It’s no secret that Disney World changes a LOT. And it’s DEFINITELY not a secret that sometimes people are unhappy about it!
We’ve seen longtime Disney fans rant online about the loss of many things in the past — from rides to FastPasses to favorite snacks and more. But which changes are truly the worst? We reached out to our followers and asked “Which Disney World change do you think is unforgivable?” and WOW their responses were interesting.
Getting Rid of Magical Express
Let’s start this list out with a freebie that was taken away at the beginning of 2022 — Disney’s Magical Express. The complimentary transportation service was done away with last year, and now, guest staying at Disney World resorts will need to figure out their own transportation to and from the airport.
One of our readers said “Getting rid of Magical Express. It wasn’t a money maker but it was a huge customer “win”. Bailing out on that and turning the additional transportation cost and responsibility over to guests was a big mistake from a PR and image perspective.” Many seemed to agree with that sentiment.
Of course, we’re not really surprised by this answer. It’s not usually a popular decision when Disney decides to get rid of a free perk.
Introducing Genie+
And speaking of free perks that Disney did away with — let’s talk about Disney Genie+. The former FastPass+ system wasn’t always popular (some people preferred the paper FastPasses that you would pick up at kiosks around the park), but since Disney Genie+ was introduced, many fans have begged Disney to bring the old system back.
FastPasses were free for all guests and available to be booked through the My Disney Experience app in advance of your vacation. But now, guests are required to pay (per person) for Genie+ and must get up at 7AM if they want the best choice of attraction availability. Many were upset about both the price and the early rising while on vacation.
One of our readers even said “I don’t mind Genie but having to wake up early every morning on vacation to fight for your schedule to work with your dining plans you make months before is stressful.” Many others shared their disdain for the cost — it might add hundreds of dollars to the Disney vacation that you already saved up for.
Requiring Theme Parking Reservations
While we’re on the subject of tech changes, several of our readers mentioned Disney Park Pass reservations. Ever since the pandemic, you’ve been required to make a park pass reservation if you wish to visit a Disney theme park. It can be annoying when the park you want to visit is already booked up, and it makes the Park Hopping situation a bit more complicated.
As one reader bluntly put it — “If I’m paying you $630 for a week, I should be able to go to a park on what day I want.” Someone else mentioned that it was particularly hard to schedule visits as a local. It’s definitely a lot more challenging to plan spontaneous trips!
Having the Dining Plan Unavailable
One question we probably get asked EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. is — “when will the dining plan come back?” Disney hasn’t brought back the offering since the pandemic, although they said a while ago that it would come back in the future. (We just don’t have a date or timeline yet.)
So why are people upset about it being gone? Many want the luxury of having to think about as little things as possible while on vacation. One reader shared the following: “Getting rid of dining plan. It was very convenient and I really hope they bring it back.”
If you’re all about convenience, it might’ve been a popular option for your family…even if it wasn’t always cost-effective!
Changes in Hollywood Studios & EPCOT
And last but not least, let’s talk about changes in Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. Arguably, these two parks have seen the most change since Disney World opened, with entire lands being demolished and attractions getting replaced constantly.
There were several long-lost attractions and offerings that were mentioned, including The Great Movie Ride, Horizons, The Living Seas, The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, and many others. All these things have been replaced with other new lands and attractions, and some of our readers are still grieving the loss.
Those are the top 5 “unforgivable” changes in Disney World according to our readers. But here’s the thing — most of them aren’t technically unforgivable since these same fans keep coming back to the parks over and over again. In time, even more changes will come, and we’ll end up missing the “good ol’ days” of 2023. That’s just the theme park business!
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We’ll make sure to keep you updated on any more changes or announcements that Disney World makes for this year, so stay tuned to DFB.
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Which change affected you the most? Tell us in the comments!
The post 5 Totally Unforgivable Disney World Changes first appeared on the disney food blog.