Overrated: Is the Magic Kingdom really all that magical?
Filed under: Extracurriculars, Kids and Money, Travel
Okay, I'll start by admitting that I've been to Walt Disney World a couple of times. Before our first visit, my sisters and I pored over pictures of the Hall of Presidents, the Haunted Mansion, the Disney Castle, and other attractions, plotting the perfect routes to every ride, the ideal sequence of events to maximize the power of our Disney vacation. To the park's credit, it managed to live up to even my incredibly high childhood expectations. In fact, the only down side was my parent's barely-concealed weariness after a few days of wandering around.
A few years later, with my sisters a little older and Epcot offering more mature attractions, my parents agreed to revisit the Magic Kingdom. After a couple of days, I began to understand why Mom and Dad had dragged their feet on our first trip. As my youngest sister led us on a death march tour of Mickey's gulag, I found myself asking if we really needed to take yet another whirl on the teacup ride, once again ride shotgun with Mr. Toad, and be reminded that it's a small world. Standing in line, baking under the brutal Florida sun, I found myself suffering from an existential crisis, doubting the promise that, indeed, Captain Nemo's submarine adventure was really the pinnacle of human experience.
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It got even worse when we went to Epcot. While some of the park's international attractions were a lot of fun, other countries just seemed to be phoning it in. The China pavilion felt like a massive tourist trap, and I had a hard time prying my parents away from the German beer hall. Worse yet, watching moderately soused adults slapping their whining kids, I wondered if public displays of child abuse were one of Epcot's informal attractions, like people in Mickey costumes or bad mimes. I didn't know whether to tip the incredibly lifelike actors or call child protective services.
To be completely honest, I have to admit that there is a lot to be said for Disney. It is clean, well-run, and there are some wonderful places in the park. Even now, years later, I still have fond memories of Injun Joe's cave, the Peter Pan ride, and the Swiss Family Treehouse. That having been said, paying over $150 per person to stand in interminable lines, eat terrible food, and be assaulted by a constant parade of commercialism is somewhat ridiculous, particularly when Busch Gardens, Six Flags, and other parks offer comparable experiences for less money and with less travel!
Bruce Watson is a freelance writer, blogger, and all-around cheapskate. He still has nightmares about the Country Bear Jamboree.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
9-11-2008 @ 8:12AM
cad3655 said...
I agree with VGBATB....There are some really great expereinces to be had there, even for adults not travelling with the kiddies. Perhaps you should take another look before condemning it as "Overrated".
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9-11-2008 @ 12:18PM
Erik said...
Living in Florida I grew up in the Magic Kingdom...I miss the "old" Disney World...And yes the price of the Disney experience has gone through the roof...BUT...unless you spend a straight 2 weeks there. You can never really appriciate how much more Disney World offers over the other parks.
9-11-2008 @ 8:20AM
Liz said...
Wow, this blog is outdated. My sister has taken her kids to Disney five times now, and they still can't come close to doing everything there. I'm with the writer on the 1980s Disney World - it kinda blew. But he might be surprised to learn that what was once a theme park is now its own incredible city, focusing heavily on the adult experience now too.
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9-11-2008 @ 11:50AM
chris said...
I agree totally with the Blogger...
I live in florida... and the discount we get still means
that I pay more for a park hopper pass than what it costs me
for season tickets at both Universal and Bush Gardens..
My kids (15 and 6) have more fun at these parks than
at disney.
The rides are tired... the lines rediculous.. the food is hit or miss with it being mostly miss in the parks...
And I can actually say that I have been going to disney since the days of the E tickets and the opening of epcot... I do enjoy epcot .. but not for anything other than shopping through the different countries... But with a $80+ price tag per florida resident and a kid having to pay adult prices to get in...
$400+ for a day of shopping is just not worth it...
10-30-2008 @ 1:17PM
Tina said...
Liz, you're right. If a person is going to blog about an experience, he should at least be current. My first hint that he hadn't been there in a LONG time was the mention of Mr. Toad. While it may still be at Disneyland, that ride closed years ago in Walt Disney World. So much has changed and so much has been added, no one should make their decision to go or not go based on this particular blogger's childhood memories.
Let's hope this writer isn't asked to blog about the president...we may hear his views on Reagan.
9-11-2008 @ 8:34AM
Frank said...
