I have zero interest in taking my kids anymore and until the pandemic we had annual passes since they were born. With the price gouging, unnecessary restrictions, reservation system, and everything else, Disney lost me.
I totally agree. They have been charging for everything and have been getting greedy instead of making it a wonderful experience for its guest. Very disappointing. I will not be back.
Exactly! We were just there with our 8 yr old granddaughter for her 1st trip to WDW. The price gouging, horrible Genie plus system and the added cost of $15 or $20 per person per ride to get some lightening lane passes….isridiculous! Don’t believe we will be back anytime sokn.. but will go to Universal.. their fast pass system much better and cheaper….Disney keeps cutting benefits and charging more and more… getting rid of the Magical Express from the airport was also another huge mistake by Disney …I’m sure we aren’t the only ones who won’t be back! Sad..but true!
I don’t think Disney has an attendance problem. I think people have the problem. It’s so disgusting that people want to pay $700 a day to stare at the back of someone’s neck and move one inch every 20 seconds. Some people get off on it, it does make sense if you’re a zombie.
Disney also raised prices that are outlandish.. it used to be fun to go now it’s a hassle… it’s long lines make you miss visiting other rides or park attractions. It seems like they only cater to who can pay the big bucks
Pretty soon we mere mortals will be waiting while the Rich select few go before us to get on rides because we did not upgrade our already expensive ticket at least “$150-300 more …
I’m sure that is not what Walt had in mind . There should be an easy equalizer for everyone …. Fast pass was great .. you were allowed 2 at a time .. but now they would rather you wait in a line for 2 hours ( they sell drinks in the middle ) and wait for a 2 minute thrill . I think Walt actually wanted you to enjoy being there not dread being in a line .. back in the day we had characters on the ride … visiting the lines etc
Walt wanted a family fun day not a day where kids have to wait and wait and wait .. ( have you ever waited with kids?)
Let’s have more person interaction to the “visitors/ customer “ and hire more or check on your guests … have customer relations people interact and get responses , have them see a family fidgeting with four kids in line understand their frustration..
come in Disney get back to the concept of Happiest Place in Earth .
I agree a 100% also the magic is gone. No interaction with characters and the crazy woke policies just not the same, I haven’t any interest in going anymore and use to love it
Affirming your post. We went regularly for many years. It was never a bargain but they systematically depreciate the, once magical, experience while increasing their prices.
We’ll pay more for more but not more for less (unless it’s dog poop…but then I wouldn’t pay at all).
Agreed. I Ironically had annual passes for over 15 years and cancelled mine right BEFORE the pandemic started. I cancelled in February 2020. I had cancelled because things were going down hill at the parks. Bathrooms trashed, prices way too high. We were basically being price out. And now with the pass changes, fast passes not fast passes but being done differently and having to pay etc and make reservations for parks. For get it, idk if we will ever go back.
This article is a display of ignorance and also ignoring comments on multiple articles I’ve read. Attendance has very little to do with pandemic fears but everything to do with continued mask mandates, lessened “magical” experiences, and greed…constant loss of perks for a higher price!
I find the cost and experience of going to Disney a bigger problem than Covid. You are paying more for less. Guest are frustrated and there have been more verbal and physical interaction then I’ve ever seen. Universal will eventually take over as the number one theme park in Orlando. Disney leadership is more worried about making money than giving guests an experience that they will want to return to. They are driving people to trying other attractions in the area. Which at this time is providing better quality for less cost. Blaming Covid is the excuse of a lifetime. Eventually Covid will be over but the cost and hassle of going to Disney will remain.
I am a bona fide Disney World addict have been going there since they opened in 1971. I spend a fortune on out-of-state annual passes. But my wife and I will not go back until they remove The Mask mandate!
Hi Tim. I appreciate your comments. You offer another reason we won’t go until the masks are not required – my wife can’t wear them but for a few minutes. More importantly, I sense you are a firefighter. And, for that, God Bless you and your family! 🙂
Hi Freedom. I haven’t been as much as you, but have a similar interest in being there. We normally go once per year and stay at the Dolphin Hotel. Epcot then the Magic Kingdom are my favorite parks. That said, I will not return until the mask mandate is removed. It should be up to the individual. Mandates for masks and shots have not worked and will not work. I cannot imagine being at the Dolphin Hotel, paying $300+ per night, and being told I have to wear a mas in the hotel from the time I leave my room until I leave the hotel. Very sad…
It’s the fact that we are made to wake up at 7am on vacation to pick a ride or wander the park. Having to be on the cell. Nope
We are 4 hours away, I used to be a pass holder and just reserve a resort for the weekend and go. Now with park reservation system and nothing available it’s a huge ordeal.
We are now universal studios pass holders and may do Disney once a year at best
Don’t care about the mask mandate but the prices are ridiculous can barely afford a burger. I thought it’s supposed too be family friendly. All I hear anymore is people fighting.
I couldn’t agree more. It’s as if Disney is attempting to recoup the $5 billion loss during the 50th anniversary. Disney appears detected to price themselves out of existence.
If people had worn masks and gotten vaccines this might all be gone by now. But instead they refused, almost 900,000 people in the US alone have died, and we are still fighting covid. The ignorance you mention are the ignorant that believe pundits instead of scientists.
You will see. The masks have made no difference in the end. And basically the same with vaccines. People aren’t going because of cost and work as most have stated above. Gone downhill since eliminating paper fast passes
Agree entirely, I used yo take my grandkids every year but the prices are way too high and can’t go from one park at Disneyland until after 1pm, give me a bresk
“Attendance problem”? More like an occupancy problem. We were there last week and were unable to get on many rides because of the insane overcrowding and wait times. Nobody had masks on. There is no way that they are limiting the number of guests currently. As a local, I know very well what normal occupancy looks like and Disney is near capacity. It’s interesting that DeSantis has changed his stance after previously shutting down the state for almost three months. I wasn’t allowed to run my one bedroom one bath VRBO but all hotels and motels remained open. Typical politician. Flip flop.
That is the bottom line! The height of arrogance!???
Charging guests who drive from all over the country to park their cars in the parking lot near their room All the while shutting down the Disney Express from the airport! Our family used to drive from NC four (4) times a year😳…. WE ARE DONE WITH DISNEY! AND THEIR POLITICS!
Meanwhile every other hotel in the Orlando area charges you to park your car. So is Disney price gouging or finally becoming in line with the rest of the hotel industry in Orlando? It’s probably the second thing
Every other hotel does not charge the prices a night that Disney does. Those other hotels have housekeeping everyday- Disney NO. Can’t compare and it’s disgusting.
As someone who recently went to Disney World, I’d like to say that I have no problems with the crowds. In fact, I’m glad all that sound and fury about how Chapek is ruining Disney and how the parks have become outrageously expensive was just the ranting of a loud minority, and people were still coming to the parks, in droves.
Just curious. Did you get your money’s worth? How many attractions did you get to go on per day? What percentage of your time at the parks was spent standing in line, food included? It appears that Disney lied to people when they stated that there would be crowd restrictions at each park when you said that there were droves of people coming in. I wonder how many families were upset to find out they were lied to when they saw how packed the parks were!
Sadly Jim I do not believe that you get your moneys worth whatsoever currently. Almost every ride had half hour plus wait. Some closer to an hour or more. I went to the bakery in magic kingdom to get a coffee and even that line was out the door as well. I gave up and left without. We arrived at 8 AM as we were staying at the beach club and got early admission. We gave up and left about 6pm and probably went on half of the rides at best. We lived in Celebration for 10 years and I know very well what to expect. I do not believe there are crowd restrictions whatsoever. Also, I do not feel that Disney is interested in encouraging Florida residents to frequent the parks as they have pretty much obliterated the annual passes. The only annual pass currently offered is a Monday to Friday “pixie dust” pass which hardly helps out Floridians at all as our children are in school Monday through Friday. On any given day the Magic Kingdom’s “usual” capacity is 90,000 X $150.00 = 13,500,00 DAILY. One park, one day. Sure felt like 90,000 people when we were there last week. I don’t wanna crush anybody’s Disney dreams but it’s really a nightmare at the moment. Sorry.
I don’t believe they are trying to attract FL AP either. Bc Chapek has said locals don’t spend as much, nor do frequent out of state AP. I’ll tell that to my bank statement. We’ve been down every month, but one, from OH, since 8/2020. And we’ve spent a ton. And we’ve seen the crowds getting bigger and bigger. Last weekend, rode 4 rides in about 6 hours at MK, before hopping to Epcot.
I agree! I live out of state and just got back yesterday from a week’s trip and it was the worst crowds I’ve ever seen, and we’ve been going since they opened in the 70’s. It’s one thing when you have to fight crowds, but when you have to PAY extra just to fight crowds is absolute BS! In one day, we bought Genie + for 2 of us, as well as 2 lightning lane passes each, and paid an extra $76. We were only able to ride FOUR rides the entire day!!!!! And two of those were lightning lane. And the reason for only four??? Because when we logged on to book our rides, those were the ONLY ones available!!!!!! We were so frustrated. We then went to Universal, stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel, where they offer FREE unlimited express lane entry. It was sooooo easy. Granted, I’m not as fond of Universal as I am Disney, but Disney needs to take some tips from them about how to deal with attraction lines. We stayed at the Contemporary at Disney, used the extra evening hours at Epcot and were only able to ride 2 rides in 2 hours because the lines were so long. And that’s just deluxe resort guests! It’s totally ridiculous. I’m trying so hard to still love Disney, but they’re making it very difficult.
