Unprecedented Demand at Disney World as Guests Drop $400 for Magic Kingdom Service

Comments for Unprecedented Demand at Disney World as Guests Drop $400 for Magic Kingdom Service

Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger in front of Cinderella Castle

Credit: Inside the Magic

54 Comments

  1. Jim

    I can’t believe people are actually paying for this…literally in shock.

    1. Carole Kassan

      My husband and I were fortunate many years ago to enjoy Disneyworld. The prices now are for the rich only and Mr Disney is shedding tears of sadness.
      When Disneyland opened in California he and his brother walked down Main Street together. I’ve got pictures. All my family have lots of great memories and we will hang onto them now.

      1. You are so right!
        My grandfather worked at Disney Studios years ago and I have met Walt Disney as a young girl. He would be shocked and saddened by what ” they” have done to his dream!!! Shame on all of them. I hope Disney’s remaining family members, close down the present administrator and his $ hungry cronies.
        Start over, and make it as it was.!!! Lynda Liker

    2. Susan

      Stickey Mickey is at it again.
      I do not love Mickey enough to be fleeced by a cunning underhanded mouse!
      Where’s the cheese?
      Rake it over!

      1. Annie

        😡💢💢THAT’S ENOUGH OUT OF YOU!!! DON’T YOU EVER CALL MICKEY “STICKY MICKEY”!!! Mickey ISN’T underhanded NOR fleecing anyone!!! It’s ASININE to even call Mickey that when he’s trying his hardest to find a way to change Disney for the better!!! You’d better watch what you say, and you’d better start loving Mickey enough to help him change Disney for the better! I’m lending Mickey my help in changing Disney for the better by shrinking the prices to more reasonable numbers! And that’s NO joke whatsoever!!!

    3. Denise

      Tbh, I am very surprised myself that it’s selling out. Our kids are grown, but my husband and I like to go. I was considering purchasing it for MK since it’s just the two of us, but I will use my rewards from my credit card so not actually paying for it…sort of.

  2. Johnny Kinggar

    So it’s the old Fast Pass with the added restriction of one park a day plus an exorbitant cost too resort stayers and day trippers alike.
    Way to make Walt spin over a few more times by squeezing a few more dollars from the faithful.
    For being woke Disney seems to care less and less about the working class!

    1. Naw Shiss

      woke woke woke… Shut it.

    2. Gran

      Agree. When I first took my kids it was $30 something per day. After Walt past, the tickets begin to skyrocket. He always wanted it to be affordable. I know that prices have to increase with technology, but daily prices that are almost as high as an economy cruise is ridiculous, especially. when the rides shut down with rain and no refund!

      1. Bob

        $30 in 1966, per inflation calculators, is about $300 now. Disney has always been for profit, but he sure knew how to fool people into thinking it was for their benefit.

        1. Get one thing straight please. Walt Disney would Never condone what is going on. The people in control are the ones ” killing” Mr. Walt Disneys dream.

          1. Annie

            😡💢💢NOT ANYMORE, THEY’RE NOT!!! Those morons in charge are NOT killing Walt’s dream!!! My team and I are SAVING his dream by changing Disney for the better!!! Prices will shrink down to reasonable numbers, Fast Passes will return, and so will Splash Mountain. Also, better yet, we’re abolishing the woke agenda permanently! We’re going to change Disney for the better and preserve Walt’s legacy! That’s the promise I made on Walt’s grave!

        2. Annie

          😡💢💢SHUT YOUR TRAP, FOOL!!! Disney has NOT always for profit!!! It’s ASININE to even say that they’re always there for money!!!
          Walt Disney DIDN’T fool anyone into thinking it was for their benefit!!!

    3. Rroe

      It’s all about the Disney Shareholders. Before Disney entered the Stock Exhange, prices were always fair and good. Now it’s to H with the guests and cator ONLY to the Stockholders. I’m afraid that only a major boycott is going to get Disney’s attention.

      1. Maybe that would work.
        Problem is, how to get everyone on board.

    4. Joann

      Only the old fast pass was free.

    5. Randy

      Walt would be sickened by the money grubbing execs. The normal working fam. can no longer afford even a day at the park. Meals are 3x the cost, the food is pathetic, i have had better frozen meals from the grocery store, and merchandise is so costly that only the very wealthy can afford it. Not why Walt created the parks.

      1. You are so right
        So where are his heir’s. It is my understanding that it is only his granddaughter.
        Why doesn’t she speak up!!!

    6. Bob

      Disney will only be spinning from excitement. He’s a businessman and there’s profit here. People need to stop pretending he did things for charity.

      1. Annie

        😡💢💢YOU’D BETTER WATCH YOUR MOUTH!!! Walt Disney would NEVER be spinning from excitement!!! He is spinning from SHAME!!! Of course he did things for charity!!! Just because he was a businessman DOESN’T mean that he just loves money!!! He DOES care about other people!!!

        1. Bart

          Arn’t WE filled with piss and vinegar!

    7. Denise

      A very expensive fast pass!

