Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<I guess if I am going to complain I should just go elsewhere. Let my feet do the walking. But alas, my kids won't let me....so... *deep breath* *exhale* ...I'm stuck in the Disney machine...and they know it.>> DUDE!!! You've got to get away from all them progeny and out of the Southeast stat! Book yourself a flight to Las Vegas and let me know when you will be there. Your buddy RoadTrip will meet you there and we’ll do Vegas. After about 72 hours of non-stop drinking, gambling and eating at cheap buffets, you will be more than happy to head back to Atlanta. There you will resume your position of paterfamilias to the DVC_dad clan. Once again WDW will seem wonderful and balance will have been restored to your universe. There two WONDERFUL things about Las Vegas: 1) It is probably more danged fun than you've ever had before. 2) Once you've had a few days there, home never looked so good! (Why do you think no one sells vacation packages for 10 days in Las Vegas?) I'm waiting for ya buddy...
Originally Posted By jkayjs OOOH, OOOH, OOOH Trippy you forgot the most important thing. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas or maybe somewhere on an obscure little site called LP in WE.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I think people really need to put their money where their mouth is. I think WDW is a lot of fun and a satisfactory value, so I keep going there.>> I agree. That's why I go. Of course, I always get discounted resort rooms or stay off-property because their resorts aren't worthy of the rack rates they command. I always get discounted food because I am a DDE member and have been since they began in '95 (back when it was just for FLA residents as I believe it should be now ... and not open to anyone who has an AP or is a DVC 'owner'). I don't buy anything in the parks that I can get at the cast sales or outlet stores. I don't, except in rare times, buy quick serve food in the parks (except for DAK_) when I can be at a McDonald's (off-property) or Chik-Fil-A or Quizno's in minutes etc ... Oh, I also have the least expensive AP cost out there because I'm one of those few thousand loyal guests who have had them for a quarter of a century! So by my scale, WDW is one helluva value. But I am not the typical guest ... <<If you don't, why on earth do you go? There are several very nice non-Disney parks in Orlando that you could visit. >> Yep. That's why I also have an AP for Uni's parks and have off and on had one for Sea World too! <<If you've got the Disney jones really bad, go to California instead.>> I actually spend months of the year in LA/Beverly Hills, so I am at DL more often than WDW. <<Airfare doesn’t cost that much and everything else will be cheaper than it is at WDW. I just don't understand why people will constantly complain about something but then keep buying it.>> What I don't get is how intelligent people can't/won't understand how you can complain about a place and still love it. I guess you never complain about your wife or kids, right Trippy? <<Did Ford start improving their quality because people were unhappy? No. They improved their quality when people started buying Toyotas instead of Fords.>> Fords are still crap. <<I'm not saying love it or leave it;>> Good. Because it sounds like it. And I find that to be one of the most ignorant arguments to be made. And I think so highly of you! <<I think it is appropriate for good customers to make their views known to a company they do business with. Just realize that it won't make nearly as much difference as changing your buying habits.>> No. What changes a company's policies (especially one like DIsney that only craves positive publicity) is when you do complain and doing so in a forum like this, that is monitored by people in positions to change/mold/make policy is actually more effective than dropping off a note at City Hall. Also, contacting the actual management is always a good way of getting your point across at TWDC or any other company. That's just the way American business operates in the 21st century. Things like Guest Relations don't exist to solve your problems. They exist to make you go away, even if it means paying you off to do so. <<One of the more surreal experiences on this board was when a person was complaining consistently and loudly about the Disney Dining Plan. About how it was making reservations impossible to get and was resulting in menus being dumbed down. Then that SAME person talked about how on their upcoming trip they were going to use the DDP because it was too good a value to pass up.>> I'm going to assume here that you're talking about me. If I'm wrong, please correct me. The last two years, I have taken advantage of the DDP BECAUSE IT WAS FREE! I paid nothing for it. It came with my room. All I had to do is buy a freaking one-day ticket that can be applied to my AP making it cost even less when it comes time for renewal. Only a fool wouldn't take free food when it is offered. But I'd gladly forgo it if it would make the plan disappear. <<Knock, knock McFly... is anyone home in there? That is sheer lunacy. I think the DDP sucks for the reasons that have been outlined on these boards. My wife, daughter and I are going to WDW next week. Even though we plan to have dinner every evening in a Disney table service restaurant we are not purchasing the DDP. Why on earth would we do that when we think it is doing bad things to Disney dining?>> You don't. Just like I don't. I would never pay a penny for it. Period. But if Disney is going to offer it for free to entice people to stay in their 30,000 rooms during the two worst months of the year to visit, I'll go eat up. FWIW, I didn't book it for next year because with no appetizer, plus making me pay a gratuity, it is absolutely very little value even free. <<I don't understand. If you really don't like something, don't buy it. How do people not get that?>> Maybe I'm slow or dimwitted ... but you don't. This thread is about price gouging during the holidays. You won't see me at WDW during the Christmas/New Year period and, if I were, I wouldn't be paying $32.99 for a crappy buffet with foamheads when I could go to Las Vegas and for half the price have a gourmet buffet without the characters and the brats!
