[logfromblammo]

I think I have had my fill of Magic Kingdom in Orlando. Last time I was there, I hated just about every minute of it. Every square inch of the park seemed to have been redesigned to suck more money out of my pockets rather than to ensure I was having an enjoyable experience.

Every last one of the rides seemed dated and lame, even if they had been recently renovated. Wait. Scratch that. The Finding Nemo one was okay. And that was back when they were using Fastpass instead of this wristband/app system they apparently have now.

I'll actually be in Orlando again a week from now, and we didn't even consider planning anything Disney. The entertainment value divided by the total daily cost of visiting a park is simply too low now. It isn't just the high ticket prices. They unabashedly overcharge for meals and food, and the nearby lodgings nickel and dime you on everything. And the time cost for everything is ridiculous.

The only reason it is so popular is that Disney cross-promotes everything in its media empire. If you let your kids watch enough Disney Channel on television, they will eventually want to visit a Disney theme park or cruise ship.

[wccrawford]

FWIW, they're still doing fastpass... It's just that the bands are another way to get a fastpass, as is the smartphone app. You can still just get one the old way, though.

I can't argue about the nickel-and-diming, though. It's getting ridiculous.