Is Disney Finally Admitting That Planning a Vacation Has Become Too Complicated?

A Walt Disney World vacation offers Guests a magical vacation experience and hours of happiness in the theme parks and resorts, but it all comes at a cost. And we are not just talking about the monetary one.

All of the work that goes into planning a Disney vacation can feel like a job in itself, and the overwhelming aspect of the pre-vacation process has only been further complicated since the Parks and Resorts reopened in summer 2020. Even seasoned Disney World veterans have been left confused over post-2020 changes to the planning process, and while new systems like Disney Genie+ have promised to help navigate all of this, many Guests feel that it does just the opposite.

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Despite word from Disney executives, namely CEO Bob Chapek, that Disney Genie+ is considered a success, Guests are still finding the overall process of planning a Disney vacation to be an exhausting one. We should perhaps note that every travel experience is going to be better based on the additional research you do before you go, but it is no secret that Disney seems to require an entire new level of planning and research.

According to some of the questions asked in a recent survey, it seems Disney might finally be acknowledging that the planning process has become too challenging for many Guests.

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I received the survey in my inbox after pricing Disney vacations for this month back in April but ultimately deciding not to book anything. My reasons for not booking were simple and largely unrelated to the questions in the survey that essentially looked at what Disney is doing wrong that caused me to not follow through with a trip. (I still worried about flight cancellations and delays following COVID/staffing issues, at least back in April when I would have booked the trip.)

Instead of my own odd personal reasons, Disney’s survey focused on the cost and whether or not planning a Disney World vacation had simply become too complicated. One question in particular summed up this sentiment where every statement to agree or disagree with in itself implies that planning has become too complex:

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Another interesting note in the survey was a question that asked which membership programs I belong to under the Disney umbrella, with most options being directly related to the theme parks, along with “Disney+ subscriber.” Bob Chapek has recently mentioned that Guests preferences from Disney+ could soon impact their experiences in the theme parks.

His comments were vague, and the survey question was far too simple to indicate some kind of integration there, but it does make me wonder if we could begin seeing a correlation between Disney+ and the theme parks shortly.

RELATED: Disney CEO Bob Chapek Still Believes Genie+ Is a Hit With Guests

It is unlikely that we will see major changes to the Disney planning process anytime soon, but it is good to know that these questions are being asked in surveys, especially for those Guests who did not end up booking the trip. Disney Genie+ does seem to roll out small updates when it makes changes rather than total revamps, and we are still hoping for news on the return of the Disney Dining Plan, regular Park Hopping, and Annual Pass sales, so there is a lot that could be done to at least someone uncomplicate the planning process.

As always, we will be back with any updates from Walt Disney World as we have them here on Disney Tips.