Guests visiting EPCOT this Easter season can celebrate with the Eggstravaganza scavenger hunt.

The easter egg scavenger hunt will be available for a limited time starting on March 31, 2022. Some of the eggs are already in place.

A scavenger hunt map will be $9.99. Similar to other EPCOT scavenger hunts, guests find hidden eggs throughout the park and mark their location on the map. When they have completed the hunt, they can redeem the map at Disney Traders or World Traveler for a prize.

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In 2019, I wrote an article discussing the Disney ‘Tipping Point.’ The ‘Tipping Point’ is the juncture at which an individual or family decides visiting Walt Disney World is not worth the expense and/or trouble. My thoughts in 2019 primarily revolved around hearing increasing complaints of a declining experience and wondering at what point one may vacation elsewhere. Looking back, grievances about the cost of a water bottle going up seems like petty nonsense compared to what has unfolded since.    

I absolutely love Walt Disney World (WDW) and have the distinction of being an Annual Passholder. When visiting annually, the thought of walking into the lobby of Animal Kingdom Lodge after getting off the Magical Express was something I looked forward to all year. Now, as a more frequent visitor, I try my best to see through negative changes and appreciate my time in the parks. However, changes in the experience have myself and others concerned.

The termination of the Magical Express, FastPass+, and other amenities which made WDW a unique vacation destination have inflamed passionate reactions from long-time guests and even the mass media. Walt Disney World is substantially more expensive for an experience which is not nearly as immersive and seamless as it once was. A WDW vacation in early 2020 and prior still required a massive amount of planning, but if done well resulted in a consistently magical time.

I am not going to a go through a list of everything which no longer exists, or the many concerns with the Disney Genie and Genie+, as these have been discussed elsewhere. But several factors stand out to me as causing resentment and anger. One is technical issues causing attraction shutdowns and longer lines. I am seeing this complaint repeatedly and have experienced it myself. During one afternoon in Magic Kingdom for example, Splash Mountain, Peter Pan’s Flight, the Haunted Mansion, and Space Mountain were all shut down, shuffling guests elsewhere. Obviously, we do not know the reason, but there is a strong perception that poor maintenance is leading to extended attraction shutdowns, causing long lines to accumulate elsewhere.

The cost of staying on property has totally gone off the rails. In late April for example, the BoardWalk Inn is running over $1,000 a night! At a rate like that, anything less than a totally impeccable experience rightfully leads to substantial frustration. Staying off-property however means a later entry to the park and losing out on complimentary transportation. Confusion about Genie+ and Lighting Lane is arguably diluting the experience. Just trying to determine its worthwhileness and logistics once one is in a park results in more time looking at a phone. A poor substitute for FastPass+, a once included experience now comes with a cost.

Those factors are causing me to see more and more guests returning home and discussing how the experience they had was the worst in decades. Or how they their next vacation may be a sailing on Disney Cruise Line instead. 

I am writing this in March of 2022 when the Northeast is getting slammed by a nasty mix of rain, ice, and high winds. Listening to ‘Must Do Disney’ on YouTube is providing comfort. However, that program no longer plays on televisions in on-property resorts. Features like ‘Must Do Disney’ which make Walt Disney World a unique vacation destination are disappearing. I have a close relative who lives seven minutes from Animal Kingdom, providing me with a free place to stay. I also live close to Philadelphia International Airport, allowing for an abundance of flights at a somewhat reasonable cost. Therefore, my Walt Disney World tipping point will not come easily. 

For those who need to consider paying for accommodations and cannot be selective regarding the cost of a flight, the situation is much different. While I am seeing frustration from returning visitors and those looking to plan trips, I do not believe a tipping point has been reached quite yet. Many still have to experience Disney Genie for themselves or may have chosen to delay trips due to the pandemic and simply want to visit at any cost.

But a mass tipping point appears to be on the horizon. As a larger portion of the population is comfortable with cruising and international travel, I wonder how bookings will look as 2023 approaches. I want Walt Disney World to continue to be a worthwhile destination, fun to plan, and enjoyed by all types of families. Current trends indicate that era may be coming to a close.

Do you believe a tipping point has been reached? Are you looking to vacation elsewhere? Are complaints just talk, or will we actually see fewer people returning? Please feel free to leave a comment!

While we’ve seen plenty of new items make their way to 1-Up Factory at Super Nintendo World, until this month we’d hardly seen anything new at the nearby Mario Motors, located at the exit of Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge. This pit stop-themed shop has finally released a few new items themed to the beloved racing franchise, so let’s check them all out!

Red Shell Hand Warmer Pillow – ¥3900 ($31.41)

Banana Pencil Case – ¥1900 ($15.30)

? Block Sticky Memo Set – ¥1200 ($9.66)

Mario Kart Hoodie – ¥6900 ($55.57)

Mario Kart Sponsors Shirt – ¥3700 ($29.80)

All of these items are available now at Mario Motors in Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan! Don’t miss our full tour of the grand opening lineup at Mario Motors, nearly all of which remains on sale. And if you want to learn all about Super Nintendo World, check out our full guide to the land!

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The Walt Disney Company isn’t the only Disney-focused company embroiled in scandals right now. Today, a 41 year-old woman won her lawsuit against Tokyo Disney Resort owner and operator The Oriental Land Company over verbal abuse allegations.

According to Netolabo, the unnamed woman filed her lawsuit in 2018 due to violations of safety obligations and power harassment accusations from managers at the Oriental Land Company, where she worked as a character performer for thirteen years.

Supervisors reportedly said spread rumors about her and other Cast Members, and said such things as “Women over 30 shouldn’t work here, why don’t you quit already” to the plaintiff. In a statement to the press, she said “I have endured this for many years, but nothing will change if I just put up with it. My dream is to have a workplace where I can continue to work with peace of mind, where there is no power harassment.”

Additionally, when a guest painfully injured her ring finger by twisting it, her claims for worker’s compensation were dismissed by her boss. “You’re an entertainer, you have to put up with that sort of thing. You’re so weak,” the boss reportedly said.

She filed suit in July 2018 to the tune of ¥3.3 million (approx. $30,000 at the time) related to the allegations. The plaintiff claimed Oriental Land failed to educate its employees on the prevention of power harassment, failed to investigate and understand the details of power harassment when it occurs, and failed to take measures to relieve victim’s suffering after power harassment is inflicted.

In the ruling, the judge ordered Oriental Land to pay a meager sum of ¥880,000, approximately $7100, to the plaintiff in damages.

The Oriental Land Company released a statement saying “It is truly regrettable that some of our claims were not recognized in this judgment, and we will consider our future response after carefully examining the details of the judgment. In addition, no statements were found to fall under the category of ‘power harassment’ as claimed by the plaintiff. We apologize for the concern we have caused to our guests and all those who support us on a daily basis.”

The Oriental Land Company is also in the midst of a second lawsuit filed around the same time by a costumed character Cast Member related to inadequate worker’s compensation for long-term injuries.

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