The Golden Years... The Sweet Spot... Call it what you will... But there will always be a time before changes took place, that things always seemed to be better. Reoccurring change after change, with the passing of time, we always seem to miss what once was. Why? Perhaps it's simply because by nature, most of us don't like change... or as we look at the big picture of it all, changes almost always eliminate favorite things or change how things are done. Some new things are good... but changes & eliminations loom huge when thinking about what you had before, and what you have now.
There's a reason why things from the past usually seem better... Because they were. And Disney is no exception... or at least that's my perception.
The sweet spot for us was from 2004 through 2011. During this time, the best themes were... "The Happiest Place on Earth" and "The Year of a Million Dreams". Spinning 6 years combined... Great years not only for the attractions, rides, shows, and parades, not to mention special events... but the crowds in the parks were much less... and there was a higher degree of a level playing field. Playing field? No matter how you choose to purchase your admission to the parks or where you stayed everyone was treated equally. One day tickets, multi-day tickets, seasonal passes, annual passes, all got the same opportunity as it related to Fast Passes. Now you get preferential access to Fast Passes if you stay at Disney Resorts, and can even purchase extra Fast Passes via resorts accommodations, or buy combination dinner priority event / show priority seating. There's even special priority seating and viewing areas for resort guests via Fast Passes.... like Magic Kingdom fireworks.
Today there's the greatly increased crowds, increased prices, and the current concept that Disney is finding more and more ways to charge prices for more and more special privileges or benefits.
Change upon change. But if you only go to Disney for vacation once a year, or every couple of years, changes are mostly unseen. If you were able to go to Disney much more often , then changes become prevalent. We were able to go to Disney 4-5 months each year with unlimited access (annual passes) for 8 years. So seeing the changes are extremely noticeable.
Of course, some of the recent changes also include personnel changes.... more and more foreign exchange students and H-1B foreign guest workers are replacing American cast members... and they are not as knowledgeable nor very helpful as we had experienced in the past. Disney standards for cast members seems to be slipping in favor if cheaper help.
Recent cut backs and cost cutting efforts of reducing personnel, cutting back on shows, and eliminating events, only adds to the negative changes. Most notably, the Magic Kingdom night time parades... SpectroMagic & The Electric Light Parade... both gone as cut cutting efforts continue to give less while paying more.
So... higher prices, longer lines, longer waits, bigger crowds, paying more, getting less, seeing extra privileges and benefits for those with the ability to buy them... well, as the negatives pile up... they certainly out weigh the positive changes. So as you see.... for some of us... The "Magic" is loosing its luster. Becoming tarnished from what once was... if you could have experienced all the changes over time.
But... take from it what you will. Disney magic is still the best show in town, unmatched... but not the experience that it once was.
So glad we experienced Disney during the "Sweet Spot" in time.
