Walt Disney World

It has been building slowly but my fascination (appreciation?) with Disney is fading.

I know! Don’t fall out of your chair. Who is this guy, right?

Let me attempt an explanation… no promises it will stay coherent.

My first visit to Walt Disney World was in 1973. I have some vivid memories of that trip but I sometimes wonder if they aren’t an idealized version mixed with reruns of The Wonderful World of Disney I watched when I was young. There was one or two more visits but they were before Epcot had even opened.

Fast forward to 2001. Married with two kids and planning a trip in October of that year. That trip got pushed to April 2002 after the events of September. It was a whirlwind experience. We didn’t know if we would be back and tried to do everything. The kids were troopers but boy did we push the envelope. That trip awakened the Disney beast. It became an annual destination and eventually, multiple trips a year.

It was a different experience at the parks back in those early years. There were a lot of chances to interact with the characters. There were more walk-around performers (MGM Studios Citizens of Hollywood anyone?) and more themed musical performances. The wait in attraction lines was tempered by the use of the FastPass system. Becoming an expert in that system was a badge of honor on your Disney accomplishment list.

When covid hit, Disney took it as an opportunity to revamp the whole experience. Gone was the FastPass system, gone were many of the performers in the parks. What was left felt cheapened, a less magical place to visit. It hasn’t been the experience it used to be. Forget about the ridiculously rising costs and the overly restrictive apps needed to gain access to attractions without spending 120+ minutes in a line. I don’t want to have to use my phone to order my food or pay for a chance to ride the latest attraction. I bought an over-priced ticket, that should be enough. I don’t want to look at my phone at all. I should be so enveloped in the parks that the outside world disappears.

My last visit was in February for the Festival of the Arts at Epcot. I was disappointed. I had a pretty good time but as I said, the magic is gone. I didn’t bother planning a trip for October (when I typically visit for the International Food & Wine Festival). I think I’ll plan at least one more trip, probably in early 2026 but it will have to be something special if my mind is going to be changed.

Here are a few images from that trip in February…