I agree with the sentiment about the changes for the worse, and the fact that they're letting too much of the old Disney go while chasing every dollar they can squeeze out of a newer generation that doesn't really care about the history. ; I've been complaining about the changes to the parks for years - it's the smaller things that bother me, and the 'interactive' updating that supposedly makes it more immersive, which I find does just the opposite. ; From the dining plan, which to me was one of the most disruptive, damaging things that happened, to the removing of benches and taking over of quiet spots to put more meet-and-greets, to the interactive challenges like Kim Possible and now the new MK version which strip the value of all the attention-to-detail and intricate theming (gee, another excuse for today's generation to run around the park staring at little phone screens - like they needed more reasons!)...the parks are becoming like holding cells to contain people, distract them, and try to get them to spend more money on things.
The irony is that it almost harks back to the original Disney park in a way. ; For the past 25 years or so, we've gotten used to paying an admission to get in the park, and then everything within except the food was essentially free. ; For the past 5 years or so, there have been more and more things requiring separate fees within each park. ; But go back to the Disney of the 70s, and you paid an initial admission and transportation fee to get into the park, and then had to buy a ticket book to pay PER RIDE! ; Something today's generation isn't used to - imagine when the family bought a ticket book and you wanted to ride Space Mountain and go on Pirates and Haunted Mansion, and hit 20,000 leagues, and hit...oh wait, I only have 3 e-tickets in my ticket book! ; Pick the 3 you want most, and ride them. ; Want to ride again? ; Sorry Charlie - start begging the parents to buy more tickets.
Of course, even adjusted for inflation, the ticket prices were a tiny speck of what they are today.
As an annual passholder, it would still take a lot more price increases to make the value proposition erode enough for me to not go anymore - because I go so frequently and live so closely, it's still worthwhile despite the changes which frustrate me. ; And because I can go to Disney to enjoy things a little differently than the family minded people - rides not important, going to good restaurants, enjoying the displays and history and walk through exhibits that most still don't bother to do, means I can still find things to enjoy - as long as I can avoid running into Kim Possible and Pirate explorers running around looking at their screens and making stupid little things pop up or light up...and as long as I can find the 4 benches remaining in the entire park to sit-a-spell and relax, or the lone remaining quiet spot that doesn't have a character or interactive display screen in it. ; But I also find the experiences much more mixed than they used to be - Disney was pure pleasure, pure fun, and a classic hark back to childhood...now Disney is 60% pleasure, 50% fun, and 10% hark back to childhood...still enough to justify going, but more and more little annoyances. ; The Dining plan's complete destruction of at least 4 of my favorite restaurants by genericizing the food and making some of them impossible to get into without reservations made a year in advance...that one hurts. ; But I find myself spending more time at the less popular parks anyway (Epcot, which never drew in the short-attention-span kiddies as much), and roaming the resort grounds enjoying the theming there...little things like boat rides to different resorts from the parks give me more of my classic Disney memories...so I embrace those more. ; The more money-driven parks turn me off - it's why I never gelled with MGM/DHS as I felt from the beginning it was too much about drawing in crowds and making money as opposed to intricate theming and attention to detail. ; Magic Kingdom has also fallen down a bit for me, since it has been converting itself bit by bit into the same type of thing - the constant removal of older classic rides, the constant filling of every nook and cranny with characters and meet-and-greets and dance shows and musical shows and constant park announcements and park-wide parade music blaring. ; Epcot and Animal Kingdom really are my favorite two parks - as they seem to retain the most of the detailed theming and the least ride-and-show immersion - they are a little quieter, with more places to relax or enjoy the small details, with more history, more culture, more learning. ; And generally, the least crowded!