OMG TotalDramaDisney – What planet are you on honestly. Chapek and Iger are bad news and you know it… So many people have made their opinions heard, are you on the Disney Board, then you must be blind and hard of hearing. The parks are so overpriced and ever day Disney rip its customers off. Price hikes, less value for your money and they think they will get away with it. No many people are wise to it and are not coming for those reasons. I have no doubt Covid has had an effect but its not the only reason. You are fooling yourself if you think otherwise.
So… do we assume that this new emphasis on Florida locals is to blame for the increased violence and line jumping, both observed and reported? Could it be that day visitors, though they have less invested, feel more entitled because they believe they “own” the parks. I do have to say, the crowds at Universal are more played back, though they appear less “well heeled”. I have a feeling that things will never be as good as they were three years ago… or the ten years before that.
Hi Rodney. I appreciate your comments. As an annual visitor who loved the traditional WDW “magic”, I am saddened at how it has changed so much, and how it changes traiditonal rides because of the Wokers. For sure, I won’t be back until the mask mandates are lifted.
We, (wife, son and self) went to the 25th Anniversary. Now my wife wants to go to the 50th. With the price gouging, the line jumping and fighting from the precious guest. I’m not sure I want to waste $500+ for that much Happiest Place (Hell) on Earth.
I have been visiting the Disney parks for forty years now. Monday was the most crowded that I have ever seen the Magic Kingdom (with the exception of Christmas holiday time). There were no wait times under an hour.
The other parks were full as well, despite the cold weather. I’m not really sure what park this article is discussing but they clearly were not at Disney World this past week.
Monday was busy bc people traditionally start their vacations on Mondays AND more importantly, MK was closing at 4:30 Tuesday, for a cast member event. So people crammed MK on Monday.
Im a Local as well. And sadly I couldn’t get my annual pass back due to the guidelines, & the way the new rules only supplied a certain number of passes. My daughters forked over the funds for us to go last month to Epcot. But I miss park hopping.Disney hasn’t been the same, for quite sometime. But this new go around seems even worse. Universal, is giving the mouse a run for its guests. No reservations system, and passholder system still allowing full benefits and no issuing a certain amount problems. They’ll be losing alot of people. But in the same breath the truly Deep Disney Fanatics will still find a way to go. The more people move here, the more the CEOs greed builds, the more these folks will do whatever to stick it to the consumers. Can you stop raising ticket prices? Bring back the damn pass holders and the benefits. And kill that damm reservation system cause it sucks a***! And bring back the magic cause I swear it dried up and gone…
Thinking along the same lines … saw the prices in the resale market and there is a sizeable increase over what we paid close to 20 & 15 years ago as we have two different allotments for a total of 455 points yearly … SERIOUSLY considering cashing out before how much it has changed and how much of a cluster@&$! it has turned into becomes widespread knowledge and the resale prices drop … sad, never thought I’d be considering this as it was our intention to go on family vacations with grandkids since the kids enjoyed it so much … now my daughter who was TOTALLY into the parks is like, “just wanna go back one more time once all the stuff for the 50th anniversary is open” … if you knew how much my daughter was beaming/happy while in the parks when there, you’d understand how incredibly sad of a statement that truly is … 🙁
My family have been WDW fans since 1999. DVC owners as well. Each year the prices go up and get less for the money. Walt would be depressed to see the greed this company has shown. Yet the place is still packed. Seems as long as people pay the money, Disney will keep raising prices to see how far they can squeeze the guests.
I have said for years that they will keep raising prices and cutting things out to increase the bottom line until it starts to affect revenue. It all started with eisner and has continued unabated.
We have been annual pass holders for years, had the platinum pass. Could not renew it this year and only had the “pixie dust” available that had virtually no perks, blackout dates and only Monday thru Friday—ridiculous. We stayed at several resorts last year, visited the parks but the reservation system is so bogus. Park hopping is nearly impossible. So we’re not renewing the “ pixie dust” pass and will no longer be visiting the Mouse or the new Non gender Minnie Mouse in a pantsuit! Instead, we’ll focus on our boating and visiting the many other beautiful locations in Florida where we live!
With only allowing the pixie dust pass that gives access Monday- Friday with block out dates it’s crazy to think we will buy these so called Florida deals. The 50th celebration seems diluted and the costs to park and eat is ridiculous
The article is nonsense. I stay at WDW from 01/02/2022 to 01/11/2022.
Each park I went to was very busy. Wait lines for rides were unbelievable. One day when I was in the Magic Kingdom the wait for It’s a Small World was 40 minutes. Any one that has been to the parks before knows that is crazy. Anyone that is saying that they are staying away for any reason, the pandemic, the masks, the new charges, please do. I would appreciate shorter wait lines.
I’ve been to Magic Kingdom 3 times in the past 9 years. Once in June, once in July, and once in October, and only once did I wait less than 40 minutes in line for Small World.
WDW has lost touch with its fan base. Local AP and Florida Resident discounts were always critical, now they’re tossed like so much garbage. All the changes have more to do with attendance than anything else.
I have read the comments. I hope Disney Management reads them. All the changes are negative. Nothing making it better for the visitor. Now you need to make two reservations for each and everyday. Park and park ticket. Makes no sense. Ticket prices change by day. Now you have to pay, for what use to be a Fast Pass. Tickets are no longer Forever as they were, Use them or lose them! No improvement whatsoever. Poor deal.
I’ve been to Disney twice, and I really enjoyed my time, however it isn’t an attendance problem, it’s a things to do problem. Some people wait in line for like 3 hours and when they get up there the ride ends up breaking or having to shut down. I’m thankful when I went I was able to go on a good amount of rides, but Disney definitely overbooks people and it makes it hard for people to want to go back if they can only ride like 4 rides a day. Food is also an issue with most of them shut down, and others overbooked. When you’re out in the hot sun all day, and you get hungry, and there isn’t many places to eat, what are you gonna do then?! I hope Disney looks at why attendance is decreasing, and takes the action needed to fix it.
I can handle the higher costs if the quality and experience is there. Unfortunately, the costs are higher, but the experience is less. Chasing “today’s” IP only will not generate long term success as these attractions become dated more quickly. It’s short-term thinking. Of course a quick and cheap way of keeping attractions up to date is to just make it all screen-based — a cheap and lazy approach in my opinion. I’m waiting for them to have part of the attraction become phone-based (I’m betting that is not far away). Not everyone wants to be buried in their phone all day long.
They’re chasing away the most loyal of guests which is dangerous as these people, while perhaps not spending copious amount of dollars in one week every 3-5 years, do end up spending a considerable amount over the long term. I’ve had an AP for decades and let it expire due to the reservation system. It’s pointless to have a “no blackout day” annual pass that cannot be used whenever.
As for their Florida discounts, it’s barely a crumb of what it used to be and almost feels like a slap in the face. They flat out do not want locals and prefer to cater to the phone-based crowd from far away. They are definitely not a good neighbor anymore.
Hi ChadMC. I was an annual visitor, staying at the Dolphin Hotel. I LOVED Epcot for its unique “informational” theme, plus it was spread out and a very pretty place. Now, WDW leadership (a very inappropriate term here) is changing it to be just another theme park. I hesitate to go back, for sure until the mask mandate goes away.
Was there back in Nov Dec and the problem was too many people not the other way around. Went there about 7yrs ago over 4th of July and it was less crowded then.
My adult son and I have had Florida Annual Passes ever since they were instituted, but we are not renewing. The price increasing is insulting and wanting us to not only pay a ridiculous amount of money for the passes, they now want used to pay, even more, for what used to be Fast Passes. I went in 1971 where we paid a nominal amount to just enter the Park and THEN bought tickets to the rides we wanted to go on. That was fine, but the new pricing is like charging the Price to enter and go on all the rides and THEN charging TO GO ON THE RIDES!!!!!!! I think Disney will loose a lot of us loyal locals.
Honestly i feel as if until Disney lowers the price to something reasonable like seaworld or universals price, change all these new and outrageous rules, and bring back the annual passes (also make cheaper) then there will definitely not be an “attendance problem” at all. I’m a Florida resident myself and the “discount” for us is non existent, it is just as high as non residents. I would love to bring my family to Disney and it is just the 3 of us and I have to pay an arm and a leg but to pay for me and my husband, while my son is free because he is under 3, also having annual passes to go to Seaworld is $30 each a month and not having blackout dates. So no it is not an “attendance problem “ it is a Disney problem and i refuse to take my family to somewhere that is crazy expensive for a few days and not being able to get on every ride.
I see 2 problems for me with Disney right now.
1. They are giving most of the park reservations to THEIR hotel guest so anyone local or staying off property is having a hard time getting one.
2. They are trying to save money by not having enough help. They don’t pay that much and have taken away a lot of employee perks.
I’m letting my AP pass go..
Michael Elesner, thanks for the memories
vaccines and boosters should be mandatory. Wearing a mask is necessary even after vaccines because you can still spread the disease to an unvaccinated child. No parent wants a dead child, especially when something as simple as a mask can help. So if there will be an attendance problem, it will be due to upcharges.
