The appeal of Disney parks

I think your family had four grand worth of fun, and that's what counts.

Due to the short lines we really got to see the Disney emperor has no clothes. We were checked in by 12 noon, went to the MK and did everthing worth doing by dinner time the first day. The rest of the trip consisted of rerides on the few half decent rides they have at each park.

In my very first post in this thread, I said:

the coasters suck as coasters, and there isn't much else in the way of a thrill ride.

We all went on to tell you---over and over and over again---that if you looked at this trip like a "regular" amusement park, with "rides", you would hate it. Our advice to you was consistent and unwavering: you should either get your mind right, or not go.

Looks like you ignored us. Sucks to be you, I guess. Next time, maybe you'll listen.

I am thrilled (no pun intended) when I go to Disney and the lines are short enough for me to be able to re-ride everything I want.

I don't know exactly what it is about Disney, but the way I describe it is that it's like you stepped outside of reality when you visit their parks. There is nothing like it anywhere else. Whether it's an Illusion or real, they really know how to create magic.

And that, to me, would be worth a grand per person in my family (if I had a family).

There is nothing like it anywhere else.

I haven't been yet, but my wife and kids claim the Potterverse manages this too.

LostKause said:
I don't know exactly what it is about Disney, but the way I describe it is that it's like you stepped outside of reality when you visit their parks. There is nothing like it anywhere else. Whether it's an Illusion or real, they really know how to create magic.

I feel that way about Universal. I had a hard time readjusting to reality after 5 nights at the Royal Pacific during Halloween Horror Nights.

Brian Noble said:
In my very first post in this thread, I said:

the coasters suck as coasters, and there isn't much else in the way of a thrill ride.

We all went on to tell you---over and over and over again---that if you looked at this trip like a "regular" amusement park, with "rides", you would hate it. Our advice to you was consistent and unwavering: you should either get your mind right, or not go.

Looks like you ignored us. Sucks to be you, I guess. Next time, maybe you'll listen.

What exactly am I supposed to look at a trip to an amusement park like? LOL. It's a friggin amusement park (and a mediocre one at that) with nice weather.

It's a theme park.

^^It's okay if you just don't get Disney. That's fine for you and it sucks that you spent all that money and didn't get much value out of it.

That said, there is a TON to get at Disney (or at least millions of people a year think so) and getting it does require a different mindset than you approach your local Six Flags.

For some, being immersed in the "magic" isn't worth the effort. For others the effort isn't even an effort at all, but part of the fun.

I can definitely say I've been on both sides but am firmly planted on the pro-magic side right now (and will probably be an even bigger sucker once my kids are old enough to go).

wahoo skipper said:
Your mindset will determine how "relaxing" a Disney vacation is. If you go with the intent to hit every park, ride every ride and so forth then you are screwed. If you plan on going anytime between June and September or during a major holiday, you are screwed.

But, I have had plenty of stress free trips to WDW. If you stay on property then getting out of the parks during peak times and hitting the resort pool helps. If you use Fastpass effectively then that will help. If you don't have to be at the main gate right at the opening hour then that will help.

It can be done, but not if you prefer quantity over quality.

We pretty much did everything, repeatedly. My kids were asking me "what else is there?" after we did Space Mountain a couple times, the little rocketships on top of the building, Buzz Lightyear, Tea Cups, Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Pirates, and Small World in the span of a few hours.

Oh. Also, (IMHO) Magic Kingdom is by far the worst park for anybody over the age of 6. Some good rides, but the "magic" is definitely aimed way younger than the "magic" of the other three parks.

Agreed. Magic Kingdom might be what people identify as Disney, but it's the place I spend the least time of the four parks.

My kids were done with the other parks even quicker.

Test Track and Mission Space are next to each other.

Animal Kingdom same thing River Falls/Everest. Spinning Mouse/Dinosaur.

Hollywood Tower of Terror/Aerosmith.

I'll echo what others have said numerous times about your experience. It doesn't surprise me in the least that your kids didn't enjoy the trip.

I turned out a lot like my Dad, too.

My kids were asking me "what else is there?"

I'm sure they came up with that question entirely on their own.

billb7581 said:
Rabble Rabble Rabble

You keep bringing up the "thrill rides" as if that's all there was to do. I'll be blunt about it - if that's ALL you saw when you went to Disney World, that was pretty moronic.

Hell, even without seeing "attractions", I can hang out and people watch and still enjoy my day.

Raven-Phile said:
You keep bringing up the "thrill rides" as if that's all there was to do. I'll be blunt about it - if that's ALL you saw when you went to Disney World, that was pretty moronic.

Let me correct this a little:

You keep bringing up the "thrill rides" - if you spent four grand to go to Disney for thrill rides, that was pretty moronic.

+.5 since you only made a small edit. :)

djDaemon said:
I turned out a lot like my Dad, too.

Zing!

I could spend days at Epcot alone. I'd still like to carve out one "special" day to do the drink-around-the-world. Adult beverages not withstanding, I've been known to see Off Kilter a couple of times a day, do Spaceship Earth at least twice (once in Japanese or Spanish or something... thank the Phoenicians!), the usual stuff around Spaceship Earth, the rides in some of the international pavilions, the Beatles cover band, a lot of tasty food, the Kim Possible game... listen to me go on.

You know, Disney has so much random stuff going on everywhere you go that I don't understand how you get bored. Unless you're just looking for thrill rides, in which case you were better off going to Six Flags, as we all told you before you made up your mind it would suck.

Who said anything about thrill rides? One that would put you in danger of losing the ice out of your drink would be nice.