In the Midst of Chaos: What Disney World Still Gets Right

I don’t think there’s been a more bizarre or divisive period in the history of Walt Disney World’s existence. In the past month, Disney has gone from a push to moderate its company to a full-fledged pursuit of sociocultural ideological goals that are likely not supported by the majority of Americans. That’s not a statement as to the rightness or wrongness of Disney’s decisions — only a statement about the precarious position it puts the company in regards to consumers. With Disney World itself, prices have gone up and public relations seem to have gone down, but international guests free to travel the globe once more are driving Disney World to capacity over and over. It’s so crowded that Disney has had to create special times for their employees to enjoy the parks (an official perk of the job) because otherwise they’re pushed out by normal reservations.

With everything having been so negative lately in terms of press and analysis for The Walt Disney Company (and more of that is on the way if their Q2 results are poor on May 11th), I thought I would take a moment to explore what Disney is still getting right. Specifically, if you’re still willing to give Disney money at Walt Disney World, what is it doing well that we should celebrate? After all, if all we do is complain or report the negatives, we fail to give Disney and other companies an example of what we want them to do more.

Here’s what Disney World still gets right:

1. Typhoon Lagoon
   You probably wouldn’t have expected this to top our list, but with the water park offering deals for $35 per-day stays, as well as H20 Glow nights returning (offering another fantastic deal), there’s really no way you can go wrong with Typhoon Lagoon. International crowds seem to be hesitant on returning to the water, so crowd levels have been reportedly low considering the other theme parks are often maxed out. Plus, when Typhoon Lagoon reopened, Disney added Dole Whips and Dole Whip variations to the park. The food has been upgraded as well. If you’re a Florida resident or someone looking to find a way to do Disney for cheaper, Typhoon Lagoon is the absolute best bang for your buck and we highly recommend it.
2. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
   No, the showbuilding isn’t hidden and it lacks the animatronics we thought we’d get originally. However, Cosmic Rewind is a solid A- / B+ level attraction that adds a lot of fun and a little thrill to Epcot. It’s sorely needed. Best of all, the experience isn’t quite as quickly over as Rock’n Roller Coaster or the Velocicoaster at Universal. That’s great news if you’re going to be waiting hours to ride. Cosmic Rewind is an example that Disney Imagineering still knows how to put together one heck of an attraction if the budget is nearly unlimited and the space is provided. Now if only they could return to hiding the warehouses…
3. Hotel Prices
   The cost of everything is going up, but so far Disney has managed to keep their hotel per-night prices locked in at pre-pandemic levels. That means that if you can grab a reasonable room at Disney, it’s looking far more reasonable than before. There’s nothing wrong with booking several nights at a Disney hotel and foregoing the parks! If you want to relax at the pool or explore the food options at a place like the Port Orleans, that’s a great way to spend a vacation. Just because reservations are hard to come by at Magic Kingdom does not mean you have to give up on enjoying a magical hotel stay.
4. Boma
   Speaking of hotel stays, did you know that while food costs are rising, the cost for an all-you-care-to-eat buffet at Animal Kingdom Lodge is still the same? That’s right – you can eat zebra domes, oxtail soup, prime rib, and gourmet prepared salmon at a cost that was one a little high… only to become downright reasonable now. If you’re in the Orlando area for a vacation and aren’t planning to be in a Disney theme park for the day, consider that Boma just might be the incredible dinner option you never knew you needed. And when we say buffet, remember that the food there is anything but buffet-like. Golden Corral this is not.
5. Traditional Meet ‘n Greets Are Back
   It may seem like a small thing, but being able to interact with the characters in the pre-pandemic, normal-life way we took for granted is a great thing. Especially for families with small children, having your son or daughter get to hug a representation of their hero is a pretty amazing thing. It may explain why people will put up with a lot of hostility from Disney the company… and all of Disney Parks should keep in mind that they never want to lose it.
6. The Cast Members
   The Walt Disney Company has been in turmoil over the last few months and there are protests in every direction at the company. But nobody should forget that the average person working at Disney World is one heck of a trooper. They’ve been through a lot throughout the pandemic, with silly semi-required trainings that “encourage” them to stop using normal language, and they have probably worried in the past if their job would still be available. They put up with a lot of rude stuff each and every day, and still they work hard to make each guest’s experience as good as it possibly can be. Remember to say thank you to each cast member who does a good job — Disney World still has the best employees in the tourism industry.
7. Classic Rides
   It’s hard to screw up the classic rides not starting with the word “Splash”. Haunted Mansion is just as fun and immersive as it always has been. Kermit the Frog still welcomes “ladies and gentlemen” to Muppetvision 3-D. Big Thunder Mountain is as thematically impressive as ever. Everywhere that Walt and his ideals still stand, guests can feel there is something special. That’s what originally set the Disney Parks on a fully-different footing. It is still true today, even if getting to them is a hassle. The next time you’re inside a Disney World theme park, take a minute and relax. Look at your surroundings and the opportunities for fun. And should you tire of all the loud noises, screens, looking at your phone, making reservations, etc… just get on Spaceship Earth and be amazed that such a thing was ever built. That’s the classic that still brings some guests back, even if a bit of the magic has been diminished as of late.

For all the latest news, opinion and analysis of everything that should be fun, keep checking out That Park Place! As always, drop a comment and tell me what you think Disney still gets right in spite of so much going wrong.