The Misery that is Disney - an honest review.

I don't get it....

Disney World... Magical?  Yes it is magical.  The strategy, processes, policies and procedures that have been meticulously implemented to make a visit here a wonderful, memorable and enjoyable experience are truly business genius.   It goes without saying that the majority of people that visit Disney say they have a wonderful experience.  I have friends who visit two to three times per year because they enjoy it that much.

In my view, the weather is great, the facilities are very nice, the service is excellent.  The value is horrendous.

Here is my synopsis based on my previous and final visit during mid-March 2015.  I should report that I understand that during other times of the year it is not so crowded here so some of what I say might not be valid at all times of the year but definitely applicable for the majority of the year.

The good:

• Weather
• Swimming pools
• Service - for the most part
• Watching children experience the wonderment

The bad:

• Everything you do has a line - even the fast passes
• Everything is hyper-expensive.
• You are captive - no choice but to pay ridiculous prices.
• Everywhere is crowded
• Pools
• Hotels
• Rides
• Restaurants
• Buses
• Monorails
• Trams
• Bathrooms
• Sidewalks
• Hallways
• Beaches (you can't swim in the lakes)
• Waiting in line for the Bus - crowded,  long wait especially with hyper kids.
• The maximum wait times for buses is supposedly 20 minutes but we waited over 30 minutes for a bus to arrive to take us from the Contemporary to Downtown Disney.  The bus ride was another 30 minutes. half of which was the bus waiting in line to drop passengers off at the disembarkation point for buses.
• Only buses connect some parks.  So you are going to wait in line!
• If you don't have a fast-pass you can forget riding more than two rides in an entire day.  When we were there the average wait for the most popular rides were 120 minutes.  Fast-pass lines were about 5 to 10 minutes.

I can't help  but admire what Disney has done.  They have created a brand that people value so much that they are willing to ignore all these shortcomings.  I also wonder about those people who return here after one trip.  I assume those people don't know about all the other wonderful options for families elsewhere that are far more reasonably priced with less waiting yielding more opportunities to create a larger quantity of just as if not more memorable and meaningful experiences

I would guess that most people that are happy with Disney must place a high value on the Character experience because this is the only place for that.  You can't go anywhere else that is non-Disney and see, Mickey, Donald, Cinderella and the other Disney characters.  This must be a high value proposition for many.  For me and even for my children ages 11, 8 and 8 character experience has zero value.

In conclusion, Disney is a lot like any other mega-brand.  They have done so well at developing a perception (a picture in the mind) of the brand and reputation that the consumer is completely duped and unaware that there are much better options elsewhere.  Of course this doesn't apply if you think your kids won't have full and meaningful lives without experiencing up close the Disney characters.