  3. scottie boy

    No, it is not the same as the old Fastpass. You just walk up and get on the ride.

    1. Sergio Sandoval

      You don’t always just walk up and get on the attraction! As a cast member for a very popular attraction at Disneyland, I can tell you our Lightning Lane
      Occasionally get’s backed up and we normally push guests through from the Standby lane a bit quicker, while the Lightning Laners standby. 😁

    2. Tom Haller

      This is Sickening. I just took our 14 person family to Disneyworld for a week recently. It was personally my 28th toe there. But I think it might be my last. The magic is gone when the seller has become nothing but a money grubber.

      1. Bob

        So it was never present or you’ve chosen to buy into the myth that Disney was every a charitable prison?

        1. Annie

          🙄💢💢DO US A FAVOR AND SHUT YOUR TRAP! Nobody is buying into that so-called myth because Walt Disney WAS really a charitable person!!!

      2. Annie

        😡💢💢WRONG WORDS TO SAY!!! Your 28th toe at Disney World will NEVER be your last!!! And you’re WRONG!!!
        The magic is NOT gone at all, and the seller has NOT become nothing but a money-grubber!!! Disney is CHANGING for the better this year, and we’re making that happen by shrinking the prices to more reasonable numbers!!! No, I NEVER make jokes or sarcasm. This is a genuine PROMISE that I made on Walt’s grave!

  4. Angela

    A fool and their money soon part. I don’t even know how or why people would pay that much. They are just giving Disney the green light to make this the only option.

  5. SkidMarks

    $400 & up to skip a line. What a joke! What does the admission into Disney get you anymore? Answer is… nothing. You pay Disney almost $200 a day to literally walk around and then pay them a ridiculous amount for food and drink, not to mention the very cheaply made overpriced souvenirs. No thank you!

    Who’s to blame for this? Is it the CEO’s who need another mansion, yacht or private jet? In part, yes, they are greedy. But the big problem are those privileged 1 percenter’s who are too good to wait in a line and have money to burn/waste. I say $400 is not nearly enough for this cost, because clearly they can afford it. Disney, please, please, please listen up. If you really want to gouge the prices start charging $10k, $20k, $50k or higher per person for this privilege since clearly they will pay to be “special”!

    Everybody who pays admission to Disney should be treated equally. No skipping the line, first come first served. If it’s too busy, try again later.

    1. Mom

      I agree…. Raise the premier price to a few thousand dollars. Maybe even 5,000 or $10,000. Lower the prices for the rest of us! Let the rich pay. Disney will get its money and the rest of us folk can have a reasonable vacation with our children!

      1. Kaylan

        They have the VIP tour which is 10k and higher. That gives you passes to any ride at any time at any park.

    2. Rhea

      This is what I have been saying , the ONLY way this is going to change is if people quit buying those ridiculous extra passes then we all just wait in line all of us together!! No “special” or “privileged “ people. It would be better all the way around

  6. Tom Mariner

    Our nation is quickly becoming divided between those who work, save, and take a vacation with the family, and those who chose the right profession or investment and have Rockerfeller-style wealth where money is not an issue.

    Disney knows this and is slanting its offerings to take huge profit margins for marginally increased benefits. They are not alone in the vacation industry — Ritz-Carlton and other chains for example are moving their buildings toward multi-million dollar apartments for the use of a single client, replete with “exclusive” services.

    1. Bob

      Or we could learn that there are other places that can be visited on a vacation…

  7. Kim

    This is so wrong. The Fast Pace was great because everyone could get on their favorite rides. A family who saves all year for a vacation with their children should not have to pay more to get on their favorite rides. At least limit it to 3
    Favorite rides like the Lightning Pass does. The Lightning Plus Premiere simply allows the super wealthy to buy their way onto every ride. It just feels wrong Disney.

  8. Bri

    So one person pays 400 dollars to bypass lines for an attraction. Stay with me here. Meanwhile many people have stopped going to disney because it no longer has that magical feeling where the outside world doesnt exist. So in order to make up for the loss of the people who no longer visit, they have to charge more for the ones who visit to make up for that loss.

    1. Devsuncle

      The flaw in your theory is that people have not stopped going.

  9. Bob

    Our family are DVC members, who have been strong patrons to Disney. Our kids have grown embrassing the “magic”, but they as they have got of age into Middle & High School, they have realized the expensive nature of the parks. They still love the thought of going, due to the memories of joy, that were facilitated by Disney (but primarily with the family environment and what we did together).
    It has got so expensive, that we just go to stay in hotels and maybe walk around Downtown Disney/Disney Springs. We never thought it would get to this point…but we have considered not going/or hardly going due to the nature of PRICING. Our family can’t afford this. I truly hope this is a consideration for uppers to read into. Not long ago I read an article covering this concern, of the Disney thought dying with the current youth. If not for us parents, and nostalgia, kids would just be interested in other avenues.
    Things have got to expensive, with the average folks barely able to pay utility bills, insurance, medical, cars, and just necessities. We understand capitalism, b/c all of us participate in it…that’s why we seek better paying jobs and positions, study more, receive degrees, etc. But the nature of ‘squeezing a lemon peel’ needs to be considered. This is ludacris, that a family of 4 trip to Disney World is $1000 not to include hotel, gas, food, etc. just entrance + LL Premier.
    This is concerning…if this is a ‘study’, Igor needs to include a survey before and after purchase (maybe include questions on household combined incomes…). In the study monitor trends, include income/debt ratios, frequency, and expand on other questions to truly gauge trends. Just a thought

