Our Readers Are Not Recommending These Disney World Activities

Not to toot our own horn, but AllEars.net has quite a number of useful reviews to help you plan your Disney vacation. These reviews come directly from people who have visited the parks. Our readers leave comments and tips on their personal experiences and we hope that by sharing them, we can assist you when planning your own trip to Disney.

Fireworks in Magic Kingdom ©Disney

When looking over our reviews, though, we were surprised to find that our readers are NOT recommending these three Disney World activities. Remember, that even these “lower” reviewed activities are still rating at the 60% to 70% range.

FastPass+

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that FastPass+ had one of our lowest ratings. It currently is recommended by only 61% of our readers. Many feel that the newer FastPass+ system is subpar compared to Disney’s old paper FastPass system. Here are a few reasons for why our readers are rating the FastPass+ system relatively low.

The same number of people are riding the rides, so ultimately the system does not reduce wait times. Instead, it adds to them. Since guests with FastPasses for particular attractions are prioritized, the flow of the line slows down and the wait times shoot up!

Splash Mountain FastPass Entrance

Another reason is that some people feel that they are “punished” for not planning their trips weeks in advance. Since guests with FastPasses are prioritized in line, some feel it causes guests without FastPasses to wait excessively long wait times. This limits the amount of attractions those people can do in one day.

Lots of our readers felt that the new FastPass+ system limits flexibility. Since you can only arrange for three FastPasses at a time and those three have to be in the same park, you are pretty much locked into that park for the day. Also, your day is filled with running from one FastPass to another. Many felt this meant that most of their trip was spent on their phones. When they needed to modify or get a new FastPass, they would have to constantly be checking on their phones. This took them away from quality moments with their families.

FastPass+ Return Queue at Haunted Mansion

Some our of readers also felt that this reduces the spontaneity of Disney. For Annual Passholders or those who plan their trips at the last minute, all of the good FastPasses are gone. This is because people are able to make FastPasses 60 or 30 days in advance.

Many readers also left reviews stating that the newer FastPass+ system lost the efficiency aspect. It used to be much easier to get FastPasses for multiple attractions and it was easier to weigh out and decide if a FastPass was actually needed for the attraction. Nothing is more annoying than wasting a FastPass on an attraction that ends up having a 10 minute wait-time.

Some guests also felt that the system is unfair to those who are not staying at a Disney resort. Disney resort guests can start booking FastPasses 60 days in advance, whereas guests not staying on property can only get FastPasses 30 day in advance. This means that many of the big-name  attraction FastPasses, the rides you would REALLY want a FastPass for, are gone when they try to make FastPasses.

Minnie’s Seasonal Dining at Hollywood & Vine 

Many of our readers love character dining, BUT they are reviewing Minnie’s Seasonal Dining at Hollywood & Vine relatively low, with an overall rating of 62%. Readers have informed us that they felt the buffet offered subpar food options that was bland or there were not good options.

Many also complained that they were seated 30 to 40 minutes after their scheduled reservation. And readers commented that once seated, the experience was rushed. They felt hurried along when getting their picture taken at the front of the restaurant and they felt very rushed with the characters.

This also upset many guests who had waited SO long to meet the characters, only for the interaction itself to be insanely rushed. Which is interesting… because the restaurant isn’t THAT big. Guests have also reviewed that the restaurant can be very loud and chaotic.

Others let us know that when dining near the holidays, the restaurant has minimum seasonal decor. And the food options remained below average.

Hollywood and Vine

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party was another low-ranked activity that surprised me. Coming in with a rating of 64%, our readers seem to feel that the experience is way too expensive and crowded.

Many readers said that the crowds at the 2018 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party were unbelievable. They thought that too many tickets were sold, causing there to be way too many guests at the party. The crowds made it seemingly impossible to meet unique characters and to watch the fireworks and parades.

Other people were upset that there are so many unique offerings that are impossible to do. The lines have become so long that you can no longer get the full party experience. The wait times for food and drinks are insane. The ride queues and meet-and-greet lines can be impossible.

Readers also felt that Disney did a terrible job at weeding out those who did not have party wristbands. This made guests angry because people stayed at the party for free. On the flip side, those who did not have wristbands felt like cast members were very rude when telling them they needed to exit the park.