Quit letting cnn scare you. Look up stats on kids yourself. The chances of a healthy child dying from covid is near zero. And stick your vaccine mandate. They don’t stop you from getting or spreading it. Thank God Florida is free and has the great governor Ron desantis
It’s sad to see so many people say this and also get mad at mandated and measures to help public safety. A close family friend took their whole family last month to Disney World. Their 3 year old got covid and by the time they came back the entire family got it and unfortunately a week later, the grandmother passed away… Unfortunately many people do not care about how the pandemic affects other people and care mostly about their own discomfort. Seeing the current stats of infection is crazy especially since everyone wants covid to be over but instead it is spreading like crazy. I hope everyone remains safe and healthy!
We just got back today (1/27). The crowds were insane to say the least but what we found funny was the wait times being fudged everywhere. Overly exaggerated for quite a bit s as t magic kingdom which I can assume was to entice people to buy Genie passes. I was glad to see that this was not the case. I think people are pissed enough to NOT line the executives pockets even more.
Our annual passes run out this April, and we won’t be going back.
It’s sad. After 30+ years we are hanging up our ears.
Visited all of the WDW parks January 12-19, 2022. If you mean they have an attendance problem due to too many people in attendance, then I agree. I’ve gone to WDW 2-3 times per year my entire life and have never experienced crowds such as the ones we experienced this trip. I refuse to believe that they were only at 35% capacity on any of the days that we visited.
Hi Dave. Glad you had a good time. I’m an annual visitor who stays at the Dolphin Hotel. I LOVE going there (pre-2020), but with all the political changes + mask mandates, I won’t be back until at least the mask mandates go away.
I go to DW frequently, all parks. The few comments on this site are speculation based on the commenters momentary bias. The only attendance problem at Disney World is too many people and they keep coming. The park experience is what it is and each visit is unique. Long lines, park reservations, Lightning lanes, price increases, more price increases, fewer perks; got it. That’s the experience and people keep coming.
So they have an “attendance problem”, because there was a dip in 2020 but not anymore in 2021? So there’s no problem? I don’t understand the point of this article. Their dates are selling out. There’s no problem. If there was, they wouldn’t be constantly raising the price of everything.
We were there January 13 through 17 and all 4 Parks’s were packed!!
95 to 110 min wait for the main rides, really took the fun out of the experience, Walt would not be happy!!!
Disney has a price problem…I recently said no to Disney, family of 3, 5 days of tickets, nearly 2k…4 days at Universal, 800 on a deal…Disney keeps taking away the magic, and increasing the price. But I feel like they’re happy with that, less guests paying more. Not me, ciao Disney.
We went last week on Tuesday. We were able to ride TWO WHOLE RIDES, because of the INSANE crowds! Not one single ride had less than a 70 minute wait. Not one. We live in Florida, and have been passholder regulars for at least 16 years. These past few months have been the absolute worst for crowds. So over crowded that in Magic Kingdom, there were all of 4 places to left to eat, as there were literally NO time slots available anywhere else (and these were walk ups!! We didn’t see any availability in any restaurant on any property!) It continues to get worse and worse as the prices continue to skyrocket. I doubt we’ll be passholders next year. There is literally NO magic left in this kingdom, only shoulder to shoulder crowds and broken down rides at every turn. They won’t hold parades, they won’t hold shows… half of the restaurants and shops are closed, leaving the streets SO crowded because there is half of the space for the same occupancy limits to fill!! I have been a Disney fan my whole life, and it really hurts to say that these parks completely suck now.
We will not spend our hard earned money on out-of-control inflated Disney costs, where we’ll get far less for our money than ever before…will not only be uncomfortable wearing masks but unable to see one another smiling and laughing on attractions…..and to top it all off, no up-close photo opps with characters and our loved ones showing their joy and excitement in the most magical place on Earth!!! Governor Desantis is as reasonable as he can be following the medical science, as opposed to the political science, so there’s no reason whatsoever for Disney not to provide the ultimate experience in Disney guests’ travel, hotel/ resort accomodations, dining, shopping, and parks experience!!! Perhaps when the Disney corporation puts politics and GREED aside, the normal crowds and loyal Disney fans will return.
I think that people are voting with their feet. Disney no longer has the Magical Express, a dining plan, or Magic Hours. Now Lightning Lanes?? I cannot pay $17 a ride for 4 people!!! Stop the greed and maybe people will return!
I have a coworker that got lots of advice from me on their first wdw trip. They are DL annual pass holders but wanted to try out The World. They came back and said “never again!”. They bought Genie+ for one day and said it wasn’t worth it and said they talked to a few other families that felt the same.
Disney might be stuffing their parks at the moment but certainly not with people walking out planning to book their next return trip before this one is finished.
This is the first time in my adult life I’ve had no plans to go to WDW and instead I got myself a DL annual pass.
We have been at the parks all week, Jan. 24-29. The crowds are insane. There are plenty of very nice cast members, but not enough places to eat orr enough varied selections at the quick service places. They pretty much force you to mobile order food.Souvenir selections have been lame and limited. Hardly any magnets to be found. Not much 50 th anniversary merchandise left, and prices are astronomical. I have been multiple times in June and never seen crowds like this. I’m a planner, and I have not enjoyed having to pay for and use Genie +. There have been bus breakdowns, ride breakdowns, etc. We are currently in line for ROTR and it’s not running This is no longer a fun vacation.
Breaks my heart. I imagine Walt would not approve.
the only thing i have to say, walt disney must be rolling in his grave for how they are messing up his dream, now is all about money, and is funny how they are watching everybody complain and they dont care to change back.
It has nothing to do with the pandemic. We simply decided to give up our ap for other theme parks without the crazy reservations and fenie plus and jumping through hoops.
This is purely about price gouging. Disney’s prices have gone through the roof. To top that off you’re getting a lot less for your money. Fast passes are gone and replaced with a pay service. Many of the dining options that offered buffet are not truly buffet but instead served at your table. Annual passes used to include photopass but that is now an extra. And on top of all of this so many people across this country are still recovering or not even recovering yet from a very crappy 2 years.
Disney world was packed last week . I did find that some cast members were unhelpful not as before maybe thay can not get the staff. Food in the parks not good often had to return cold meals and request hot never had this before
We were there last weekend. Found quite a few unhelpful CM. Little groups of 2-4 standing around gossiping or complaining about their job. Lots of them on their cell phones. Even heard one cussing about another CM while waiting in line for the Peoplemover. There were several exceptional CMs, but that used to be the rule and now it’s very surprising when you encounter an exceptional CM. It’s sad. They lost so many great CMs, who couldn’t afford to live here or moved on to other jobs, during the shutdown/furlow. I hear quite a few moved to Universal. May have to check those parks out.
Yes. A lot of the cast members that were awesome were let go and found other places. They have called a lot back, but not all. And they are having trouble recruiting guest facing roles. It’s well known locally that guests have become a nightmare of demands , anger, and frustration. At restaurants and hotels they play the “complain about every possible thing so I can get money off” game. Don’t think the staff don’t get what people are doing. They know and it’s demoralizing and makes more CMs quit. People have become nasty. They cant’t hire housekeeping at $15+/hr AND a $1k sign on bonus because people dont want to work in the toxic atmosphere. But on the other hand with DW nickel and diming and also regimenting every facet of your “vacation ” I think they are creating this horrible atmosphere. And to the commentary that it’s local Florida trash. Please get over yourself. The locals are the nice ones hanging out at Universal and SW. We were also the ones that kept Disney afloat in 2020. Acknowledging there was a risk in attending but wanting to support our neighbors and friends so they wouldn’t lose their jobs too. My friend at a non Disney attraction had guests actually throw things at them as they left more than once. His colleague called it the “stimulus check visitor” – i.e. people who’ve never been to these types of resorts and expect someone to wipe their butt if they want and get angry when they don’t. As for the super crowds, maybe they ARE genuinely packed. But also, they use those reservation systems to schedule the bare minimum of staff on. So that means less boats and ride cars in action. A lot of these lines may be manufactured by not running at full capacity so people have to buy genie +. If they were running at full capacity, a lot more people would be on the rides, lowering the perception of crowds. In 2020 the park looked packed but it turned out the social distance requirements in the lines really highlighted how much the lines diminish the appearance of crowds. Maybe we are seeing a combo of high attendance and manipulated ride capacity. But the Florida resident deals are a bit of a joke after Chapek specifically said on a call that we weren’t needed or wanted. He can’t track an AP holders entire annual spend because they don’t get discounts at a lot of places. But his focus on per visit spend vs. Annual spend may have soured a very lucrative spending block. We let our passes expire. Used to bring out of state guest about 6 times a year that had to buy tix. These past 18 mos we’ve told them not to bother with Disney and we have gone to Universal instead. It’s not entirely price either. It’s value for money. Or should I say not enough value for the money.
Yes, take the most highest and most ridiculously priced resorts in Disney and give a 20% discount. That’s a joke because you can stay offsite and close by at say the Hilton Orlando for a fraction of the cost. Disney’s pricing is a joke. Not looking to buy the hotel, just spend the night. And by the way, that’s all you need the room for……just sleeping. Makes no sensed to spend hundreds of dollars per night for a bed.
I recently visited in California and it’s still to crowded. As for Florida, that state is so badly run that I won’t be stepping foot there anytime in the foreseeable future.
