9/19/2022

Another Disney Point of View??!

September 20, 2022

The Walt Disney World universe doesn’t need another voice. There are scads of bloggers, scores of vloggers, and thousands of journalists covering every square inch of the WDW parks. You want news and announcements? There are fifteen or so sites that come highly recommended (with another fifty that are clickbait-laden scandal sheets). You want color commentary and snarky repartee? Yep, I can name a plethora that fill that niche well. Do you desire analytics and statistics regarding parks spending and wait time metrics? I know of half a dozen sites that live in that sphere (some are terrific, some are garbage). Disney Vacation Club specific sites? Oodles. Disney Dining sites? More than a handful.

So why am I screaming into the Disneyverse too? I consume a lot of Disney content. Like A LOT. And yet none of it really scratches my WDW itch. There are sites I really like, some I really appreciate the efforts from, and some that need to be blotted from the earth. Sometimes though, I just want to be reminded of why Walt Disney World is my asylum. I want to read something that instantly transports me from my desk to standing in front of the waterfall in the queue of the Enchanted Tiki Room. I want an article that is an imagination minefield that trigger dozens of marvelous memories I’ve made at my favorite vacation destination. But I also need it to be believable and practical. It is a tightrope to walk, but I believe it can be done! It is relatively easy to slip into the ditch on either side of the road when it comes to the Disney fandom. The sites and channels that I really detest are the ones that go to extremes on either side. If you’re spitting venom about Disney constantly, then I have no use for you. Conversely, if you’re snorting Pixie Dust and you think WDW can do no wrong, I also dismiss your opinions summarily. Homers are no better than denigrators. While there are some excellent writers and vloggers that take a remarkably balanced approach, I feel like there is always an agenda. In the words of Bing Crosby in White Christmas, “Everybody’s got an angle.” I want to present information, insight, observation, and some poignant opinions with no real agenda other than communicating my love for a very much flawed but very special place.

Do I like every decision made by the brass at Disney? Not remotely. Do I understand that Disney, particularly the parks division, is a business and is going to make decisions based on the shareholders’ profits? You bet. Do I feel like Disney is trying to price-out the middle class? No, but that may end up being an eventuality if they continue to test the market sustainability. Right now WDW vacations are too expensive for me to take the number of trips I would like to take. That said, the parks are packed every day. Dining reservations are hard to come by even at 60 days. As of the writing of this article (Sept 20, 2022) every one of the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Parties are sold out. All of them. This proves to me that no matter how expensive these events are, Disney is simply pricing their product at what the market will bear. That’s Business 101. If they couldn’t fill their resort hotels, they would be running deeper discounts. If they couldn’t get people in the parks, they would be selling Annual Passes right now. Walt Disney World is not struggling right now and consequently is pretty much on the mark with their pricing.

Those are tough pills to swallow for those of us who remember the days of free dining and sub $100 nights at the Values. Those days are gone, quite possibly to never return, but don’t ever believe the propaganda that “the Magic is Gone”. Relationships, connections, and most of all the memories we continue to make at our happy place cannot be understated or ignored. To quote Magic Kingdom’s admittedly underwhelming (but fortunately soon to be ending) nighttime spectacular theme song, “You are the Magic.”

We bring it with us when we breathe that huge sigh of relief when going under the Walt Disney World banner on our arrival day.

We bring it with us when we meet with our friends and fellow members of this crazy Disney community in the parks.

We bring it with us when we see our kids or grandkids light up when seeing Mickey on the parade float.

We bring it with us when we hear the Tomorrowland music loop and we can’t wipe the moronic smile off our face.

I just want to share my love for this place that means so much to so many of us. It isn’t perfect. The decisions made by the C Suite sometimes leave me scratching my head and sometimes leave me infuriated (looking at you Magical Express and Osborne Family Lights). However, the magnetism and wistful yearning to be at Walt Disney World carries so much more weight than the frustration. Sure, I like the beach. I enjoy the mountains. Hawaii was amazing. But the “World” has my heart.