Self-described Disney World “enthusiasts” believe the resort is losing its magic as soaring prices deter families from visiting the self-dubbed “happiest place on earth,” according to a recent study.
Gambling company Time2play surveyed nearly 2000 Disney World enthusiasts from the U.S. and U.K. and found that a whopping 92.6 percent of respondents believe that the resort has become unaffordable for families under Disney CEO Bob Chapik’s leadership.
A majority of respondents – 48.3 percent – also said that rampant price hikes have made them “feel like Disney World has lost its magic.”
The claim that prices have skyrocketed at the Mickey Mouse theme park is not inaccurate, as admission prices have inflated by approximately 586 percent since the resort opened in 1971.
The price for a single-day admission ticket in the resort’s first year was $3.50 per day. However, a single-day admission ticket currently ranges from $109 to $159, depending on the day.
On top of the single-day admission tickets, additional costs have made family vacations out of reach for potential visitors.
Breitbart News reported in May that a New Jersey family of four’s five-day vacation to Disney World cost over $10,000. The extra costs came in hotel accommodations, resort food, line-skipping tickets, shuttles, and airfare, among other expenses.
Rampant inflation has caused 35.7 percent of Disney World enthusiasts to expect to pay more during their next visit to the rector than their previous one.
Soaring costs have also resulted in 48.3 percent of respondents postponing a future trip to the Orlando-based theme park.
While rising costs would have some believe that the increased revenue would enhance the quality of the resort, recent guest experiences say otherwise.
Visitors have taken to social media to sound the alarm that the resort is in decline due to attractions and rides breaking down, Breitbart News recently highlighted.
This summer, guests on the “It’s a small world” floating boat ride were stranded for over an hour, as one rider noted the experience was “torture.”
@hazeysmom22 We were stuck for over an hour, the torture #smallworlddisneybound #disney #disneyworld ♬ Oh No – Kreepa
In July, guests were also forced to climb out of one of the cars on the Splash Mountain ride after it started sinking, the New York Post reported.
Social media videos also show litter strewn across park grounds, while images from the Daily Mail show grime covering some of the resort’s exterior walls and signs.
One individual took to social media via Reddit and highlighted that the resort’s quality control is in decline.
“Before this Disney never seemed like a place where you felt like corners were being cut,” one individual wrote. “Seems like right now they’re coasting through with the travel boom and holiday guests.”
Another Disney World visitor’s recent experience appears to confirm the study’s findings.
“The magic’s gone; it’s not fun anymore,” tourist Marie Shumate told the Washington Post in May after visiting the resort. “Then with all the price hikes and the money stuff, it’s just like I don’t even want to go back.”
The survey was conducted in September 2022 of approximately 1,927 self-reported Disney World enthusiasts from the Facebook travel group ‘IT’S ORLANDO TIME,’ according to Time2play.
You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.
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