USED TO BE an avid Disney fan. After my last visit in December… Nope, I will go to Universal Studios when in Orlando. Disney is so far out of touch with their customers it’s ridiculous. Has become nothing more than all about the almighty dollar! Walt must be turning in his grave!! What a shame.
A 6 night Disney trip (5 days in park) plus flying is goin to cost me $8,000…. maybe make the hotels cheaper instead of $400 a night …and I’m expecting to pay $300 for food a day on a minimum…
The pandemic is just an easy excuse for the lack of interest in vacationers heading to Disney. My family and I have gone at least once a year if not more for the past 42 years. We made a family trip in October and everyone of us said the same thing ,”NO MORE DISNEY TILL THE PRICE GOUGING STOPS AND THE PERKS COME BACK”! UNFORTUNATELY MY HUSBAND AND I ARE INVESTED IN DVC. So we will bank points in hopes of change in the near future. When that road ends we use our point for our hotel and tour Florida. Our dollars will be spent elsewhere in Florida. There is plenty to see and UNIVERSAL RIGHT UP THE STREET. Disney will only be our hotel. THIS CHANGE IN DISNEY HAS BEEN A COMPLETE DISAPPOINTMENT, A TOTAL DISGRACE and clearly a slap in the face of the loyal fans who made DISNEY THEIR VACATION HOME YEAR AFTER YEAR ! SHAME SHAME SHAME
I was there in November 2021 it was so crowed you couldn’t move lines were over an hour long. Food and drink prices were out the roof employees were rude. Not the Disney it was in the 80’s and 90’s. I was at the fire works in Magic Kingdom employee keep push people towards castle so packed you couldn’t move. It’s all about making money and not an enjoyable place anymore
I get the Covid weary that are tired of restrictions. Take all the Covid politics out of the discussion and what you are left with is the true reason attendance is down, COST. Universal does such a better job with the front of line pass. It’s not complicated, doesn’t require me to live on my phone all day and cost is straightforward. Disney has raised the cost of everything to the point of forcing this family to decide if we even want to go. We stay at Shades of Green because we can’t afford our favorite Port Orleans anymore. We can’t afford even the most simple sit down meal more than once a trip. $90 for Lunch at DiNapoli? Only one of those meals. $20 for a pin? $60 for a tee shirt? I had 3 cast members rudely ask me to pull up my mask. Happy to do it but please be polite about it. Stood in line to get my husband’s disability pass only to have a cast member question if he needed it. I just can’t justify all the cost anymore.
Facts
I have been a DVC owner for over 12 years and when I walk into the resorts I am always being asked where am I going or if I am lost and need directions.
I say I am not lost. I am going to my room.
They offend me all the time with their assumptions.
Disney is offering 20% off a resort stay after they have increased their prices significantly. Their annual passes for Florida residents come with a heavy price and with restrictions ex. Blackout dates for the weekend. Even DVC owners are frustrated with restrictions on how to use their ownership and a typical family of 5 with the memory maker is costing at the moment $750 for ONE DAY at ONE PARK! Regardless what their losses were for last 2 years, they have been making billions for the past 50 years! Everything is ridiculously priced at Disney and I live here. They should be ashamed of how they do business!
The reason they’re having an attendance problem is a screwed the locals, on the annual passes. Not to mention gouging everybody for everything. They think they’re gonna make all this money off of out of staters. I know a lot of people that have been passholders for years and gave those passes up because the price is skyrocketed in the added a lot of blackout dates.
I was just there in early December.. No attendance problem! In fact it was packed! The costs and the horrible Genie + is keeping people away! Genie + was messed up a lot and Cast Members had to fix it on the side before we could proceed to the Que. All the big rides broke down every afternoon. A lot of people have Covid Crazy attitude! The cost of staying on sight and then find out you have to change your own sheets if you want Bed service sooner than every 3 days which means the Trash too. Oh yes they will come get the trash if you call them, but they don’t come right away so if it’s at night when you get back, you can’t get onto bed yet. Covid has made the Hotels lazy for sure. I have been going for 30 tears and I am done with it! It was not a Magical experience. The Mismanagement of all the DisneyParks is ridiculous!
Turning attention to Florida residents- what??? Offering 2 day weekday pass for $149 is ridiculous!! Blacking out the week kids are on spring break, am I supposed to take my kid out of school?? Not everyone is retired in Florida!
It would be great if WDW would put back the FL pass prices like before. Loved in Florida for 25 years had passes for 20. Now retired would love to go any time like before. The only thing the new program is doing is saving me 5K a year by not going. For peace of mind I would rather go and let WDW have it.
This sounds a lot like an old Yogi Berra quote…”Nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded.”
And yes, I am a Florida local who was terribly disappointed with the lack of Christmas decorations and programming that once was famous for Disney Springs.
While all of the points in the article are valid, there are (in my opinion) at least two additional, significant factors (related). The first is the continuing escalation of costs (higher prices for pins, free fast pass replaced with Lightning Lanes and Genie+, etc.). Secondly, Disney has continued to make everything more complex and less “magical”. Who honestly believes a family is going to enjoy having to first buy their way on to rides and also spend the day staring at their cellphones?
“But by 2021, visitors were clearly turning to theme parks for a pick-me-up during a drawn-out pandemic — along with rising attendance, average spending at all the Disney Parks also increased by 30% compared to 2019”
This is Disney’s plan.. lower attendance and more spending per visitor. It creates a better experience for tourist ( which are the people spending $$$) while at the same time lowering the number pf key holders.
We went recently. 4 hour wait for the new Star Wars ride. An extremely long line for the slinky dog roller coaster ride. We heard a mother tell a child who was around 6 that he had better have a good time as the trip cost too much. We arrived at Hollywood Studios at 8:30 and was done by 2pm. No one was happy there, not the guests or the staff. Genie + didn’t work most of the day. We could not find somewhere to sit down to eat. Most of the shops and restaurants were closed. Everyone was in the Toy Story, Star Wars or Tower of terror area.
It was not a good time.
Universal studios on the other hand was wonderful. Yes there were lines but not 4 hour lines. There were plenty of places to eat. All of the shops were open and people were having fun.
We used to go to Disney several times a year. No more Disney World for us.
I just returned last week from a week at Walt Disney World. If there is an attendance problem it would have to be the crowds. There can be no social distancing and most don’t wear their masks when outside. If there becomes an attendance problem, it will be of their own making. My husband and I were there the first time in August of 1972 and have been as many as 4-5 times in a year since then. It is my belief that they are trying to move from the moderate market to the wealthier market. Soft Drinks are $5.00 each. Other food products have risen in price from .39 up. I understand the need to raise sme of the prices, but this has been the year a “Let’s make up our losses this first year back” this first year back. No Magical Express, charging to park at the resorts, no parades (the Cavalcades are nice) the list goes on.
I am also a DVC member. We generally have a group large enough for a 2 bedroom villa, but this trip we were in a Studio. It is somewhat ridiculous to expect to go a week without clean towels. I always wash our towels when we have a washer and dryer.
As usual there are always cast members who have had all the magic they can stand, so they are rude but that is the exception, not the rule.
Even with all the negatives, it remains my Happy Place! We have brought our daughter, (she was 6 when WDW opened)her children and grandchildren.
Comments for Disney World May Have an “Attendance Problem”, Report Says
Marcus
I have zero interest in taking my kids anymore and until the pandemic we had annual passes since they were born. With the price gouging, unnecessary restrictions, reservation system, and everything else, Disney lost me.
Bella
You are right! So many people agree with you!
Sally
I totally agree. They have been charging for everything and have been getting greedy instead of making it a wonderful experience for its guest. Very disappointing. I will not be back.
Sgeve
Exactly! We were just there with our 8 yr old granddaughter for her 1st trip to WDW. The price gouging, horrible Genie plus system and the added cost of $15 or $20 per person per ride to get some lightening lane passes….isridiculous! Don’t believe we will be back anytime sokn.. but will go to Universal.. their fast pass system much better and cheaper….Disney keeps cutting benefits and charging more and more… getting rid of the Magical Express from the airport was also another huge mistake by Disney …I’m sure we aren’t the only ones who won’t be back! Sad..but true!
Byron
I don’t think Disney has an attendance problem. I think people have the problem. It’s so disgusting that people want to pay $700 a day to stare at the back of someone’s neck and move one inch every 20 seconds. Some people get off on it, it does make sense if you’re a zombie.
Ryan
Bye!
Bm
Disney also raised prices that are outlandish.. it used to be fun to go now it’s a hassle… it’s long lines make you miss visiting other rides or park attractions. It seems like they only cater to who can pay the big bucks
Pretty soon we mere mortals will be waiting while the Rich select few go before us to get on rides because we did not upgrade our already expensive ticket at least “$150-300 more …
I’m sure that is not what Walt had in mind . There should be an easy equalizer for everyone …. Fast pass was great .. you were allowed 2 at a time .. but now they would rather you wait in a line for 2 hours ( they sell drinks in the middle ) and wait for a 2 minute thrill . I think Walt actually wanted you to enjoy being there not dread being in a line .. back in the day we had characters on the ride … visiting the lines etc
Walt wanted a family fun day not a day where kids have to wait and wait and wait .. ( have you ever waited with kids?)
