From award-winning shows and movies to heart-stopping theme park attractions, Disney gets it right most of the time. There’s a reason — several in fact — that keep people going back for a Disney World vacation year after year.
But every now and again, Disney gets it wrong. And no, we don’t mean price increases (though we don’t love those either). We mean offerings that just missed the mark a little bit.
Here are three times we think Walt Disney World got it wrong.
1. Tomorrowland Cabanas
The winter holidays are some of the busiest times in the Walt Disney World parks, so it’s not shocking that Disney tried to offer a space where weary vacationers could relax, unwind, and recharge. The problem was, the space cost almost $700.
At the very high price tag of $691 (plus tax), you could rent a cabana in Tomorrowland for the day that came with charging stations, sunscreen, snacks, water, and lockable storage. Cabanas accommodated up to eight people.
While this may seem like the ultimate in luxury, the snacks were potato chips, sodas, and Mickey bars. At that price, you’d think at least a quick-service meal would be included! Honestly, the biggest draw was the shade and the coveted personal space during one of the busiest times of the year.
While this wasn’t a terrible idea, it wasn’t executed as well as it could have been. If Disney tries this one again, we suggest they lower the cost and up the food.
2. Not Relocating the Osborne Lights
Speaking of the winter holidays at Disney World, nothing was as spectacular as the Osborne Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. More than 5 million lights, snow, music — it was the ultimate in holiday cheer.
Sadly, it closed after the 2015 Christmas season to make way for new additions. While we love Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, we really miss the Dancing Lights! Flurry of Fun is wonderful — don’t get us wrong. But it’s just not the same.
While it’s understandable that the Streets of America had to close — that was a lot of wasted space — why did the Osborne Lights have to go too!? It seems to us they could have been relocated to somewhere else in Hollywood Studios, or even another park… or Disney Springs.
Mickey, if you’re reading this, can you bring them back? Pretty please?
3. Pirate and Princess Party
For two years, Magic Kingdom offered a third hard-ticket event (besides Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party) called Disney’s Pirate and Princess Party. It was offered on select nights in the first half of the year, and attendees were encouraged to dress up like pirates or princesses to enjoy special entertainment, characters, and their favorite attractions.
Sounds like fun, so why was it cancelled? First, while the fireworks were awesome (the same ones from the short-lived Summer Nighttastic!), the parade wasn’t as great as the parades at other hard-ticket events. The Castle Stage Show during the event was Dream Along with Mickey, which was the same exact show performed during the daytime. Additionally, unlike Halloween or Christmas, no one was really sure what a Pirate and Princess Party was. The offerings didn’t seem that different from a normal day in Magic Kingdom, so fewer people were reluctant to pay for an additional ticket.
However, a lot of people really enjoyed this event, and were quite sad it didn’t continue after two years. Disney came really close to hitting the nail on the head with this one, and we’d actually love if they brought it back with a few tweaks. Especially now that the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is a thing, with some new characters and a new stage show, it would be a hit!
So there you have it, three times we think Disney got things wrong. Do you have any candidates for this list? Let us know in the comments!
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Omg! How about having to STAND for World Of Color at California Adventure! Kids can’t see, handicapped can’t see, hard to stand in one spot so long. Awful
I’m going to go ahead and say redoing Imagination at EPCOT – a Tony Baxter gem and one of the most popular in the park – to try and shoe horn “The Imagination Institute” theme was arguably the biggest mistake. The new attraction version lasted 2 years and there was so much outcry about Figment being removed, The “fixed” version is just bad still without Dreamfinder.
Also, simply closing Wonders of Life pavilion and not replacing it seems like such a waste. The place was dated and probably needed some work but Cranium Command was awesome and Body Wars was essentially the park’s first thrill ride – to just kill the place and not replace it feels weird.
Finally staying on theme – I still bemoan losing World of Motion and Horizons to gain Test Track and Mission Space. They’re neat rides but Horizons was a masterpiece and M: S is hit or miss for many and WoM had so many fantastically comical AA scenes and not just…driving a car ….
