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Credit: DisneyOver the years, we have heard lots of ways for Disney to improve the Parks. In the next few months (hopefully), we will see the release of some brand new, super exciting attractions like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT and Tron Lightcycle Run in the Magic Kingdom.
Related: Disney’s Iconic Citrus Swirl Reportedly Discontinued
Things are very exciting at the Disney Parks but since the COVID-19 pandemic started, some Guests feel that the Parks have been getting too expensive. Simply, Guests have been “priced out” from visiting the Parks and Resorts which is a sad thing. But recently, one Guest went to social media to share their unpopular opinion about the Disney Parks.
Guests have also noticed food prices have been going up with some portion sizes going down, making the overall food experience in the Parks quite lackluster as of late.
Related: Guests Left in Tears After Experiencing Disney Attraction
User u/wolverinero79 posted a prompt to Reddit about how the Disney Parks need to be more expensive. This is certainly an “unpopular opinion” if we have ever seen one. The general consensus online at least is that the Disney Parks have been increasingly out-pricing Guests for the last few years, especially since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020. Several Guests in the comments discussed this unpopular opinion. User u/MikeDatTiger said it might be time for a third Resort in the U.S.:
In any other business, if your demand far outstrips supply, you don’t only raise prices; you try to increase your supply to meet the increased demand.
The best thing Disney can do to deal with crowds immediately is to expand hours. Spreads the crowd thinner and gives people more leeway in trying to get things down. Long term they need more attractions. Tron and Guardians will help, as well the epcot expansion when it is finished, but HS needs more.
Even further long term, it’s probably time Disney starts thinking about where they need to put a third park in the United States.
User u/Immediate_Goal_961 actually agreed but with one concern, saying:
I fully support raising prices to reduce crowds but my concern would be how much MORE terribly entitled the guests would become if it was that much more expensive.
User u/twinmomma87 strongly disagreed, commenting:
No it shouldn’t increase. They took away perks and made it more expensive. We try and take our family every other year and its to the point now price wise for us that I’m having a hearts time justifying the cost. We are a single income family. We cant spend a large fortune on a vacation. If we could afford it we’d go every year.
I’m actually considering doing something different for vacation this year even though it’s my favorite place in the whole world.
The Disney Parks are expensive, no one can deny that. We recently covered how prices for multi-day tickets have gone up at Walt Disney World. We used a 4-day trip as the basis for our comparisons. Park Hopper Plus 4-day tickets used to range from $546.65 — $708.57 and are now $559.53 — $708.57. It appears that on average, multi-day tickets increased by around $20 or so. In general, the average cost of a Disney vacation continues to go up while many feel the overall experience is going down. This isn’t the first time we have covered Guests actually embracing a proposed price increase but we are unsure if raising the actual prices more would help as the Reddit post claimed.
Related: Disney Could Be Making Major Update to Beloved PeopleMover
Another big point of contention regarding prices in the Disney Parks has been Disney Genie. Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane were released last year to much criticism and frustration, leaving many Guests feeling confused by the service. In theory, this paid service should enhance Guests’ experience at the Parks, but in practice, it seemed to just be an expensive itinerary planner for some. These paid services allow Guests to skip lines for a price, meaning Disney now has a financial incentive to have long lines. At Disney World, for $15.00 per day per Guest, you can skip the long standby queue by making a Lightning Lane reservation (new FastPass) and returning at that time.
Many Guests notice this issue the most with the newer rides, especially at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. With insanely-popular rides like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Slinky Dog Dash, lines at Disney World have never been longer. While the issue of seemingly inflated wait times isn’t necessarily new to Walt Disney World or any of the Disney Parks, with Disney now offering a paid service to skip the line, the concern of Disney making money off this issue continues to rise.
Disneyland Paris has also been playing with a similar process with its new “Premier Access“. This is essentially Disney Genie but for Disneyland Paris. More on how this works below:
Open up the official Disneyland Paris app and sign in to your Disney Account or create one.
Link your Ticket, Pass or Hotel + Tickets package to your account. Tip: do this before your visit to save time!
Once you’re in the Disney Parks, choose an attraction and select the Guests that want to ride. You’ll be offered a time slot, depending on availability.
After you’ve paid, head to the dedicated line of the attraction during your allocated time slot and present your QR codes (in the “My Disney Premier Access” section of the app).
Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on a personal Disney Parks Guest experience. No two Guest experiences are alike and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Parks operations.
Do you think the Disney Parks should be more or less expensive? Let us know in the comments below.
Let the expert team at Academy Travel help you plan your next magical vacation to Disneyland Resort, including Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure, and the Downtown Disney District. Or what about Walt Disney World Resort’s four theme parks — Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios — and the Disney Springs shopping and dining district!