Has Disney World Become Too Expensive? Fans Debate

Inflation has made everything more expensive for the average American family, including Walt Disney World Resort vacations. But costs at the Disney Parks are skyrocketing even faster than inflation rates. 

In late 2021, the Disney Parks officially scrapped the free Fastpass+ service, opting for a paid service called Disney Genie+. At Walt Disney World, Genie+ costs $14.99 per Guest per day with additional Individual Lightning Lane passes available for the most popular attractions, like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Avatar Flight of Passage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Related: Disney World Should Be More Expensive, One Fan Argues

In February 2022, Walt Disney World increased ticket prices for one-day Disney Park tickets and Park Hopper upgrades, leading to some fans’ anger at The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek. Furthermore, the Walt Disney World Annual Pass program is in question, upsetting loyal Florida locals. 

Related: Disney Resort Adds Massive Benefit For New Hotel Guests

This week, thousands of Disney Park fans on Reddit discussed price increases at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort. The most popular comment was from u/Deadlift_007:

It’s always been expensive, but the value—what you actually get for your money—has cratered in recent years.

u/prosperosniece said that they don’t mind the prices but hate the pre-planning necessary to enjoy your Disney vacation:

I could deal with expensive. It’s the competitiveness that keeping us from going. I don’t want to spend the entire trip on my phone constantly trying to coordinate for a large group (by “large” I mean 5) of people. I don’t want to wake up at 3 in morning 6 MONTHS before my trip to make dinner reservations. I don’t want to choose which park I’m visiting on which day 3 MONTHS in advance. I would worry too much if we spent ALL that money on the trip and missed ALL the new attractions (ROR, Ratatouille, FOP, GOG) because we couldn’t get into their virtual queues.

Another Disney fan, u/mrmaestro9420, said that they prefer to spend the same amount of money on a higher-quality Tokyo Disneyland vacation than visit Walt Disney World Resort:

My wife and I figure that, depending on the time of year, we can fly to Tokyo Disney for 4 days for about $4500 and stay at Disneyland Hotel (food, etc included). To stay at a similar resort (monorail/walking distance) at WDW would be probably $800 a night, and park tickets are another $700, so that’s almost the same cost without travel and food. So that’s more money for Walt Disney World, which offers inferior customer service, maintenance, and overall offerings. I won’t say whether WDW is too expensive, but it is not by any stretch the best Disney bang for your buck.

Many fans mentioned Genie+ and Lightning Lane; at $15 per Guest, per day, or more, if you purchase Individual Lightning Lanes, it can quickly rack up for a family vacation. However, as many Disney Parks fans noted, the Parks are still crowded, so Walt Disney World has no incentive to lower prices. u/Pudgyterrain12 wrote:

Disney has always been “expensive” technically. But I’ve never felt nickle and dimed by Disney until Chapek took over. I don’t mind expensive if I can afford it and I deem it worthwhile for me. Disney has ALWAYS been worthwhile (and still is, for now). I don’t mind price increases. But I do mind when I pay those price increases, only to find diminished services and price tags on things that were once free (or at least built in)

Do you think Walt Disney World Resort is too expensive?