Feel like the magic has gone!

[Therigbys]

Hi All,
Just wanted some advice please. We were originally meant to do Disneyworld last August staying at Coronado, we planned on doing 14 days at Disney with 2 nights at Universal staying at the Hard Rock in the middle and a day at Discovery Cove. That was then moved to this August, but we cancelled earlier in the year.
With all the changes I am not really feeling it anymore, and really can't justify spending the extra it will cost us to go.
As I turn 50 in 2023 I am thinking I might actually prefer to do New York, go on to Universal and do Discovery Cove over 10 days. Then plan a trip to Disneyland Paris for 4 days for the Disney fix probably actually do that in the February on my 50th, the kids birthdays are in August so would be nice to DC with dolphin swim for them then!

We preferred Universal when we visited Florida last time and we like the big rides so think Universal would suit us.

Has anyone else done this? Any tips on who to book with? The best way to do it? Any advice or help would be gratefully received.

[Rachv38]

That sounds like a good idea. I know what you mean with Disney, so many things ha e changed. We went in 2019 and did 3 weeks staying at port Orleans with free dining. We loved it, the paln was for this year to do universal as we didn't do it last time. We did discovery cove with dolphin swim and seaworld instead. We should be there now but It was cancelled. We are now saving for 2023 and the plan was to do disney and universal. Now with all these changes don't know what to do. If free dining came back agian would stay at Disney with a few nights universal. I'd also love to do New York. Disneyland Paris isn't even cheap anymore, you're looking at £3000 for 4 nights. First time we stayed there kids under 12 were free, since then cost has gone up. Looks like no disney holiday is good value for money anymore. Its a shame as we love Disney holiday's. Not one for beach holidays.

[prugone]

We were fortunate enough to visit Disney back in the 1980s with our boys when the magic struck you as you turned off the 192 into the main entrance road and marvelled at the huge expanse of Disney travelling a fair distance before going under the arch and onto WDW. Then arriving at the enormous car park to be directed so expertly to your space before boarding the train to what you thought would be the entrance only then to make the decision whether to board the monorail (in the 80s that was a wow!) or the paddle steamer before eventually reaching the entrance to the park. The magic continued as you walked down Main St for the first time and looked at the castle. Then to wander around (before fast passes were born) taking in the Peter Pan ride, Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, the revolving theatre and that ride where you climbed down into a 'submarine' and 'went under the sea' (was it 20,000 Leagues?) So many other attractions and rides, the likes we had never seen before. The whole ambience of the place was MAGIC ! Then it was into Epcot and a different but no less wonderful experience. Over the years and many visits later the magic was still there but once our children had grown up we grew found of the gulf coast for our holidays until some years later our grand children came along and a return to WDW on a few occasions occured but it didn't seem to have the same magical feeling. Perhaps it was age or the realisation that Disney was no longer the novelty it was but I think it was more to do with the feeling that money was taking over as the motivational factor. Don't get me wrong, Disney has always been a business but years ago the wonder seemed to be uppermost in your mind. Haven't visited for some years now and I think our Florida trips are now in the past but I still get a buzz reading on the Dibb about other people's trips etc and it brings back lots of good memories but my overriding feeling is that the 'magic' is wearing a little thin these days.

[Bestbubba]

Everything you just said echoes how we feel. First visit 1983, I stood in Main Street and cried! We've loved every visit, for many years, most recently the joy of sharing it with our grandchildren. I think maybe we're done now.

[Shooby doo]

Near enough been every year or 2 since we started in1992, just cancelled this year (again) & we had had the conversation about not doing Disney - although we have done Disney only never the other way around. we still have our UAP (frozen) & then were going to get the BG/SW/AQ 14 day pass & may have done 1 day at Disney. We are finding it hard to justify £900 (2x £450) & their latest money grab with this new Genie - that apparently we have all asked for! We are firmly in the camp of "that they already have enough of our money" so won't be paying an extra, much rather put that towards a few nights at RPR & get EP's thrown in for "free"!
It's almost like Disney have been desperate for a scapegoat & Covid has given them something to blame!
SD

[Therigbys]

Glad i'm not the only one. Any tips on how best to plan this trip to Universal via New York?
Thanks
Karen

[Bestbubba]

Originally Posted by Therigbys

Glad i'm not the only one. Any tips on how best to plan this trip to Universal via New York?
Thanks
Karen

See more...

Karen, head over to this thread, loads of ideas and buckets of positivity!

https://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/sho... php?t=1198800

Hope that works ☺️

[Tinks2014]

I remember the days we would just turn up no planning apart from which park to go and no Animal kingdom. The welcome sign daughter was 18 months and she would point and say diney there (camcorder then). The interaction from characters was as magical.
Got some many captured films.
Loved river country too.
Maybe some of it is nostalgia and the memories of my own children have grown up. It was new to us and we didn’t know many people that had gone.
Think dial up internet had just taken hold too. Not the fast visual and instant access we have today .
Maybe not seeing all the YouTube videos etc kept its magic a mystery.

[Shooby doo]

Tinks River Country was on our to do list & just never got around to it! I know people to tend to reminisce about "how things were better..." but I do genuinely feel that they were! Remember when you could meet Mickey almost anywhere! What better way for kids to meet the top cheese randomly strolling through the park!
Don't get me wrong we still love it but with every year of more cash grabbing, the love does die a little! In all honesty, if we didn't own DVC I'm not sure we would go back
SD

[loldis]

Originally Posted by Shooby doo

Tinks River Country was on our to do list & just never got around to it! I know people to tend to reminisce about "how things were better..." but I do genuinely feel that they were! Remember when you could meet Mickey almost anywhere! What better way for kids to meet the top cheese randomly strolling through the park!
Don't get me wrong we still love it but with every year of more cash grabbing, the love does die a little! In all honesty, if we didn't own DVC I'm not sure we would go back
SD

See more...

Go to Disneyland, the characters still wander there. Well, not so much during Covid but it's never been the queued meet and greet structure that WDW use. It has retained much more old school feel being the original park.

Plus Grand Californian has DVC if you can get a reservation. Beautiful resort.