“It Puts You to Shame” – Guests Roast Disney After Tweet Backfires

It’s no surprise that since its debut on October 1, 2021, Walt Disney World’s 50th-anniversary celebration has been met with mixed reviews from Disney Park Guests.

Across Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme parks, Disney introduced new decor and experiences for the 18-month-long celebration, including Beacons of Light at the Park icons, new EARidescent 50th Anniversary outfits for Disney characters, multiple food and beverage options, and different merchandise collections.

Disney can’t be shocked, therefore, that a recent post on Twitter has blown up with comments from Disney fans letting out their real feelings about the 50th-anniversary celebration at Walt Disney World.

“The World’s Most Magical Celebration” has been met with divided reviews and Guest opinion, with the Lake Buena Vista event seemingly not meeting the expectations of Disney World fans.

After the extravagant 60th Diamond Celebration over at Disneyland Resort in California, as well as the current 30th-anniversary of Disneyland Paris (that came complete with a new drone show at the Sleeping Beauty Castle), fans have vocalized their disappointment with the Walt Disney World’s 50th.

The celebration saw the dazzling Beacons of Magic introduced at Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom, Spaceship Earth at EPCOT, Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, alongside the new nighttime shows Disney Enchantment and Harmonious. Both Enchantment and Harmonious have been met with lukewarm reviews, with many Guests commenting that Enchantment does not celebrate the history of the theme parks. 

Now, a Tweet from Walt Disney World has been swarmed with these kinds of comments – in a poll that has surely backfired on Disney’s part.

Walt Disney World Resort shared on Twitter on May 20 the question, “Which 50th Anniversary celebration highlight are you MOST excited about?”

The poll’s options included “The bites,” “The sights,” and “The dazzling lights”, all accompanied by emojis.  After recent news regarding changes to the divisive Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane services that replaced the free FastPass system, as well as price increases, the complicated Park Pass reservation system, and the current Annual Pass sales blackout, fans have been less than impressed with Disney World’s 50th celebration.

And, boy, did they show it.

Which 50th Anniversary celebration highlight are you MOST excited about? ⬇️#DisneyWorld50

— Walt Disney World (@WaltDisneyWorld) May 20, 2022

The Walt Disney World Tweet was overwhelmed with frustrated Guests, negative comments, and comparisons both to other Disney Park Resorts and competitors like Universal Orlando Resort.

Disney essentially provided Twitter users with an outlet to vent their disappointment with the 50th-anniversary celebration, as well as Disney Genie, Disney Enchantment, and Disney CEO Bob Chapek. Some of the comments referenced higher costs at the Parks, Park ticket woes, and the things still missing – like fan-favorite Fantasmic!:

• “Y’all should ask the guy who got the most enjoyment out of the 50th, nickeling and diming folks so much they wished they’d just stayed home. Doesn’t he see how word of mouth will affect the bottom line in the long run? But I’m glad Bob enjoyed the 50th. At least someone did.”
• “When we went to UOR and upgraded our Military Freedom passes into Premier UOAPs after a disastrous three weeks at WDW.”
• “Are you joking, you did a terrible 50th celebration, and to add to it you bought in Genie + ?and you didn’t bring back Fantasmic! or the railroad, the thing I can say you did right was the castle looked lovely. If you want to put it right, get rid of Chapek and Genie+.”
• Resell annual passes, get rid of park passes, Cast Members should have unlimited availability into the parks, entire WDW leadership needs a hard reboot.

Others discussed what is lacking during the 50th celebration, including theming, decor, nostalgia, and merchandise. Many compared the 50th of Walt Disney World to the 30th anniversary of Disneyland Paris in France:

• “Maybe next time realize you have extremely deep pockets and shouldn’t use a pandemic as an excuse to skimp on a huge celebration event?”
• “Go check out what Disneyland Paris did for their anniversary. It puts you guys to shame.”
• “Absolutely nothing. People should go visit Disneyland Paris for their superior 30th Anniversary instead! I don’t understand how you can even call the 50th a “celebration” after doing less than the bare minimum. The 50th is so sad, it’s funny!”
• “None of these. Y’all didn’t give us the celebration we wanted. Your so called “50th anniversary” doesn’t celebrate the parks.”
• “Genuinely shocked there is no “merchandise” option because I was 99% sure that WAS the “50th Anniversary”.”
• “Really none. At a minimum there should have been a different fireworks show. Something with some nostalgia, Walt Disney talking about Disney World, Roy Disney’s dedication. Something. Such a letdown for Walt Disney World fans…..”

Some comments on the Walt Disney World Tweet went as far as referencing the recent political turmoil of the company. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill repealing the Reedy Creek Improvement District Disney enjoys in Orlando, Florida, after Disney’s stance on the Parental Rights in Education Bill (or “Don’t Say Gay” bill) was revealed.

• “I’d be super excited if you stayed out of politics.”

It seems Disney’s light-hearted post on Twitter certainly went down a different path than was seemingly expected. With so many opinions being shared on Disney Genie+, Park reservations, 2 p.m. Park Hopping, the ending of Disney’s Magical Express, FastPass, and free MagicBands, as well as the core theme and nostalgia of the 50th, it’s no surprise that this is the way the social media post went.

In recent Guest surveys, Disney has been asking for feedback on Walt Disney World’s 50th-anniversary celebration and offers Park Guests an array of reasons as to why the celebration may not have met expectations. The reasons offered by Disney show some insight into Disney’s awareness of its own failings during the major Lake Buena Vista celebration.

There are still things to look forward to during the 50th celebration at Walt Disney World, including the return of Fantasmic! and the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, the debut of TRON Lightcycle Run, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and new restaurants at Disney’s Boardwalk.

For now, though, it seems like Disney Guests are not happy with their current Disney vacations.