(Video: Fox Business)
Even without the Walt Disney Company’s foray into supporting the promotion of woke ideologies, many feel “the magic is gone” as recent reports have park-goers saying: “Disney, you should be ashamed.”
Once a vacation destination for American families from all walks of life, Disney World in Orlando, Florida is rapidly becoming priced out of reach for middle-income earners. Fox News Digital spoke with travelers lamenting having spent thousands for an experience that lasted less than a week.
“I feel like Disney is pricing people out, can the average working American family really afford this?” one mother recounted to Fox Business. “I’ve been coming to Disney since I was six years old. I’m 39 now. My kids thought Disney was magical and so for me the cost was worth it, but I see that it’s not the same Disney it was.”
A sticker-shocked family of four from New Jersey explained how a four-night stay at Disney World included $950 for meals, $700 for snacks and souvenirs, and an extra $300 on “Genie plus passes” so they wouldn’t have to spend hours waiting in line for rides. On top of $2,550 for five days at the park and $3,780 in lodgings, then airfare to get to Orlando, the whole trip was over $10,000.
“What has happened to Disney?” a reviewer asked on Tripadvisor. “They seem to be trying to extract as much money out of people as possible. Walt would be turning in his grave if he knew the current situation. We will never be visiting Disney again after this holiday. Shame on you Disney, you should be ashamed.”
Frommer’s editor-in-chief James Cochran, who has written the travel guidebook for Disney World, along with Universal and Orlando, since 2006 expressed, “Disney has not publicly, but very apparently privately made the decision that it wants to court guests that spend more per day than guests used to spend. In order to do that, it’s done a number of things both to maximize the profit that it’s making on a day-to-day basis and also to increase the prices of access for guests.”
Travelers reported spending $5 just for a bottle of water and that even conservative budgeting could do nothing for changes that now require a daily fee for parking when it used to be free. All the while, the entertainment options have become limited following the pandemic where Disney saw fit to lay off employees rather than rehire them.
Jason from Salt Lake City, Utah said, “I think there’s a lot of families that just can’t, simply can’t afford… to have that experience, and that’s kind of sad. Because, I think in the way that Disney started out, I think it was meant to be for everyone and it seems like it’s becoming a bit more exclusive.”
“There’s a lot of families in the middle class and working class, blue-collar families who are still going to be spending that money because they want to give it to their kids,” Cochran stated. “I think Disney takes advantage of that.”
Because of that, the guidebook editor cautioned visitors to save up money before making a trip noting, “My concern is that more and more people are putting this on credit cards.”
Disney shareholder tells CEO to stop mousing around, wasting money on ‘political crusades’ https://t.co/dDT8EOQ442 pic.twitter.com/pxxFZqGUTT
— Conservative News (@BIZPACReview) April 3, 2022
As the quality of the experience has gone down and the costs have continued to rise, even before Gov. Ron DeSantis took action against the Reedy Creek Improvement District that allowed Disney to operate as their own governing jurisdiction within the state of Florida, many have vocalized their desire to see the company get back to its roots.
“Here’s a suggestion for Disney CEO Bob Chapek: Get back to business – that is, excellence in storytelling – and stop wasting shareholders’ money on political crusades that have nothing to do with Disney’s business,” shareholder, economist and entrepreneur Ray Keating said. “We all have the right to have our voices heard on issues, but not on the shareholders’ dime.”
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Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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