Let’s have more person interaction to the “visitors/ customer “ and hire more or check on your guests … have customer relations people interact and get responses , have them see a family fidgeting with four kids in line understand their frustration..
come in Disney get back to the concept of Happiest Place in Earth .
Bea
Unessacary restrictions? Honestly?!
nhcabingirl
same here. sold my dvc and no more passes…. Disney is insulting on every level
Ken
Absolutely. I am a DVC member. Points went up as well maintenance fees. Now it costs me more to spend a shorter period of time
melissa
Exactly!!!! We will be ridding ourselves of our DVC and attendance. There are many more MAGICAL things to do and experience.
Wolf
I agree a 100% also the magic is gone. No interaction with characters and the crazy woke policies just not the same, I haven’t any interest in going anymore and use to love it
Linda
I totally agree the price gouging and making reservations to ho to a fun park just takes the fun out of it!
Jeff
Affirming your post. We went regularly for many years. It was never a bargain but they systematically depreciate the, once magical, experience while increasing their prices.
We’ll pay more for more but not more for less (unless it’s dog poop…but then I wouldn’t pay at all).
Heather
Agreed. I Ironically had annual passes for over 15 years and cancelled mine right BEFORE the pandemic started. I cancelled in February 2020. I had cancelled because things were going down hill at the parks. Bathrooms trashed, prices way too high. We were basically being price out. And now with the pass changes, fast passes not fast passes but being done differently and having to pay etc and make reservations for parks. For get it, idk if we will ever go back.
Elizabeth
This article is a display of ignorance and also ignoring comments on multiple articles I’ve read. Attendance has very little to do with pandemic fears but everything to do with continued mask mandates, lessened “magical” experiences, and greed…constant loss of perks for a higher price!
Bella
Nailed it! Disney parks are becoming “the worst”!
Jill
I find the cost and experience of going to Disney a bigger problem than Covid. You are paying more for less. Guest are frustrated and there have been more verbal and physical interaction then I’ve ever seen. Universal will eventually take over as the number one theme park in Orlando. Disney leadership is more worried about making money than giving guests an experience that they will want to return to. They are driving people to trying other attractions in the area. Which at this time is providing better quality for less cost. Blaming Covid is the excuse of a lifetime. Eventually Covid will be over but the cost and hassle of going to Disney will remain.
Arthur Collier Jr
This is as accurate account as I have seen.
Elie
Totally agreed!
Freedom
I am a bona fide Disney World addict have been going there since they opened in 1971. I spend a fortune on out-of-state annual passes. But my wife and I will not go back until they remove The Mask mandate!
Manny
Thank you Russian bot for your commentary. It will be filed in the appropriate container.
Ken Brenner
Hi Tim. I appreciate your comments. You offer another reason we won’t go until the masks are not required – my wife can’t wear them but for a few minutes. More importantly, I sense you are a firefighter. And, for that, God Bless you and your family! 🙂
Ken Brenner
Hi Freedom. I haven’t been as much as you, but have a similar interest in being there. We normally go once per year and stay at the Dolphin Hotel. Epcot then the Magic Kingdom are my favorite parks. That said, I will not return until the mask mandate is removed. It should be up to the individual. Mandates for masks and shots have not worked and will not work. I cannot imagine being at the Dolphin Hotel, paying $300+ per night, and being told I have to wear a mas in the hotel from the time I leave my room until I leave the hotel. Very sad…
Barbara
It’s the fact that we are made to wake up at 7am on vacation to pick a ride or wander the park. Having to be on the cell. Nope
We are 4 hours away, I used to be a pass holder and just reserve a resort for the weekend and go. Now with park reservation system and nothing available it’s a huge ordeal.
We are now universal studios pass holders and may do Disney once a year at best
Donna
So true
Sparky
Don’t care about the mask mandate but the prices are ridiculous can barely afford a burger. I thought it’s supposed too be family friendly. All I hear anymore is people fighting.
Harry
I couldn’t agree more. It’s as if Disney is attempting to recoup the $5 billion loss during the 50th anniversary. Disney appears detected to price themselves out of existence.
Mike
If people had worn masks and gotten vaccines this might all be gone by now. But instead they refused, almost 900,000 people in the US alone have died, and we are still fighting covid. The ignorance you mention are the ignorant that believe pundits instead of scientists.
Jimmy
You will see. The masks have made no difference in the end. And basically the same with vaccines. People aren’t going because of cost and work as most have stated above. Gone downhill since eliminating paper fast passes
Linda
Agree entirely, I used yo take my grandkids every year but the prices are way too high and can’t go from one park at Disneyland until after 1pm, give me a bresk
Olivia Johnson
“Attendance problem”? More like an occupancy problem. We were there last week and were unable to get on many rides because of the insane overcrowding and wait times. Nobody had masks on. There is no way that they are limiting the number of guests currently. As a local, I know very well what normal occupancy looks like and Disney is near capacity. It’s interesting that DeSantis has changed his stance after previously shutting down the state for almost three months. I wasn’t allowed to run my one bedroom one bath VRBO but all hotels and motels remained open. Typical politician. Flip flop.
Kitty
Disney has a Chapek problem.
Jill
Definitely a leadership problem . Covid has given them an excuse that will eventually prove to not be the problem.
Carolyn
That is the bottom line! The height of arrogance!???
Charging guests who drive from all over the country to park their cars in the parking lot near their room All the while shutting down the Disney Express from the airport! Our family used to drive from NC four (4) times a year😳…. WE ARE DONE WITH DISNEY! AND THEIR POLITICS!
Arw
So we will be charged for walking on their sidewalks.
Allofthestory
Meanwhile every other hotel in the Orlando area charges you to park your car. So is Disney price gouging or finally becoming in line with the rest of the hotel industry in Orlando? It’s probably the second thing
Joe White
Yes I pay to park at a hotel. Why should I pay Disney to park, pay to get in their property, pay everytime I want to do things already paid for?
Snicker
Every other hotel does not charge the prices a night that Disney does. Those other hotels have housekeeping everyday- Disney NO. Can’t compare and it’s disgusting.
TotalDramaDisney
As someone who recently went to Disney World, I’d like to say that I have no problems with the crowds. In fact, I’m glad all that sound and fury about how Chapek is ruining Disney and how the parks have become outrageously expensive was just the ranting of a loud minority, and people were still coming to the parks, in droves.
Jim m
Just curious. Did you get your money’s worth? How many attractions did you get to go on per day? What percentage of your time at the parks was spent standing in line, food included? It appears that Disney lied to people when they stated that there would be crowd restrictions at each park when you said that there were droves of people coming in. I wonder how many families were upset to find out they were lied to when they saw how packed the parks were!
Olivia Johnson
Sadly Jim I do not believe that you get your moneys worth whatsoever currently. Almost every ride had half hour plus wait. Some closer to an hour or more. I went to the bakery in magic kingdom to get a coffee and even that line was out the door as well. I gave up and left without. We arrived at 8 AM as we were staying at the beach club and got early admission. We gave up and left about 6pm and probably went on half of the rides at best. We lived in Celebration for 10 years and I know very well what to expect. I do not believe there are crowd restrictions whatsoever. Also, I do not feel that Disney is interested in encouraging Florida residents to frequent the parks as they have pretty much obliterated the annual passes. The only annual pass currently offered is a Monday to Friday “pixie dust” pass which hardly helps out Floridians at all as our children are in school Monday through Friday. On any given day the Magic Kingdom’s “usual” capacity is 90,000 X $150.00 = 13,500,00 DAILY. One park, one day. Sure felt like 90,000 people when we were there last week. I don’t wanna crush anybody’s Disney dreams but it’s really a nightmare at the moment. Sorry.
Erjen
Olivia,
I don’t believe they are trying to attract FL AP either. Bc Chapek has said locals don’t spend as much, nor do frequent out of state AP. I’ll tell that to my bank statement. We’ve been down every month, but one, from OH, since 8/2020. And we’ve spent a ton. And we’ve seen the crowds getting bigger and bigger. Last weekend, rode 4 rides in about 6 hours at MK, before hopping to Epcot.
Timothy
I thought the capscity there was 115,000?
Kim T
I agree! I live out of state and just got back yesterday from a week’s trip and it was the worst crowds I’ve ever seen, and we’ve been going since they opened in the 70’s. It’s one thing when you have to fight crowds, but when you have to PAY extra just to fight crowds is absolute BS! In one day, we bought Genie + for 2 of us, as well as 2 lightning lane passes each, and paid an extra $76. We were only able to ride FOUR rides the entire day!!!!! And two of those were lightning lane. And the reason for only four??? Because when we logged on to book our rides, those were the ONLY ones available!!!!!! We were so frustrated. We then went to Universal, stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel, where they offer FREE unlimited express lane entry. It was sooooo easy. Granted, I’m not as fond of Universal as I am Disney, but Disney needs to take some tips from them about how to deal with attraction lines. We stayed at the Contemporary at Disney, used the extra evening hours at Epcot and were only able to ride 2 rides in 2 hours because the lines were so long. And that’s just deluxe resort guests! It’s totally ridiculous. I’m trying so hard to still love Disney, but they’re making it very difficult.
Patty C
we were there in October and got on maybe 3 rides per day. the lines were huge 2 1/2 hrs for Slinky dog ,3 1/2 for Resistance!
