Worst Recent Disney Mistakes
The Walt Disney Company operates one of the most impressive businesses on the planet.
Don’t let naysayers ever convince you otherwise. Disney’s the gold standard for a diversified, mature business with several effective revenue streams.
Photo: Washington Post
Even as people criticize Disney’s operating income, it claimed record revenue of $82.7 billion in fiscal 2022.
Alas, some criticisms of Disney hold water, though. The company’s not perfect, even in its dominant theme park division.
Photo:visitorlando.com
Here are some of Disney’s worst recent park and resort-related mistakes.
The Confusing Names of Disney’s Digital Services
When Disney announced the names for its upcoming digital services, I just shook my head in frustration and disappointment.
Photo: Disney
Tangibly, Disney fans couldn’t do anything else as the company had pot-committed to the new identities.
Suddenly, park guests faced a new plethora of options during a visit.
They could use a virtual assistant to strategize the best possible itinerary for the day, a welcome addition.
Photo: Disney
Also, they could purchase the new paid version of FastPass, which wasn’t an ideal option. Fans have taken a shine to it anyway, though.
Finally, people could experience the most popular attractions at the parks by buying their way past most of the lines.
Photo: wirefly.com
On their own, the three enhancements, while not ideal by any stretch, made sense and provided new benefits for vacationers.
The names didn’t do anybody any favors, though. To this day, I’m still explaining to friends that Disney Genie isn’t the same as Disney Genie+.
Disney Genie+
Disney Genie costs nothing to use and empowers guests with the sum knowledge of all Disney theme parks. It’s a stunning achievement.
Disney Genie+ allows guests to skip the longer lines at many attractions. It’s basically FastPass for a fee.
Photo: Disney/The Street
Alas, the shorter line is called the Lightning Lane. Also, when you ride one of the pay-to-play attractions, you’re purchasing a…Lightning Lane.
Yes, Disney, in its infinite wisdom, gave the same two names to three entirely different products.
Photo: Disney
If I could make a dated sitcom reference, it was the theme park equivalent of this:
“I’m Larry, this is my brother Daryl, and that’s my other brother, Daryl.”
That 40-year-old joke works perfectly as “I’m Lightning Lane, this is my brother Disney Genie, and this is my other brother, Disney Genie+.”
The Lack of Shade at Toy Story Land
Disney opened Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on June 30th, 2018.
During the marvelous themed land’s first full month in operation, the average high temperature was in the 90-degree range.
Temperatures crossed 100 degrees on multiple days. And that made Disney fans extra cranky.
Park officials infamously decided some aspects of Toy Story Land that quickly proved short-sighted.
Photo: PassportToTheParks.com
I cannot blame Disney for this, as it had stretched its Imagineers historically thin at the time.
Cast members built Toy Story Land, closed and re-themed The Great Movie Ride, and created the wondrous Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at the same time.
Photo: Josh Hallett
Management wanted to reinvent Hollywood Studios as quickly as possible. And the reality is that when you microwave something, it’s not as good as cooking in the oven.
When you shrink the time on something, you’ll sacrifice some of the quality.
In the case of Toy Story Land, park officials skimped on the shade. And everyone knew it before the place even officially opened.
Some of the early previews for Toy Story Land occurred during the day.
Photo: TheCoasterKings.com
Guests sweated as they stood in line for Slinky Dog Dash and Alien Swirling Saucers. As they did, they loudly wondered about the lack of shade.
By the end of the summer of 2018, everyone knew Disney needed to add some shade.
Park officials have gradually done so, but there’s only X amount that’s possible after the fact.
This early design aesthetic has proven a frustrating learning experience for Disney, with park guests ultimately paying the price.
Magical Express Ending
Photo: Mears
I’m not going to relitigate this one, as everyone knows the deal by now.
At the pandemic’s beginning, Mears Transportation Group laid off more than 90 percent of its staff.
Photo: Mears
When Walt Disney World reopened, it did so without Magical Express. Part of the explanation stems from the lack of a reliable business partner.
The other part centers on Bob Chapek’s penny-pinching business policies.
Photo: Disney
In short, Magical Express returned briefly during the pandemic, but it wasn’t the same. Disney recognized this and killed the program.
Now that we’re long past the worst of COVID-19, Disney should bring Magical Express back.
Magical Express bus
I consider this decision a no-brainer. Disney…disagrees.