A lack of crowd control was also another reason people gave Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party such a low rating. Many readers commented that the crowds for fireworks and parades seemed angry and that there was quite a bit of yelling and pushing.

Minnie at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

Of course, it is important to remember that each of these locations have great reviews as well. Experiences can be different for each guest. BUT that is why it is important to let us know how you felt about your personal Disney experiences! Please let us know your favorite and least favorite Disney activities by leaving a review. This will help so many others when planning their Disney vacations!

Check out our awesome Rate and Review section here! Leave us a review and let us know what you think! 

 

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48 Replies to “Our Readers Are Not Recommending These Disney World Activities”

  1. I have to agree with the thought that the parties are overcrowded. We went to the Halloween party last year and the line for Jack and Sally was 4 hours long before the party guests were even being allowed in. And once the party started the lines for candy and treats were ridiculous.

  2. I love the FastPass system. If you stay on property, plan accordingly, and book your attractions 60 days in advance, you will get to see everything! Staying in a Disney resort is the only way to fully appreciate the vacation anyway.

  3. This article and the comments that accompany it are precisely the reason why I ONLY go to Disney Springs on WDW property. Parking is still free all day long. There are plenty of shops and restaurants. And despite the complaints that the change from Downtown Disney to Disney Springs took all of the “Disney Magic” out of that area, I for one still feel it. I have degenerative disc disorder and I get vertigo easily so I don’t do rides anyway, so it’s a nice way to be on Disney grounds and not have to deal with FP’s or ridiculous lines.

  4. If someone has problem with the fp system, they aren’t using correctly. We do last minute trips, like 2 day notice, and still get tons of fps.

  5. It all comes down to your basic supply and demand. Disney keeps raising prices because it can. The “tipping” point has not been reached. I always joke that for every person that swears off Disney, there are 2 waiting to take their place.

  6. “Some guests also felt that the system is unfair to those who are not staying at a Disney resort.” Unfair? We pay a huge premium to stay on site and should get some benefit. And I truly believe that Deluxe Resort guests should be able to book FPs before (or more) than someone staying at a moderate or value resort.

    I agree–I didn’t enjoy the party. I thought the parade was pretty lame, nasty crowds, not enough time, free food was awful. Was a big letdown.

  7. I agree with all the recommendations of what not to do at Disney World. You can add Crystal Palace to the list of sub-par food for the price. We also have never gone back to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. We gave it a second try and still agree it’s not worth the money!I can go either way on fast passes. I think the time of year also contributes to the lack of passes for the “good”rides. Try doing single rider if you don’t have a fast pass. It works sometimes better than the fast pass.

  8. I love the new FP system! It’s better than gathering the old paper tickets. Detailed planning is part of the fun for me. You can’t have a Plan B, if you don’t have a Plan A.

  9. We loved the Minnie seasonal dining, but it’s been a few years since we were there, so it may have changed since then.
    I’ve said this before, but Disney tosses out the line that they’re raising prices to thin out crowds, but that’s a big lie on their part. You don’t say how you want to thin out crowds then advertise almost constantly. If they really wanted to thin things out, they’d stop advertising the parks, the parties, etc.
    All of these things are of their own creation. And, frankly, it seems that unless their profits go down, they’re not inclined to take real action about it.

  10. I could not agree more about FastPass + and MVMCP, and I’ll add to that the Disney experience app. I’m an AP, have been going to Disney since 1985, have been there about 35 times, and I even got engaged there. But the pre-trip planning – which I used to love, and felt was part of the fun of a trip – has become out of control. I have young children and trying to plan out exactly where we want to be 2 months ahead of time is difficult, and frankly, not fun. I miss the old fast pass system, which was spontaneous and allowed for last minute planning. Having to be on the phone half my trip is terrible, especially with young kids staring at me staring at my phone. And there are a lot of glitches (even though I’m using an iPhone X) with the app so I end up frustrated about some computer error instead of enjoying the parks.

    I’ve done MVMCP a total of 3 times, with the most recent this past November. Totally different party this November. Was incredibly crowded. It didn’t even feel like a special ticketed event. Wait times at some rides were near daytime levels. Just moving around the park felt crowded. It’s very disappointing that Disney, which understandably wants to make as much money as possible, apparently no longer limits the number of tickets sold, or at least not as much as in prior years.