Julian H
OMG TotalDramaDisney – What planet are you on honestly. Chapek and Iger are bad news and you know it… So many people have made their opinions heard, are you on the Disney Board, then you must be blind and hard of hearing. The parks are so overpriced and ever day Disney rip its customers off. Price hikes, less value for your money and they think they will get away with it. No many people are wise to it and are not coming for those reasons. I have no doubt Covid has had an effect but its not the only reason. You are fooling yourself if you think otherwise.
Rodney Simonson
So… do we assume that this new emphasis on Florida locals is to blame for the increased violence and line jumping, both observed and reported? Could it be that day visitors, though they have less invested, feel more entitled because they believe they “own” the parks. I do have to say, the crowds at Universal are more played back, though they appear less “well heeled”. I have a feeling that things will never be as good as they were three years ago… or the ten years before that.
Ken Brenner
Hi Rodney. I appreciate your comments. As an annual visitor who loved the traditional WDW “magic”, I am saddened at how it has changed so much, and how it changes traiditonal rides because of the Wokers. For sure, I won’t be back until the mask mandates are lifted.
Randy Hodo
We, (wife, son and self) went to the 25th Anniversary. Now my wife wants to go to the 50th. With the price gouging, the line jumping and fighting from the precious guest. I’m not sure I want to waste $500+ for that much Happiest Place (Hell) on Earth.
B. Cooper
Here now and I call B.S.
Never seen it so packed the last week of January.
Sheri
I have been visiting the Disney parks for forty years now. Monday was the most crowded that I have ever seen the Magic Kingdom (with the exception of Christmas holiday time). There were no wait times under an hour.
The other parks were full as well, despite the cold weather. I’m not really sure what park this article is discussing but they clearly were not at Disney World this past week.
Erjen
Monday was busy bc people traditionally start their vacations on Mondays AND more importantly, MK was closing at 4:30 Tuesday, for a cast member event. So people crammed MK on Monday.
BC
Im a Local as well. And sadly I couldn’t get my annual pass back due to the guidelines, & the way the new rules only supplied a certain number of passes. My daughters forked over the funds for us to go last month to Epcot. But I miss park hopping.Disney hasn’t been the same, for quite sometime. But this new go around seems even worse. Universal, is giving the mouse a run for its guests. No reservations system, and passholder system still allowing full benefits and no issuing a certain amount problems. They’ll be losing alot of people. But in the same breath the truly Deep Disney Fanatics will still find a way to go. The more people move here, the more the CEOs greed builds, the more these folks will do whatever to stick it to the consumers. Can you stop raising ticket prices? Bring back the damn pass holders and the benefits. And kill that damm reservation system cause it sucks a***! And bring back the magic cause I swear it dried up and gone…
AH
According to cast members the reservation system is here to stay.
Mike
Ummm… Magic Kingdom was sold out Monday at full capacity… So… Whoever wrote this knows nothing….
Jim Truxton
WDW just isn’t worth the effort and expense anymore. I’m seriously considering selling my DVC membership and just not going anymore.
TimH
Thinking along the same lines … saw the prices in the resale market and there is a sizeable increase over what we paid close to 20 & 15 years ago as we have two different allotments for a total of 455 points yearly … SERIOUSLY considering cashing out before how much it has changed and how much of a cluster@&$! it has turned into becomes widespread knowledge and the resale prices drop … sad, never thought I’d be considering this as it was our intention to go on family vacations with grandkids since the kids enjoyed it so much … now my daughter who was TOTALLY into the parks is like, “just wanna go back one more time once all the stuff for the 50th anniversary is open” … if you knew how much my daughter was beaming/happy while in the parks when there, you’d understand how incredibly sad of a statement that truly is … 🙁
Robert
My family have been WDW fans since 1999. DVC owners as well. Each year the prices go up and get less for the money. Walt would be depressed to see the greed this company has shown. Yet the place is still packed. Seems as long as people pay the money, Disney will keep raising prices to see how far they can squeeze the guests.
AH
I have said for years that they will keep raising prices and cutting things out to increase the bottom line until it starts to affect revenue. It all started with eisner and has continued unabated.
Sharono
The sad part is that they are forcing the average family to look elsewhere to find better value for their dollar. 😞 sad
Rhonda
We have been annual pass holders for years, had the platinum pass. Could not renew it this year and only had the “pixie dust” available that had virtually no perks, blackout dates and only Monday thru Friday—ridiculous. We stayed at several resorts last year, visited the parks but the reservation system is so bogus. Park hopping is nearly impossible. So we’re not renewing the “ pixie dust” pass and will no longer be visiting the Mouse or the new Non gender Minnie Mouse in a pantsuit! Instead, we’ll focus on our boating and visiting the many other beautiful locations in Florida where we live!
Ken
With only allowing the pixie dust pass that gives access Monday- Friday with block out dates it’s crazy to think we will buy these so called Florida deals. The 50th celebration seems diluted and the costs to park and eat is ridiculous
Edward Jackson
The article is nonsense. I stay at WDW from 01/02/2022 to 01/11/2022.
Each park I went to was very busy. Wait lines for rides were unbelievable. One day when I was in the Magic Kingdom the wait for It’s a Small World was 40 minutes. Any one that has been to the parks before knows that is crazy. Anyone that is saying that they are staying away for any reason, the pandemic, the masks, the new charges, please do. I would appreciate shorter wait lines.
Caleb
I’ve been to Magic Kingdom 3 times in the past 9 years. Once in June, once in July, and once in October, and only once did I wait less than 40 minutes in line for Small World.
Tom
WDW has lost touch with its fan base. Local AP and Florida Resident discounts were always critical, now they’re tossed like so much garbage. All the changes have more to do with attendance than anything else.
Joseph
I have read the comments. I hope Disney Management reads them. All the changes are negative. Nothing making it better for the visitor. Now you need to make two reservations for each and everyday. Park and park ticket. Makes no sense. Ticket prices change by day. Now you have to pay, for what use to be a Fast Pass. Tickets are no longer Forever as they were, Use them or lose them! No improvement whatsoever. Poor deal.
Ellla Star
I’ve been to Disney twice, and I really enjoyed my time, however it isn’t an attendance problem, it’s a things to do problem. Some people wait in line for like 3 hours and when they get up there the ride ends up breaking or having to shut down. I’m thankful when I went I was able to go on a good amount of rides, but Disney definitely overbooks people and it makes it hard for people to want to go back if they can only ride like 4 rides a day. Food is also an issue with most of them shut down, and others overbooked. When you’re out in the hot sun all day, and you get hungry, and there isn’t many places to eat, what are you gonna do then?! I hope Disney looks at why attendance is decreasing, and takes the action needed to fix it.
ChadMC
I can handle the higher costs if the quality and experience is there. Unfortunately, the costs are higher, but the experience is less. Chasing “today’s” IP only will not generate long term success as these attractions become dated more quickly. It’s short-term thinking. Of course a quick and cheap way of keeping attractions up to date is to just make it all screen-based — a cheap and lazy approach in my opinion. I’m waiting for them to have part of the attraction become phone-based (I’m betting that is not far away). Not everyone wants to be buried in their phone all day long.
They’re chasing away the most loyal of guests which is dangerous as these people, while perhaps not spending copious amount of dollars in one week every 3-5 years, do end up spending a considerable amount over the long term. I’ve had an AP for decades and let it expire due to the reservation system. It’s pointless to have a “no blackout day” annual pass that cannot be used whenever.
As for their Florida discounts, it’s barely a crumb of what it used to be and almost feels like a slap in the face. They flat out do not want locals and prefer to cater to the phone-based crowd from far away. They are definitely not a good neighbor anymore.
Ken Brenner
Hi ChadMC. I was an annual visitor, staying at the Dolphin Hotel. I LOVED Epcot for its unique “informational” theme, plus it was spread out and a very pretty place. Now, WDW leadership (a very inappropriate term here) is changing it to be just another theme park. I hesitate to go back, for sure until the mask mandate goes away.
AH
Was there back in Nov Dec and the problem was too many people not the other way around. Went there about 7yrs ago over 4th of July and it was less crowded then.
Lynne
My adult son and I have had Florida Annual Passes ever since they were instituted, but we are not renewing. The price increasing is insulting and wanting us to not only pay a ridiculous amount of money for the passes, they now want used to pay, even more, for what used to be Fast Passes. I went in 1971 where we paid a nominal amount to just enter the Park and THEN bought tickets to the rides we wanted to go on. That was fine, but the new pricing is like charging the Price to enter and go on all the rides and THEN charging TO GO ON THE RIDES!!!!!!! I think Disney will loose a lot of us loyal locals.
Jasmine
Honestly i feel as if until Disney lowers the price to something reasonable like seaworld or universals price, change all these new and outrageous rules, and bring back the annual passes (also make cheaper) then there will definitely not be an “attendance problem” at all. I’m a Florida resident myself and the “discount” for us is non existent, it is just as high as non residents. I would love to bring my family to Disney and it is just the 3 of us and I have to pay an arm and a leg but to pay for me and my husband, while my son is free because he is under 3, also having annual passes to go to Seaworld is $30 each a month and not having blackout dates. So no it is not an “attendance problem “ it is a Disney problem and i refuse to take my family to somewhere that is crazy expensive for a few days and not being able to get on every ride.
Victoria
I see 2 problems for me with Disney right now.
