3
Credit: Inside the MagicIt started with a simple question on social media, but as with most things on social media, things quickly got out of hand. Guests were asked if they were renewing their 2025 Walt Disney World season passes, and the answer was overwhelmingly “no.”
Most answered that a Disney World season pass was no longer cost-effective. With Disney increasing charges on everything from food to Lightning Lane, most people said that it just didn’t make sense for them this year.
In October, Disney World announced that its season pass prices would increase from $100 to $30, depending on the level. The Disney Incredi-Pass, the only season pass available for out-of-state guests, increased by $100 to $1,549 plus tax a year.
Disney World season pass holders expect price increases; they are as predictable as a Summer afternoon thunderstorm in Central Florida. However, the real reason many guests did not renew their season passes spells trouble for Disney World in 2025 and beyond.
‘There’s Nothing There’
The main complaint of those who were not renewing was that Disney World would be a construction site in 2025, and they were not wrong.
In the New Year, large portions of Magic Kingdom will be shut down to make room for the new Cars and Villains Lands. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will be shut down for the entire year, while Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America will close forever.
Astro Orbiter and the Hall of Presidents will also be closing for refurbishment for an undetermined time. For the majority of 2025, Magic Kingdom will be a construction zone.
The same can be said for Animal Kingdom, which will see the closure of DinoLand U.S.A. and It’s Tough to be a Bug. Hollywood Studios will close the Muppets Courtyard and Muppets Visions 3D, despite the fan outrage.
With three of the four parks undergoing massive construction projects, many guests are saying that there is no reason to go to Disney World in 2025. However, that reveals an even larger problem that Disney World will have in 2025.
Disney’s Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston broke with the company line and told a conference that Disney had “built in negatives” to prepare for the opening of Epic Universe. However, when he made those comments over a month ago, he could not have known that so many Disney World guests would be turning in their season passes for 2025.
So, with guests leaving in droves and a brand new theme park opening a few miles away, 2025 is shaping up to be a challenging year for Disney World.