Dear Walt Disney World (re: feedback)

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Dear Disney,

Our family had the occasion to visit Walt Disney World this past weekend to celebrate my son's 16th birthday.  He really wanted to have his big present this year be a Disney trip with a friend and so off we went.

We had a very nice time.  I had not visited the parks since December 2005, and so much has changed and yet, so much remains the same.  Expedition Everest is not new, but it was for me and it is the best coaster ride you have.  Awesome!  Wait times were never too long and the ride itself is quite unique.  Also, this is the first time I got to ride Soarin' (the last time we went the lines were 2-3 hours long and there was simply no way I was sitting idle that long for any ride).  It is certainly amazing as well, a very nice 21st century update to the Eastern Airlines "If You Had Wings" concept. But, one tip?  You have got to find a way to hide the feet of the row in front of you from view.  It is distracting.  I imagine the next time I visit, there will be a new experience, in IMAX/Ultra HD viewing mode of some other awesome venues (Valley of Fire in NV or some red rock park in the desert?  Maybe a quick trip around Manhattan and Central Park?)

The staff everywhere was great.  Our son got quite a few Happy Birthday wishes from ride attendants, bus drivers, vendors, all sorts of Disney staff.  All of them were personable, nice, friendly, and helpful. 

I really did like the new MagicBands and how well they worked.  I hope you get the kinks worked out quickly, they are a huge improvement over the older technologies used in the past.  But, you MUST find a way to link park tickets bought online with the trip booking and room to the bands without having to stand in a ticket will-call line for 30 minutes.  There is no reason we could not have either had them linked since we bought it all together at once, OR had an option to activate or link them online before our visit.  It saves everyone time, us and your staff at the will-call window.

As for the new FastPass+ stuff?  I didn't really have a problem with it, the phone app was easy to use, easy to modify times and rides.  I know others had issues, but I think you will get those worked out really soon, you're Disney.  Speaking of the phone app, please put some more effort into it.  The interface is clunky and it is terrible at actually locating you in the park and telling you what food and rides are nearby.  For example, I love smoked turkey legs.  Every park seems to have a vendor selling them, but locating them proved difficult.  I used Google, when I felt as though the Disney app should have not only been able to tell me where they were, but give me directions too if I needed them.  By the way, those were the best smoked turkey legs I have ever tasted.  Yum!  Very high marks!
The food quality in general was vastly improved over years past. 

The restrooms?  Very clean, and loved the music being piped in.  However, if I may offer one critique here.  You are Disney.  Why do you still have clumsy paper towel dispensers in all the bathrooms?  The amount of waste has to be staggering.  Why not install some of those cool Dyson hand dryers, at least give folks the option?  I am not a "green" person by nature, but this just seemed to be a miss by Disney. Sure they are a tad loud, but I just expected Disney to have either something cool and innovative, or at least more eco-friendly and efficient than hand crank paper towel dispensers.

I didn't understand the buses still being gas powered either.  I figured by now they would be using something more efficient and eco-friendly.  You're Disney.  Maybe some electric/hybrid combo?  I just figure Disney would have something cutting edge here too, after all the buses are the lifelines to all the properties and parks.  Most of ours were packed to the gills with people every time we rode, and it wasn't even a peak weekend. 

You did a great job of helping our family remain active and fit, we ended up walking almost 30 miles in our 2.5 days there.  We did so because we wanted to see all the parks, enjoy the best rides we liked multiple times, and even though we were exhausted at the end of the day, it was the kind of tired you don't mind since it was for fun and broke up the monotony of waiting in lines. 

My final request Disney is this.  When you have a guest with a birthday, celebrating at your park, can't you give them one perk along the lines of either letting them have a free drink, a cookie, riding in front, something?  I know you get lots of birthday celebrators, I just think they deserve something in the way of a perk. 

All in all, as I said, we had a great time.  The MagicBands will be great, the app (once improved) will be a very nice addition and aid to the guests in the parks, and the food is really much better than before.  Universal has a nice park too, but you guys still remain the crown jewel of the theme park players.  If you want honest feedback, here you go.   Thanks for the great experience!

Us...

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