1. They are giving most of the park reservations to THEIR hotel guest so anyone local or staying off property is having a hard time getting one.
2. They are trying to save money by not having enough help. They don’t pay that much and have taken away a lot of employee perks.
I’m letting my AP pass go..
Michael Elesner, thanks for the memories
Linda Ruffini
vaccines and boosters should be mandatory. Wearing a mask is necessary even after vaccines because you can still spread the disease to an unvaccinated child. No parent wants a dead child, especially when something as simple as a mask can help. So if there will be an attendance problem, it will be due to upcharges.
Nancy
Quit letting cnn scare you. Look up stats on kids yourself. The chances of a healthy child dying from covid is near zero. And stick your vaccine mandate. They don’t stop you from getting or spreading it. Thank God Florida is free and has the great governor Ron desantis
Jelly
It’s sad to see so many people say this and also get mad at mandated and measures to help public safety. A close family friend took their whole family last month to Disney World. Their 3 year old got covid and by the time they came back the entire family got it and unfortunately a week later, the grandmother passed away… Unfortunately many people do not care about how the pandemic affects other people and care mostly about their own discomfort. Seeing the current stats of infection is crazy especially since everyone wants covid to be over but instead it is spreading like crazy. I hope everyone remains safe and healthy!
Done with disney
We just got back today (1/27). The crowds were insane to say the least but what we found funny was the wait times being fudged everywhere. Overly exaggerated for quite a bit s as t magic kingdom which I can assume was to entice people to buy Genie passes. I was glad to see that this was not the case. I think people are pissed enough to NOT line the executives pockets even more.
Our annual passes run out this April, and we won’t be going back.
It’s sad. After 30+ years we are hanging up our ears.
Laura
Visited all of the WDW parks January 12-19, 2022. If you mean they have an attendance problem due to too many people in attendance, then I agree. I’ve gone to WDW 2-3 times per year my entire life and have never experienced crowds such as the ones we experienced this trip. I refuse to believe that they were only at 35% capacity on any of the days that we visited.
Ken Brenner
Hi Dave. Glad you had a good time. I’m an annual visitor who stays at the Dolphin Hotel. I LOVE going there (pre-2020), but with all the political changes + mask mandates, I won’t be back until at least the mask mandates go away.
J Young
I will keep going to WDW unless they remove the mask mandate. I want to live.
Eugenia
Then wear your mask anyway, no matter if there is a mandate or not. You will be protected
Mouse Ears
I go to DW frequently, all parks. The few comments on this site are speculation based on the commenters momentary bias. The only attendance problem at Disney World is too many people and they keep coming. The park experience is what it is and each visit is unique. Long lines, park reservations, Lightning lanes, price increases, more price increases, fewer perks; got it. That’s the experience and people keep coming.
Matt
So they have an “attendance problem”, because there was a dip in 2020 but not anymore in 2021? So there’s no problem? I don’t understand the point of this article. Their dates are selling out. There’s no problem. If there was, they wouldn’t be constantly raising the price of everything.
Joe
We were there January 13 through 17 and all 4 Parks’s were packed!!
95 to 110 min wait for the main rides, really took the fun out of the experience, Walt would not be happy!!!
Rob
Disney has a price problem…I recently said no to Disney, family of 3, 5 days of tickets, nearly 2k…4 days at Universal, 800 on a deal…Disney keeps taking away the magic, and increasing the price. But I feel like they’re happy with that, less guests paying more. Not me, ciao Disney.
Rachel Allen
We went last week on Tuesday. We were able to ride TWO WHOLE RIDES, because of the INSANE crowds! Not one single ride had less than a 70 minute wait. Not one. We live in Florida, and have been passholder regulars for at least 16 years. These past few months have been the absolute worst for crowds. So over crowded that in Magic Kingdom, there were all of 4 places to left to eat, as there were literally NO time slots available anywhere else (and these were walk ups!! We didn’t see any availability in any restaurant on any property!) It continues to get worse and worse as the prices continue to skyrocket. I doubt we’ll be passholders next year. There is literally NO magic left in this kingdom, only shoulder to shoulder crowds and broken down rides at every turn. They won’t hold parades, they won’t hold shows… half of the restaurants and shops are closed, leaving the streets SO crowded because there is half of the space for the same occupancy limits to fill!! I have been a Disney fan my whole life, and it really hurts to say that these parks completely suck now.
TMW
We will not spend our hard earned money on out-of-control inflated Disney costs, where we’ll get far less for our money than ever before…will not only be uncomfortable wearing masks but unable to see one another smiling and laughing on attractions…..and to top it all off, no up-close photo opps with characters and our loved ones showing their joy and excitement in the most magical place on Earth!!! Governor Desantis is as reasonable as he can be following the medical science, as opposed to the political science, so there’s no reason whatsoever for Disney not to provide the ultimate experience in Disney guests’ travel, hotel/ resort accomodations, dining, shopping, and parks experience!!! Perhaps when the Disney corporation puts politics and GREED aside, the normal crowds and loyal Disney fans will return.
Karen Melone
I think that people are voting with their feet. Disney no longer has the Magical Express, a dining plan, or Magic Hours. Now Lightning Lanes?? I cannot pay $17 a ride for 4 people!!! Stop the greed and maybe people will return!
Greg
Problem is due to the major price increase/gauging that Disney has imposed.
Lindsey
I have a coworker that got lots of advice from me on their first wdw trip. They are DL annual pass holders but wanted to try out The World. They came back and said “never again!”. They bought Genie+ for one day and said it wasn’t worth it and said they talked to a few other families that felt the same.
Disney might be stuffing their parks at the moment but certainly not with people walking out planning to book their next return trip before this one is finished.
This is the first time in my adult life I’ve had no plans to go to WDW and instead I got myself a DL annual pass.
Julie Harper
We have been at the parks all week, Jan. 24-29. The crowds are insane. There are plenty of very nice cast members, but not enough places to eat orr enough varied selections at the quick service places. They pretty much force you to mobile order food.Souvenir selections have been lame and limited. Hardly any magnets to be found. Not much 50 th anniversary merchandise left, and prices are astronomical. I have been multiple times in June and never seen crowds like this. I’m a planner, and I have not enjoyed having to pay for and use Genie +. There have been bus breakdowns, ride breakdowns, etc. We are currently in line for ROTR and it’s not running This is no longer a fun vacation.
Breaks my heart. I imagine Walt would not approve.
Ron
the only thing i have to say, walt disney must be rolling in his grave for how they are messing up his dream, now is all about money, and is funny how they are watching everybody complain and they dont care to change back.
SG
Yes, too many people!
Dean D Dennis
Increased risk
Increased cost
Lower offerings
Lower quality
Decades long Disney fan says….hard pass now.
Vm
It has nothing to do with the pandemic. We simply decided to give up our ap for other theme parks without the crazy reservations and fenie plus and jumping through hoops.
Ed
This is purely about price gouging. Disney’s prices have gone through the roof. To top that off you’re getting a lot less for your money. Fast passes are gone and replaced with a pay service. Many of the dining options that offered buffet are not truly buffet but instead served at your table. Annual passes used to include photopass but that is now an extra. And on top of all of this so many people across this country are still recovering or not even recovering yet from a very crappy 2 years.
Brenda
Disney world was packed last week . I did find that some cast members were unhelpful not as before maybe thay can not get the staff. Food in the parks not good often had to return cold meals and request hot never had this before
Erjen
We were there last weekend. Found quite a few unhelpful CM. Little groups of 2-4 standing around gossiping or complaining about their job. Lots of them on their cell phones. Even heard one cussing about another CM while waiting in line for the Peoplemover. There were several exceptional CMs, but that used to be the rule and now it’s very surprising when you encounter an exceptional CM. It’s sad. They lost so many great CMs, who couldn’t afford to live here or moved on to other jobs, during the shutdown/furlow. I hear quite a few moved to Universal. May have to check those parks out.
Javie
Yes. A lot of the cast members that were awesome were let go and found other places. They have called a lot back, but not all. And they are having trouble recruiting guest facing roles. It’s well known locally that guests have become a nightmare of demands , anger, and frustration. At restaurants and hotels they play the “complain about every possible thing so I can get money off” game. Don’t think the staff don’t get what people are doing. They know and it’s demoralizing and makes more CMs quit. People have become nasty. They cant’t hire housekeeping at $15+/hr AND a $1k sign on bonus because people dont want to work in the toxic atmosphere. But on the other hand with DW nickel and diming and also regimenting every facet of your “vacation ” I think they are creating this horrible atmosphere. And to the commentary that it’s local Florida trash. Please get over yourself. The locals are the nice ones hanging out at Universal and SW. We were also the ones that kept Disney afloat in 2020. Acknowledging there was a risk in attending but wanting to support our neighbors and friends so they wouldn’t lose their jobs too. My friend at a non Disney attraction had guests actually throw things at them as they left more than once. His colleague called it the “stimulus check visitor” – i.e. people who’ve never been to these types of resorts and expect someone to wipe their butt if they want and get angry when they don’t. As for the super crowds, maybe they ARE genuinely packed. But also, they use those reservation systems to schedule the bare minimum of staff on. So that means less boats and ride cars in action. A lot of these lines may be manufactured by not running at full capacity so people have to buy genie +. If they were running at full capacity, a lot more people would be on the rides, lowering the perception of crowds. In 2020 the park looked packed but it turned out the social distance requirements in the lines really highlighted how much the lines diminish the appearance of crowds. Maybe we are seeing a combo of high attendance and manipulated ride capacity. But the Florida resident deals are a bit of a joke after Chapek specifically said on a call that we weren’t needed or wanted. He can’t track an AP holders entire annual spend because they don’t get discounts at a lot of places. But his focus on per visit spend vs. Annual spend may have soured a very lucrative spending block. We let our passes expire. Used to bring out of state guest about 6 times a year that had to buy tix. These past 18 mos we’ve told them not to bother with Disney and we have gone to Universal instead. It’s not entirely price either. It’s value for money. Or should I say not enough value for the money.