When we go to Disney, our goto hotel is the Animal Kingdom Lodge with the savannah view. In the early days, we would bump up the hotel to be club level (concierge) so that we could go on the Sunrise Safari.
The Sunrise Safari would take folk on the normal Animal Kingdom Safari ride, but it would do so before the park opened and the driver could stop for longer periods of time to gawk/photograph at the animals. As the park opened we would go for a private breakfast that blended African and US foods (similar to what Boma offers).
On our first trip, Sunrise Safari was just getting started, and we were able to book a second Safari trip during our week there (on later trips, we would need to book it 180 days in advance). On that ride, there was a Disney honcho on the ride. It was only later when I watch several of the behind the scenes and making of videos, that I realized the Disney exec was Joe Rhode, one of the chief Imagineers for Animal Kingdom (due to the large earring that he wears).
In our last trip, they stopped doing the Sunrise Safari, so we downgraded from club level to normal savannah view level. We saved a bit of money, but still I would have preferred to go on the Sunrise Safari once again.
It would be so easy for Disney to return the Lights of Winter to the walkway between Future World and World Showcase.
Biggest thing Disney got wrong – choosing Dinoland USA over Beastly Kingdoms. Like WHAT were they thinking 💀
You have to add when Disney turned the castle in to a birthday cake. That was god-awful. What if that was the only time you came to see the castle?
Taking the Bakery out on Main Street and putting in a Starbucks. I know it is always crowded but they could have added Starbucks coffee to the Main Street Bakery. Miss it and Walt would have never allowed the chain on Main Street.
ESPN The Weekend was one of my favorite events for Disney. It’s a shame they can’t bring that one back
Still can’t believe they got rid of the Osborne Lights. The best part of going to WDW during the holidays!!
We did the P&P party back in January 2007 and we loved it. The fireworks were the best we ever seen! The bounty was pretty good too. The dance party was really fun. Our kids had a blast!!!
We did the Pirate and Princess party and thought it was fun, though we have no other hard ticket experiences with which to compare it. Changing Soarin’ would make my “got it wrong” list before this would.
My family loved the pirate and princess party!!! We would love if they brought it back!
I have heard, from a friend who goes, that you can now see the Osborne lights at Silver Dollar City in Branson. So they aren’t gone they just aren’t at Disney
Can I just say what a refreshing thing it is to see a website that is objective in their views instead of the typical, “Disney can do no wrong” attitude that most every other site displays. This change makes this site much more relatable and interesting to visit every day, especially in light of all of the recent price hikes and corporate greed that have cut so many of its constant supporters right out of the magic. Allears is absolutely the best site to visit on all things Disney…good or bad. That is exactly why I still visit every day even though at this moment in time I may be disillusioned, the fact that Allears gets it, is something alien to all other Disney sites. Kudos to you and thank you!
I don’t understand why the Studios doesn’t just put the Osborne lights down the mainstreet area? I mean it’s an end of the night thing that people tend to do and then filter out of the parks. It would draw them into the stores as well.
I also looked forward to the Osborne lights. Please bring them back.
The worst change for our family was the change at animal kingdoms bird show with the up characters,the show with the pretend tour guide was so much better we would always catch that show on all our visits now after watching the new show we we wont even waste our time its really bad,just our opinion.
I agree! The old show was much better!
The top picture is an odd one to have heading this column, seemingly implying that Festival of the Lion King is “wrong”. I don’t think that’s your intent, but it feels like the implication (to me, anyway).
If I made a list of the top 100 things WDW got wrong, these wouldn’t even make that list.
It’s her blog, who cares what you think. What are your 100?
Another grouchy, grumpy grumble from Ken
Debbie, I have some positive posts on some of the other articles in recent days. In fact, about 50% of my posts are not critical of Disney. Do you ever read those?
If you don’t care, why are you asking?
The 1999 redesign of the Imagination pavilion to remove Figment and Dreamfinder was a terrible mistake. Which Disney obviously realized given that it lasted only 2 years!
I agree, that should be number one on the list because that one still hasn’t been righted nor forgiven by the masses. Disney just refuses to admit when their wrong.