The Pricing on Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser
Photo: Disney
Everyone agrees that the so-called Star Wars Hotel lives up to the hype. If it didn’t, the place wouldn’t have sold out for almost the entirety of 2022.
As a long-time member of the tourism industry, I’d never tracked a resort whose occupancy rate was in the mid-90s, much less 100 percent! That’s impossible!
Credit: Kent Phillips, photographer/Disney
So, this mistake reflects a philosophy rather than an immediate setback.
The consensus opinion is that Disney priced Galactic Starcruiser too aggressively.
Photo:(Matt Stroshane, photographer)
I’ll readily acknowledge that Disney executives can easily justify this decision. After all, the place sold out for the body of its first year!
However, Disney thinks in terms of many years, not just the first one.
Photo: Wikimedia
Management accidentally or intentionally fostered the perception that Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser costs a lot of money to experience.
Seriously, at current pricing, you could probably visit Paris or Hawaii/Aulani for a week instead.
Photo: Disney
Oddly, those trips might not be as memorable, though. Right now, nothing else on the planet matches the Star Wars Hotel with regard to immersion.
Still, Disney was already fighting frequent headlines about its price increases.
(David Roark, photographer)
Adding a $5,000 experience in 2022 strikes me as the worst possible timing, and I say that as a frequent defender and ardent proponent of Galactic Starcruiser.
Ruining Vacation Mornings
Photo: DisTripQueen
I’m like a dog with a bone on this one because it’s ridiculous. During the pandemic, park officials suddenly decided the vacation fates of all guests.
Disney scheduled Disney Genie+ bookings to start at 7 a.m. Disney also scheduled Lightning Lane reservations to start at 7 a.m.
Photo: Disney
For a while, guests could buy Disney Genie+ at midnight on the day of a park visit. Then, management pushed that start time to – you guessed it! – 7 a.m.
Disney, why are you so obsessed with 7 a.m.? Serious question.
Anyway, a park visit now comes with added stress (a LOT of it) just as most people are starting their days.
You step out of the shower, you chug some coffee, and then bam! You’ve already got skin in the game with your park visit.
If you don’t get the right Disney Genie+ or Lightning Lane reservation for your park visit, your entire itinerary could be ruined…at 7 a.m.
For many years, Disney allowed guests to book Advanced Dining Reservations 180 days in advance and FastPasses 60 days ahead of time.
Photo: Pexel.com
Some fans complained that Disney vacations required too much planning.
Now, Disney has overcorrected with a system that makes zero sense to anyone who has lived it.
Photo: Disney
When you’re on vacation at Disney, the last thing you want is stress while you’re still in your hotel room.
I just don’t get this decision by Disney.
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Feature Photo: Disney
I agree wholeheartedly with this. My family is not at all Disney fans but when I tried to budget a family vacation my myself, husband 2 sons and their 2 girlfriends. It was the best option for having something to entertain everyone for the full 7 days. Magical express fast passes early hours. For 6 it was I felt a good price. After the first year we were hooked. In the past 7 years there is only 2 years we have not been back to DW. W
Prior we LOVED our vacations. We have everything streamlined to perfection for our family. Did all the unknown extras. Pin trading. Hidden mickeys. Anyone who would give me 5 minutes I could easily show them how it’s a pricy vacation but when you figure it out very economical per person. Especially for the “Disney quality”Plus staying on site was soooo worth it. No car rental. No extra activities to pay for. Busses to and from parks to we could all do different things and meet up later. No worries about my kids driving to parks. I have had 5-6 families ask me to work with them for tips and tricks and plan their day. Even when GE opened we NEVER spent more than 30-40 minutes in any line in all those years. But all the changes made really disheartened me. I would have to pay more for less. No magical express. No fast passes. No long early morning hours. We have not been back since these changes and the next trip we plan will be the first time I will be looking to possibly stay off site. That’s sad. Prior in 1 visit Disney had awed 6 different family members ages 16,17,18,19,43 and 45. So much so every single member unanimously voted to go back year after year 4 years in a row. We took one year and visited universal. But the next unanimously voted Disney for year 6. Since changes started not one had even voted for Disney as a vacation option. Don’t get me wrong Disney is absolutely amazing. But we had always felt with some work in planning. Watching for deals and working your fast passes properly you could have a amazing vacation for a very responsible price. After those vacations now to pay more for the total vacation to get soo much less and more time standing in lines. Was just too much.