Rroe
Yes, take the most highest and most ridiculously priced resorts in Disney and give a 20% discount. That’s a joke because you can stay offsite and close by at say the Hilton Orlando for a fraction of the cost. Disney’s pricing is a joke. Not looking to buy the hotel, just spend the night. And by the way, that’s all you need the room for……just sleeping. Makes no sensed to spend hundreds of dollars per night for a bed.
Alvin
Poorly written using attendance data from 2019-2020.
Kris
I recently visited in California and it’s still to crowded. As for Florida, that state is so badly run that I won’t be stepping foot there anytime in the foreseeable future.
Victor Rand
Disneyworld is meant to be fun, masks arent fun. So the two are incompatible.
Larry
USED TO BE an avid Disney fan. After my last visit in December… Nope, I will go to Universal Studios when in Orlando. Disney is so far out of touch with their customers it’s ridiculous. Has become nothing more than all about the almighty dollar! Walt must be turning in his grave!! What a shame.
Steven Corbett Jr
A 6 night Disney trip (5 days in park) plus flying is goin to cost me $8,000…. maybe make the hotels cheaper instead of $400 a night …and I’m expecting to pay $300 for food a day on a minimum…
George Fitton
Marcus your right on. In addition my stock value has lost almost 50%! Yet l don’t see any Disney executives taking a 50% pay cut !!
Lynne
The pandemic is just an easy excuse for the lack of interest in vacationers heading to Disney. My family and I have gone at least once a year if not more for the past 42 years. We made a family trip in October and everyone of us said the same thing ,”NO MORE DISNEY TILL THE PRICE GOUGING STOPS AND THE PERKS COME BACK”! UNFORTUNATELY MY HUSBAND AND I ARE INVESTED IN DVC. So we will bank points in hopes of change in the near future. When that road ends we use our point for our hotel and tour Florida. Our dollars will be spent elsewhere in Florida. There is plenty to see and UNIVERSAL RIGHT UP THE STREET. Disney will only be our hotel. THIS CHANGE IN DISNEY HAS BEEN A COMPLETE DISAPPOINTMENT, A TOTAL DISGRACE and clearly a slap in the face of the loyal fans who made DISNEY THEIR VACATION HOME YEAR AFTER YEAR ! SHAME SHAME SHAME
Karen
I am a DVC owner too and I agree with you 100%. I really need to take a look at the interval exchange. I do often use my points for other vacations.
Stephanie Moore
I was there in November 2021 it was so crowed you couldn’t move lines were over an hour long. Food and drink prices were out the roof employees were rude. Not the Disney it was in the 80’s and 90’s. I was at the fire works in Magic Kingdom employee keep push people towards castle so packed you couldn’t move. It’s all about making money and not an enjoyable place anymore
Susan Woodward
I get the Covid weary that are tired of restrictions. Take all the Covid politics out of the discussion and what you are left with is the true reason attendance is down, COST. Universal does such a better job with the front of line pass. It’s not complicated, doesn’t require me to live on my phone all day and cost is straightforward. Disney has raised the cost of everything to the point of forcing this family to decide if we even want to go. We stay at Shades of Green because we can’t afford our favorite Port Orleans anymore. We can’t afford even the most simple sit down meal more than once a trip. $90 for Lunch at DiNapoli? Only one of those meals. $20 for a pin? $60 for a tee shirt? I had 3 cast members rudely ask me to pull up my mask. Happy to do it but please be polite about it. Stood in line to get my husband’s disability pass only to have a cast member question if he needed it. I just can’t justify all the cost anymore.
Karen
Facts
I have been a DVC owner for over 12 years and when I walk into the resorts I am always being asked where am I going or if I am lost and need directions.
I say I am not lost. I am going to my room.
They offend me all the time with their assumptions.
Karen
Disney is offering 20% off a resort stay after they have increased their prices significantly. Their annual passes for Florida residents come with a heavy price and with restrictions ex. Blackout dates for the weekend. Even DVC owners are frustrated with restrictions on how to use their ownership and a typical family of 5 with the memory maker is costing at the moment $750 for ONE DAY at ONE PARK! Regardless what their losses were for last 2 years, they have been making billions for the past 50 years! Everything is ridiculously priced at Disney and I live here. They should be ashamed of how they do business!
Jeff
The reason they’re having an attendance problem is a screwed the locals, on the annual passes. Not to mention gouging everybody for everything. They think they’re gonna make all this money off of out of staters. I know a lot of people that have been passholders for years and gave those passes up because the price is skyrocketed in the added a lot of blackout dates.
Sue
I was just there in early December.. No attendance problem! In fact it was packed! The costs and the horrible Genie + is keeping people away! Genie + was messed up a lot and Cast Members had to fix it on the side before we could proceed to the Que. All the big rides broke down every afternoon. A lot of people have Covid Crazy attitude! The cost of staying on sight and then find out you have to change your own sheets if you want Bed service sooner than every 3 days which means the Trash too. Oh yes they will come get the trash if you call them, but they don’t come right away so if it’s at night when you get back, you can’t get onto bed yet. Covid has made the Hotels lazy for sure. I have been going for 30 tears and I am done with it! It was not a Magical experience. The Mismanagement of all the DisneyParks is ridiculous!
David Jones
Family went down and instead of going to Disney or Universal they went to Miami…..why 150.00 per person for a 1 day ticket…..are you serious!?
Debbie
Turning attention to Florida residents- what??? Offering 2 day weekday pass for $149 is ridiculous!! Blacking out the week kids are on spring break, am I supposed to take my kid out of school?? Not everyone is retired in Florida!
Don Johnson
It would be great if WDW would put back the FL pass prices like before. Loved in Florida for 25 years had passes for 20. Now retired would love to go any time like before. The only thing the new program is doing is saving me 5K a year by not going. For peace of mind I would rather go and let WDW have it.
Randolph Ferris
This sounds a lot like an old Yogi Berra quote…”Nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded.”
And yes, I am a Florida local who was terribly disappointed with the lack of Christmas decorations and programming that once was famous for Disney Springs.
Jack
While all of the points in the article are valid, there are (in my opinion) at least two additional, significant factors (related). The first is the continuing escalation of costs (higher prices for pins, free fast pass replaced with Lightning Lanes and Genie+, etc.). Secondly, Disney has continued to make everything more complex and less “magical”. Who honestly believes a family is going to enjoy having to first buy their way on to rides and also spend the day staring at their cellphones?
mike
“But by 2021, visitors were clearly turning to theme parks for a pick-me-up during a drawn-out pandemic — along with rising attendance, average spending at all the Disney Parks also increased by 30% compared to 2019”
This is Disney’s plan.. lower attendance and more spending per visitor. It creates a better experience for tourist ( which are the people spending $$$) while at the same time lowering the number pf key holders.
Marie
We went recently. 4 hour wait for the new Star Wars ride. An extremely long line for the slinky dog roller coaster ride. We heard a mother tell a child who was around 6 that he had better have a good time as the trip cost too much. We arrived at Hollywood Studios at 8:30 and was done by 2pm. No one was happy there, not the guests or the staff. Genie + didn’t work most of the day. We could not find somewhere to sit down to eat. Most of the shops and restaurants were closed. Everyone was in the Toy Story, Star Wars or Tower of terror area.
It was not a good time.
Universal studios on the other hand was wonderful. Yes there were lines but not 4 hour lines. There were plenty of places to eat. All of the shops were open and people were having fun.
We used to go to Disney several times a year. No more Disney World for us.
Eden
I say that Disney should a limit of people entering instead of being overcrowded and scrap the genie pass and bring back the annual pass
Dorothy Byford
I just returned last week from a week at Walt Disney World. If there is an attendance problem it would have to be the crowds. There can be no social distancing and most don’t wear their masks when outside. If there becomes an attendance problem, it will be of their own making. My husband and I were there the first time in August of 1972 and have been as many as 4-5 times in a year since then. It is my belief that they are trying to move from the moderate market to the wealthier market. Soft Drinks are $5.00 each. Other food products have risen in price from .39 up. I understand the need to raise sme of the prices, but this has been the year a “Let’s make up our losses this first year back” this first year back. No Magical Express, charging to park at the resorts, no parades (the Cavalcades are nice) the list goes on.
I am also a DVC member. We generally have a group large enough for a 2 bedroom villa, but this trip we were in a Studio. It is somewhat ridiculous to expect to go a week without clean towels. I always wash our towels when we have a washer and dryer.
As usual there are always cast members who have had all the magic they can stand, so they are rude but that is the exception, not the rule.
Even with all the negatives, it remains my Happy Place! We have brought our daughter, (she was 6 when WDW opened)her children and grandchildren.
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