    Disney has every right to make money, and it appears they can charge whatever amount they want and people will still come. But I am surprised to find myself at a point where I don’t think I want to plan another trip for awhile. Having diehard fans start to stray may eventually come back to bite Disney, and they’ll end up with less money in the long run.

    1. This is what happens when a corporation and shareholders get greedy. The bottom line is not your happyness but your pocketbook. The theme is you gotta pay to play. Disney only wants people with deep pockets slowing alienating average families ability to take there kids . The new answer is sorry we simply cannot afford to take you to Disney 20 plus dollars just to park your car come on Disney really does concrete costs that much to maintain!

      1. Concrete may not cost that much, but the shareholders that have invested in Disney want the best return on their investment and will let the CEO and board members know about it if they don’t meet expectations.

        If you have a 401k or IRA and any of that money is in the C fund or large Cap. fund or blue chip fund, then you too are a Disney stock holder and the quality of your retirement is riding on how much profit they make.

  11. I agree re: FP+. Some people go to WDW for a holiday. A complete break from their working life. Having to spend half the time in Florida and the days before on your phone is no rest and no break. It was so much easier when you just went to a machine, popped your card in, and out popped a piece of paper with a time to return. Last year we were staying on Disney property, there was some problem with the busses and we had to wait an hour for a bus, the only FP+ I could get for Frozen was in the morning, which is not our preference on holiday, by the time we got to Epcot, due to the bus, it was about 15 minutes before our FP window ended. In the end we raced in soaring Florida temperatures across Epcot and got in just before our window ended. It was stressful, and not relaxing. We all had a big row and did not enjoy the ride at all.
    Spending my holiday on my phone is not relaxing or any kind of break.

  12. I agree with what people have said about Minnie’s Seasonal Dine at Hollywood and Vine. We went on our last trip in September 2018 and the food was not good at all. We will not be returning. We don’t say that very often about Disney restaurants. We are not picky eaters either. We were very disappointed with the food in both quality and choices.

    We absolutely love the new Fastpass system and feel like it saves us a LOT of time in line. It is nice to not have to actually walk to a Fastpass machine to get your passes too. They are very easy to get online. There are a lot of videos online that explain how to obtain them if you are having any issues or you don’t really understand the system.

    We haven’t ever been to Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party, but we have been to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party twice and I can say that it was a lot more crowded the second time than it was the first time. The first time was about twelve years ago and the last time was last September. We stood in line to get a picture with the Seven Dwarfs and waited almost two hours of our party time in line. It ruined our entire experience. We went there and got in line before the actual party even started. I had a list of things we wanted to see and do and we didn’t even get to 1/2 of them. It was super disappointing! We didn’t even bother getting in line to see any more special characters because the lines were 45 minutes long or longer. It cost us about $300.00. We will not be going again unless they start limiting the number of people at each party (more) or allow people access to the characters much earlier so that you actually have time to see more than one.

    1. I have heard this about H&V in general. On YouTube many people have stated that it is possibly the worst sit-down restaurant on the entire Disney property. Maybe if they had Minnie’s Seasonal Dine at some other establishment people would give better reviews.

  13. I am not a big fan of the fast pass. We are passholders and we only ride 1 or 2 rides per visit. We can’t get passes for most of the rides we want. Sometimes we don’t ride at all do to the fact my husband has Parkinson’s and we can’t just stand in a 90 minute line.

    1. Hi Zandra!
      I am pretty sure your husband would qualify for the DAS pass, which is a pass for people with special needs or require special assistance. You should check into it on your next trip. It works like a fast pass & is unlimited on how many times you can use it. You go to a ride, they scan your magic band & ask how many people, scan all bands of people wanting to ride & tell you what time to come back to ride. You then scan your band during that time & go through the fast pass line. As soon as you ride it, you can go to another ride. If you can get a note from his doctor, he may very well qualify for this pass! It’s worth checking into & would allow him to ride rides without standing in the long lines! You never know, unless you ask!

  14. I have gone from being a frequent AP visitor with over 300 visits to WDW in about 6 years to i will never go there again. About 5 years ago, I stopped going. It seems Disney has become greedy. Parking, admission and just about everything associated with the parks went up. It’s not the cost alone that keeps me away, it’s way too crowed & they changed the handicapped access policy. People constantly act like those of us in wheelchairs and scooters don’t even exist! It no longer was an enjoyable experience, i just stopped going. And I don’t miss it a bit.

