the big moment was when I went to Cedar Point with my teenaged boys and their friend. Rode most of the day without issue…but then we did Rougarou, and halfway through I thought I was going to puke then and there. I held it together, and then raced off the ride to find a place to lay down. I laid there about an hour, and didn’t ride anything else the rest of the day. This was pre Dramamine! But I had never experienced that kind of nauseousness before then from a ride.
It also bothers me that vloggers are out there telling people that because it makes people nauseated, they should avoid eating. Uh. Wrong advice. This makes it worse. Eating before riding will actually help to reduce/prevent nausea.
I thought it was having children… I know you have kids too but you didn’t birth them 
Maybe it is just aging. It still makes me sad that I can’t ride coasters like I used to 
Oh - it’s just age. I used to ride every l thing. Then even at 22 when graduating college I did an upside down coaster and felt a little weird. Now I won’t go near one at 38.
I’m joining this train. I used to ride everything back in the day!!
Glad to say GOTG agreed with me though (even forgot my dramamine that day and was still ok). Luckily we didn’t see anyone else spewing either–two of my DDs are suggestible when they see something like that and would join the party.