r/WaltDisneyWorld

The Orlando Westgate properties have some pretty spacious-looking rooms compared to standard hotel rooms, especially the villas with kitchens. But there's the whole transportation thing. Saving on the room doesn't help much if you're spending extra on parking or rides every day. A lot of westgate resorts reviews mention the amenities, but I'm more curious about the practical side of staying there during a Disney trip.

How much of a difference does the extra space make compared to staying on Disney property? And does getting to and from the parks get annoying after a few days?

I rode Space Mountain the other day, and GOD, I forgot just how bumpy it is. Between the rough track and the sharp turns, I genuinely felt like the ride vehicle was going to fly off the rails at certain points.

I’m honestly so conflicted because the nostalgic part of me loves Space Mountain exactly as it is. I think the old school charm is part of what makes the ride so iconic. However, I can’t help but think it would benefit from a much needed refurbishment.

The difference is especially noticeable when you ride newer attractions like cosmic rewind or tron and then go back to space mountain. Both rides feel incredibly smooth in comparison, and it really puts into perspective just how rough Space Mountain has become. I understand they’re completely different roller coasters, but experiencing what Disney can accomplish with modern ride technology makes me wish space mountain could receive some of that same treatment.

I don’t think Disney should completely reimagine the ride or change its theme or track layout. I just think some updates to make the experience smoother and maybe even more exhilarating would go a long way without sacrificing what makes Space Mountain so special.

Does anyone else feel this way, or do you think the roughness is part of its charm?

I've been to each Disney World park probably 5 times and there's some rides that I've never gotten around to riding.

Magic Kingdom:

• Astro Orbiter (I've done Aladdin and Dumbo, so no point)
• Monsters Inc (I didn't know what this was until recently, doesn't seem worth the time)
• Tomorrowland Speedway (I've never even thought about riding this... it stinks and it's slow go karts that you can't steer?)

Epcot

• Test Track (I want to ride this but it was closed for years)
• Spaceship Earth (I also want to ride this but it's always on our way out of the park and people want to leave)

Hollywood Studios:

• Beauty and the Beast / Frozen / Little Mermaid shows (no kids)
• Slinky Dog (I want to ride this but the line has always been 1+ hour and I don't want to wait in that Hollywood Studios heat)

Animal Kingdom:

• Kali River Rapids (we always do AK with early entry and I don't want to have wet shoes)
• Zootopia (I did A Bug's Life and it was fun, this one seems more geared towards little kids)

Every time Disney raises prices, removes a perk, introduces another paid add-on, makes Lightning Lane more complicated, or generally finds some new and innovative way of extracting another $40 from a family, the reaction is pretty predictable:

“That’s it. Disney has gone too far.”
And yet the parks remain packed.

I’m increasingly convinced Disney has discovered that, within reason, it can basically do whatever it wants.

Raise ticket prices? We’ll complain and go. Make the hotels absurdly expensive? We’ll complain and go. Charge for things that used to be included? We’ll complain and go.
Make us wake up at 7am on vacation to compete for ride times on our phones? We’ll complain, set the alarm and go.

Because the uncomfortable truth is that Disney World isn’t competing purely on value for money. If it were, half of us would have stopped going years ago.

It’s selling nostalgia, escapism, tradition and emotional attachment. People remember going as kids. They want their own kids to experience it. Adults associate it with some of the happiest periods of their lives. And once something has that kind of emotional grip on people, normal consumer logic gets a bit wobbly.

Disney seems to understand this extremely well.

There obviously is a breaking point. If the experience deteriorates enough or prices become genuinely inaccessible to enough people, attendance will eventually suffer. But I suspect that breaking point is considerably further away than Reddit sometimes thinks it is.

Disney’s greatest competitive advantage might not be its rides, characters or IP. It might simply be that millions of us are hopelessly addicted to the place and Disney knows it.

And yes, I’m absolutely including myself in that accusation.

You ruined the ride. If you are sharing a car with someone don’t talk the entire time. I couldn’t hear anything the ride was saying over your constant talking. We had one day in Disney.

I read all about how people reacted to that ride. I never rode it myself. I saw that it's basically a centrifuge but is that it? Is there anything else about MSO that makes it different than other centrifuge rides?

Also, how have people who went through astronaut training reacted to it?

On a bus post-fireworks headed back to the resort. Not one, but two separate people are FaceTiming. Volumes all the way up, people screaming into the phone trying to get the person to hear. Please, do a normal phone call, wear headphones, or wait 15 minutes until you’re back in your room.