    1. Joseph, you say that you haven’t been in about 5 years and will never go again and you won’t miss it. Yet you still follow the Allears Disney site. I am curious as to why that is?

      I might add that I am in the same situation as you. Just wondering if your reasons for continuing to follow WDW are the same as mine.

      1. Ken, I am one of those people that doesn’t want to go back but still follows Allears too. I think after all of these years being the person everyone goes to for all things Disney, it’s hard to get over being pushed out by greed. I think for me it’s a sort of grieving process. Possibly a morbid curiosity to watch and see if and when Disney finally crosses the line and starts losing money? I’m not sure what it is. It’s like a bad divorce…something in you wants to peep in and see what the ex is doing. It makes you feel better about your decision to leave lol. It definitely isn’t to see if they decide to change their minds and win back their dedicated followers because we know they simply couldn’t care less about the people anymore, it’s ONLY about the bottom line. I’ll sit here and watch other people with more money than I, go and then complain about the crowds and the fast pass system and all of the other things they’ve ruined. Disney is becoming a one and done type of vacation and I don’t think the powers that be see that. People just aren’t having those “magical moments” these days, and that thing that made so many of us fall in love and get hooked on those parks doesn’t happen any longer because it’s hard to notice the attention to detail and all of those little secrets and things that made Disney so far above all other theme parks because it’s too crowded and stressful of a vacation to have an opportunity to really sit back and take it all in. You have to have your face in your phone to get anything done, especially for these first time visitors. I meet more people these days that go and say they hated it! It always laugh when I hear that because I know they did NO research before their trip, but today, even us veterans find it stressful and overwhelming to try and plan a trip without a phd. It’s just not fun anymore.

        1. Dana, that sounds so familiar. Because My wife and I have been WDW fanatics for 20 years, we have friends and relatives always asking us if, and when, they should visit. It kills me, but I’m now telling them to spend their money elsewhere. And they don’t get it, because we have spent years sharing all of our wonderful stories about our trips from the past.

          I have a niece that has decided to go anyway with her two children (4 and 3). So it will be interesting to hear how it goes for them.

    2. Great points. I’ve gone dozens of times and even honeymooned there but am fed up. I’m surprised I’m actually reading this blog because after our last trip in November, I stopped. Nothing is enjoyable anymore. Greed, that’s all it is. 3/4 of the information I read and wanted to do–well, when I asked a cast member, they looked at me like I was nuts. The straw was that Voices of Liberty were not performing on the day we were at Epcot.

  15. I’m surprised at the negative spin of this post, coming from a fan site!
    Interestingly, Touring Plans investigated whether FP+ caused an increase in what times, and on average the answer is no. Some went up, some stayed the same, and some went down. Since they actually crunch the numbers and track this sort of data, I’ll take their word for it.

    1. I actually enjoy a more objective view instead of only pointing out the good things about a place. I would much rather know the good and the bad as to be better informed on my vacation planning rather than wasting valuable time on things that aren’t so spectacular. I think it’s a complete breath of fresh air that this site doesn’t pretend that Disney can do no wrong or that all of their articles are in defense of everything Disney does and is constantly trying to brainwash us into thinking that some of these horrible ideas are good ones. It’s the reason I come back to this site daily, and the only source I trust for the scoop on all things Disney. As for the fastpass system, I don’t need any numbers crunched to know that this system has increased wait times. I’ve been enough in the past 30 years to feel it for myself. I do think that it’s more to do with overcrowding than anything else. Back in the 90’s and early 2000’s the lines were NEVER this long. You could go to the parks in the winter off season and walk on at least 40% of the rides and it was sooo enjoyable. There is no off season now, and I have found that my usual off season dates are ridiculously crowded with wait times of up to an hour and a half, 2 hours for most rides. I just can’t do it. I’m just glad I got to experience it when I did.