  10. Sergio Sandoval

    You don’t always just walk up and get on the attraction! As a cast member for a very popular attraction at Disneyland, I can tell you our Lightning Lane
    Occasionally get’s backed up and we normally push guests through from the Standby lane a bit quicker, while the Lightning Laners standby. 😁

  11. Ann

    Universal Studios has been doing this for years.
    However, at least Disney still has the cheaper LLMP option.
    Universal Studios doesn’t have an option, either you pay for the Express Pass or you wait in the long lines.

  12. George

    O can’t believe they’d have a $400 plus to tickets…especially as universal is opening a new park..seems like they are just trying to send everyone to all the other parks….Bush h gardens aren’t nearly as much. With many great rides

  13. Jon BIedermann

    As someone who used to be homeless (yes 30+ years ago but still happened), and worked themselves up out of that horrible situation, I think it’s fine that you can do whatever you want with your money. If you don’t like it, make more money or don’t do it- I did, working multiple jobs- and I’m not even a Trmp/MGA supporter, quite the opposite.

  14. THX1138

    I don’t necessarily have a problem with allowing the very wealthy to have an advantage that they pay extra for. The problem I have with this is the perverse incentives it creates. No longer does the company care about doing their best to minimize wait times by (e.g.) operating both sides of Space Mountain or adding capacity to the park, or even to honestly report wait times. They want the person who pays “only” $200 for a day in the park to have a poor experience so maybe they pony up the extra dough tomorrow. They want you to think waiting 2 hours for 7DMT is normal so you buy the ILL.

  15. Paul W

    Yes, it may suck if you can’t afford it. But Disney is not doing anything different from any other entertainment or hospitality business. You pay more and you get more, simple as that. Not everyone can pay for a luxury box seat at a ballgame so they don’t have to deal with restroom or concession lines, get a front row seat to Taylor Swift with a backstage pass so they can hear and see it all perfectly, or reserve a high rise penthouse over Thanksgiving with a parade view so they won’t have to stand out in the weather for hours.

    Besides, I can say from experience that with a little work and a bit of careful planning, you can usually get the lightning lane rides you want on your own with a lesser pass. The premier simply does more of the work for you instead so you don’t have to, and removes the inconveniences you otherwise would face. If you don’t lIke the level of service you can afford, you are free to not to take it and spend your funds on something else.

  16. Joann

    The greed of Disney ever stops. This is not what Walt wanted. He wanted everyone to be able to afford to go but now it’s for the rich!!

    1. Bob

      The guy who didn’t allow entry to men with long hair or earrings? He cultivated an image as his top priority and is continuing to fool the gullible devotees nearly 60 years after dying.

  17. Beth

    We were at Disneyland on 1/29 and 1/30. We were unable to book lightening lane rides until we were inside the park. Also there were several rides in Disneyland and California Adventure that were either closed for maintenance / renovation or were excepting only the single lightening lane pass (we had the multi pass) on the list. For the rides we could use it was worth the money for sure. The stand-by lines (what they call the regular line) were very long those two days.

  18. Trish

    If these stupid people would stop buying this overpriced crap Disney would have no choice but to drop prices. I grew up in SoCal and have been a Disney Fan for 40 years…NO MORE. I AM DONE.

  19. Bob

    Nothing surprising. Disney was a businessman who did a stellar job at fooling the general public into thinking he was a real life Santa Claus. Decisions for profit are only news to people that want that Peter Pan life. This is business as usual for anyone living in reality.

  20. Lori C

    So, my question for those of you who shell out all this money for a “Premier” experience, Are you actually able to visit every one of the 19 attractions in a single day? At an average of 15 mins per attraction, your looking at 5-6 hrs, which doesn’t include travel between the attractions, let alone rests, meals, etc.

  21. Jake

    By the looks of some of these awesome rants a good chunk of you have wayyyyyyyy too much time on your hands. Probably why you can’t afford nice things and just come here to b i t c h instead of working, saving and spending your hard earned money wherever you want be it Disney, a car or the GI Joe with the kung fu grip. The world needs ditch diggers too.

  22. Lou Wilson

    Of course your going to pay for fast pass or whatever it is because your only going once in your lifetime cause you can’t afford to go twice. There is no more magic and you try hard to make it for your kids/grandkids while at Disney if you don’t pay your lucky to get on a couple of rides but then again it’s no more about the kids it’s about profit, the whole idea has changed, i can’t understand how they can’t figure it out you should be able to, does the CEO need to take evey last dollar?

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