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Alaska is an incredible experience, for the whole family.>> You can say that again and again ... just an amazing place! <<But not only are there cruises to go on, but as someone else suggested, going to Yellowstone or Yosemite are incredible things to do. Visiting San Francisco or NYC is a really fun experience.>> All great places to spend time. I've never been to Yellowstone, but it's on my list. Yosemite may well be my fave place on earth. But you must realize, Jon, that this is a Disney fan forum. Sadly, there are folks here who won't broaden their horizons one bit. Every summer they'll spend their two weeks at WDW and that's it. Year after mindnumbing year. There are so many amazing places to visit, just in our country alone. And a whole world of incredible destinations. I love WDW. Some of my happiest times have been spent there. But it's not like whalewatching in Alaska or watching volcanos spew lava into the ocean in Hawaii as you sit on your cruise ship balcony a mile away or having dinner on the grass under the Eiffel Tower or rafting the Colorado River or dining at an outdoor cafe on Lake Como in Italy or hiking in the mountains of Vermont or snorkeling on a reef teeming with sea life in St. John ... all of which I have done. Nope. Sorry, I love Disney much more than the next guy, but it just doesn't measure up to those type experiences. Not even close.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip << guess you never complain about your wife or kids, right Trippy?>> Hell no!! How do you think I’ve been married for 29 years? As long as the love lasts and the good things outweigh the bad things I suck it up and deal with it. <<I'm going to assume here that you're talking about me. If I'm wrong, please correct me. The last two years, I have taken advantage of the DDP BECAUSE IT WAS FREE! I paid nothing for it. It came with my room. All I had to do is buy a freaking one-day ticket that can be applied to my AP making it cost even less when it comes time for renewal. Only a fool wouldn't take free food when it is offered. But I'd gladly forgo it if it would make the plan disappear.>> I have no clue if that was you. That is why I can be a happy camper on these boards for so long. I make it a point to never tie a specific comment to an LP’er. Sure… I know overall points of view… Darkbeer will never post anything good about DCA or democrats. Jonvn will post bunches of stuff that may be contradictory and bizarre but I don’t care because he amuses me. The Spirit will post bunches of stuff that I agree with, but on occasions I think he takes it too seriously. We’re talking about a freaking amusement park for god’s sakes! The witches are the witches… what can you say? Lithium can help with that. But overall, I have no idea who the heck said what. I don’t want to know. It eliminates baggage. I can think the Inspector is a total idiot one night and a genius the next. Why not? I try to carry nothing forward. I respond to LP’ers one post at a time. It is a whole bunch of fun. Like Walt Disney World!
Originally Posted By Brian Noble <<It has reached a religious status in our American Culture for many people>> Your view of this may be biased by hanging out on Disney fansites. The World is nothing more than a fun diversion for the vast majority of people you see in the parks.
Originally Posted By jonvn "Think about it. There are people on this board talking about spreading their ASHES at WDW. " It's grotesque. People have been doing it for years, though. "It has reached a religious status in our American Culture for many people." Oh my god, you sure have that right. It's beyond belief. They really have their hooks into people. It's scary. It's supposed to all be in fun, but for some people, it's become their life. Filling their homes with this stuff, going every week to the place. It's a church. And it's creepy as can be.
Originally Posted By jonvn "But you must realize, Jon, that this is a Disney fan forum." True. But if someone is going to be mad about something, I say try something else. People really need to broaden their horizons, but you are right, a lot of times they will not. "Jonvn will post bunches of stuff that may be contradictory and bizarre " I NEVER do that. Well, maybe once in a while. Ok, sometimes. Really, yes, all the time.
Originally Posted By demderedoseguys >I could use a long weenend in Vegas!< I think you mean weekend.!!!!!
Originally Posted By demderedoseguys And BTW- DVC dad, I've just about had it with all your negativity toward Disney. With 6 kids plus one on the way, you better get a 'tude adjustment, because guaranteed those kiddies are so hooked on Disney right now, you have no choice but to go. It may not be perfect like it should be, but for the most part I've never had a bad time there and still hate that dreaded last day. I'll tell you a story. A few years ago year we decided to go to visit friends in Ohio for vacation and go to Cedar Point. My younger son , who was 8 at the time was furious and crying on the plane that he didn't want to go. The stewardess came up to him and asked him why he was so unhappy. He said that his parents were mean because we were taking him to Cedar Point. She said that Cedar Point was a nice place to go and didn't understand why he thought we were being mean. He replied that we were horrible for not taking him to WDW like we usually did for summer vacation. All the passengers starting good naturedly ribbing us for not bringing him and his brother to Disney. Lesson learned. No vacation from that point on unless it was to Disney.
Originally Posted By jonvn I mean, I may be conflicted, but then again, maybe I'm not. I'll have to think about it.
Originally Posted By DVC_dad <<<for the most part I've never had a bad time there and still hate that dreaded last day.>>> Yeah.... I know ..... me too.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 Since yet another one of my threads has been derailed (happens almost as frequently as Amtrak), I suggest we all head to Vegas for a long weekend ... they have really good buffets there too!
Originally Posted By jonvn I'm not a big fan of buffets. Makes me eat too much. I rather just sit and order and have food brought to me. And drinks. Food and drinks brought over, while I sit on my rear and do nothing. I think that's a lot better.