  16. I have to agree with this article. My family and I just came back from an eight day stay at WDW Port Orleans Riverside. We did the fast pass reservations 60 days in advance but we felt locked without much flexibility to enjoy the rest of the parks spontaneously. The fast pass system seems to create a two tiered system for park visitors: those who wait less time for the rides but got locked in with fast pass and those who end up wasting their day going from one line queue to the next. We did the Mickey very merry Christmas party ten years ago and it was very crowded. We could barely enjoy it and had to leave early so I can’t imagine how bad it is now that Disney overcrowd their parks nonstop. We also did multiple character dinners and most of them felt rushed, with the exception being the Crystal Palace and the Garden Grill. We decided not to fight the crowds any mo3and either stayed at the hotel or went to Universal Studios. For some reason Universal studios felt much more pleasant and better controlled than Disney.

    1. We did not do Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party but was leaving the park from a late dinner reservation as the partiers were entering. It was horrible! Butt to gut, and it took us fifteen minutes to get from The Crystal Palace to the exit; and the exit is usually one to two minutes away! We’d NEVER do MVMCP based solely on that experience in itself!

  17. I 100% agree with the crowds at MVMCP. I went to the after hours event at the Magic Kingdom last year instead of the party. I don’t care about missing the parade and fireworks. And the shows are something I can skip so the after hours event worked for me. No crowds you can ride the attractions several times and I enjoyed the snacks.

  18. I love fastpass plus. I book my resort and get online at my exact 60 day point and usually get the attractions I want. We still go at park opening and early entry to get on things we could not fastpass but if you plan ahead you can get a variety of most of the popular rides

  19. I agree – they sell too many tickets to the special events: Christmas Party, Halloween Party! Fewer tickets could make the event much more enjoyable to those paying the high price for these tickets.

  20. I predict Disneyworld will go the way of Nascar.
    It may take a while, but corporate greed,and a diminished family experience will eventually catch up with the mouse.
    What a shame Disney has become just a vast money making machine.

    1. If corporations weren’t greedy they would go out of business. A company can maximize their profit and still put out a quality product. Works for Nike, Apple, Mercedes, etc.

      And using the talking point term “corporate greed” just reveals one ignorance of capitalism and the free market.

  21. The fast pass system works great. I can always make a plan the will get my group on 6 to 8 major attractions in a day, even on busy days. It’s all about timing, folks. You will sometimes have to stand in line patiently. It’s part of being a grown up. We time our ride schedule so that we can wait on standby, ride, then exit and go straight to our next fast pass.

    I find that the real reason why whiny people gripe about Disney is the fact that so many people are obese and completely out of shape. They hate having to physically move from ride to ride and nothing is going to make them have fun.

  22. been on both sides of the FP “debate”, planning trips months in advance and planning trips within 8 weeks. FP is still worth it no matter when you book. if AP holders don’t like it, they have to keep in mind they have an AP and are probably able to go a whole lot more often than people who live across the country, and therefore can probably go during “slow” times much easier, or can go to a park at rope drop, ride 1 or 2 things, and have that flexibility to leave and come back another day that vacation-goers do not have. this is one of the few “perks” left for shelling out a heap of money for a vacation package and staying on property. what IS NOT fair is all of the off property places being given FP priority. and frankly, let’s all be glad that it’s still FREE, for now. it’s not as if people are paying for something in this particular case.

    1. It’s only a matter of time before they start charging for FP+. They will have tiers…the higher the price the better the options. It’s coming. All other parks charge for these passes and at the rate WDW is going they will find a way to squeeze that money out of you.

  23. I actually love all three of these. Ever since 2015, I’ve never waited for any attraction for more than 10-15 minutes because of FP+. I can get most of the popular FP+ on the day of by keep refreshing the app and I always got everything I wanted including Soarin, Space Mountain, and even FEA with the exception of FoP, 7DMT, and SDD. I got FP+ for Space,Splash, BTMR on New Year Day by refreshing and I got both Soarin and TT on Christmas Eve.

    1. Me too. It’s all about timing and planning. You have to want to have fun!
      The only time I don’t enjoy WDW is during the Summer hear. Been there hundreds of times and we always have a blast.
      People are always gonna gripe, regardless.

      1. I can understand liking FastPAss if you are a local and frequent visitor. It’s great to be able to ride a couple of rides in a day knowing that you can just come back over and over and ride them all at your leisure. But for the visitors that only visit once in a lifetime or even every 4 or 5 years, it’s not so great.

    1. You Absolutely correct, fastpasses really increase the wait for the stand by lines. We have stopped going to Disney because of it. We were AP holders and getting one to two rides a day is not worth it.