If you think it's over-rated, then don't go...Trust me, Disney will not suffer without your couple bucks!!!! You obviously have NO CLUE if you compare Walt Disney World to Six Flags.....(Especially the one here in NJ)... For the $$$ Disney is offering you Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom. Customer Service that can't be beat!, and one of the cleanest attractions around!!! You get what you pay for!!!!
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9-11-2008 @ 9:03AM
ava sterling said...
Very weird comments like you visited when? Also date of article says September 13, 2008, so this is from the future? Wake up and revisit, this is an old dated article and very misleading.
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9-11-2008 @ 9:04AM
Matty-o said...
Man, you suck. Disney World kicks ass.
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9-11-2008 @ 9:10AM
Jason said...
I'm agreeing with the previous postings: your blog is outdated. The 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride hasn't been in operation since 1994. So, how realistic can your remembrances be if they are at least 14 years old?
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9-11-2008 @ 9:23AM
VGBATB said...
Hey, buddy, Mr. Toad hasn't been open in almost 10 years! And, you've left out Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. So, I want to know exactly how long ago your last visit was...
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9-11-2008 @ 9:34AM
JimmyJ said...
My wife and I, both in our early 50s, have taken our now teenage son to WDW over a dozen times, at various times throughout the year, over the last decade. In recent years my son's best friend has accompanied us several times. I have NEVER been disappointed at Disneyworld. Attractions that I have experienced too many times to count still impress and excite, and the parks evolve constantly with new and updated attractions to continue to provide superior experiences. The attention that the Disney company pays to details in all phases of their operations, and their dedication to a "customer first" business ethos, create a tremendous vacation experience.
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9-11-2008 @ 9:35AM
Tanya said...
Mr toad and the submarine are in Disneyland not Disneyworld.
It is hot in the summer,,,,duh its Florida but if you do not like it come in the fall and winter when its cooler and not so crowded.
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9-11-2008 @ 11:48AM
chris said...
and there was a mr toad at disney world as well.. it was back by the teacups.. and the 3d movie..and the new toon town area
9-13-2008 @ 8:59PM
Amy said...
Mr. Toad and the submarine use to be in Disney World. The sub was removed around 1994
9-11-2008 @ 9:50AM
Bret said...
Disney overrated? Are you kidding me? First of all, Bruce, Disneyland and Disneyworld are two different places, If you get your big boy map out, it shows that there about 2000 miles apart. Iv'e never been to Disneyland, so let's forget aobut that for now. Disneyworld (the WORLD of Disney, get it?), in FLORIDA, is amazing. From the hotels to the water parks to the theme parks; it's awesome...Magic Kingdom, Disney Studios, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Typhoon Lagoon, Boardwalk and Downtown Disney. It's so clean you can practically eat off the ground, and the attention to detail is astounding. Well, obviously, I could go all day and waste everyone's time JUST LIKE THIS ARTICLE WASTED MY TIME. Thanks for living up to your lame standards Bruce. Do you get paid for writing crap?
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9-11-2008 @ 10:03AM
CSchex said...
Wow! This article really is outdated! $150 per person??? You can get a 10 day magic your way ticket for $225 per person. That's $22.25 per day. I went to Disney World many times as a child and have taken my children back twice. I love it more as an adult than I did as a kid. My kids think it is the greatest vacation ever! There is so much to see and we don't go in the summer months, so the weather is great. The food is fantastic! I believe if someone were writing about things overrated in America, they should have a recent visit to go by.
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9-11-2008 @ 10:05AM
Casey said...
I do fully agree that the writer has not been to WDW for years. There is a reason that people flock to Disney year after year: Guest Service. The cast members and the level of quality service is leaps and bounds over the other amusement parks. Every theme park is going to have long, hot lines in the summer, but Disney is the forerunner of themed queues. It is not just white walls with ropes and chains. It tells a story and immerses the guests in the the ride before one ever gets on the ride vehicle.
The ticket prices may be high but what you get for the money is far and away ten times more that you get at any other theme park. You are not just paying for the rides, you are paying for the experience, the guest service, the entertainment, the magical moments, and everything that makes Disney, Disney.
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9-14-2008 @ 3:56AM
elvis said...
You sound like a cast member. I am with you brother.
9-11-2008 @ 10:16AM
alyssa said...
This can be a great experience. But the person who wrote this did not do their research very well because the Nemo submarine ride and Mr.Toad are only at Disneyland not Disneyworld.
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9-11-2008 @ 11:50AM
chris said...
No they have converted the old 20k leagues ride into ariel or nemo I forgot what..
Chris