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Credit: Inside the MagicThe Walt Disney World Resort is home to some of the most enchanting and magical experiences on the planet, but all magic comes at a price. Many reports of Disney losing its magic continue circulating on socials, but it seems like the price hikes at the parks might cost Disney more than just a little business.
With more and more rides breaking down, unruly behavior from some of its clientele, and a sea of political turmoil led by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis right outside the gates, it’s easy to understand why some people believe that the magic is quickly vanishing from the kingdom. But while some of the Walt Disney Company’s practices and policies might dissuade a certain few from planning their next Disney World vacation, a dangerous caste system might be a bridge too far for the House of Mouse.
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A recent post on r/WaltDisneyWorld shared an ominous warning to future guests looking to just “wing it” at the parks. Along with cautioning against going in without some form of vacation plan, the user shares how Disney is showing preferential treatment to some of its wealthier guests.
Pay to Play at Disney World
A Disney World guest shared a trip report on the subreddit that brought what they refer to as a “caste system” in play that prioritizes larger groups and what they described as the “ultra-wealthy.” Disney offering premium experiences for an extra fee is certainly nothing new, but this isn’t the first time the Parks have been accused of nickel-and-diming guests into oblivion with paywalls and restrictions in the form of Genie+, Lighting Lane passes, and other restrictions.
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“There is a caste system of guests in the park and if you are not spending an ungodly amount of money, you exist to be background props in the vacations of the ultra-wealthy. Period. The idea of concierges taking entire families to the front of lines and through back doors and clearing away people so they can get perfect photos… pretty much ruined the entire thing for me. It’s gross, it’s blatant, and these rich families aren’t any more important or special than the people who are standing in line for hours. Really soured me on the whole thing. However, I did find it amusing that the employees either get very uncomfortable or give you a big smirk when you jokingly ask for the poor people line, no in-between.”
While that’s certainly an understandable gripe, is this really a sign of Disney pricing out guests opting to travel in smaller groups, stay at the value resorts, or go “Han Solo” and do a trip all by themselves? Moreover, are guests getting their money’s worth when paying for the more expensive options?
Is It Worth It?
To say that the user doesn’t have a right to be upset would be untrue, especially if they weren’t expecting to be elbow to elbow with the thousands of other guests visiting the parks. Naturally, they weren’t the only guest who shares a similar complaint about how prices and guest behavior is changing Disney World for the worse.
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In the comments, many guests agree that Disney’s recent price hikes haven’t included additions that match their expectations. Naturally, many are going to be quite upset.
u/subprincessthrway writes,
“I’m sure I’m going to get downvoted to hell for this but I think most people’s expectations raise with each price increase, they expect the old “you get what you pay for” adage to be true, and get frustrated when that’s not the case. I’m not sure there’s a good fix for that without prices and quality of experience becoming more equal.”
To which u/roseohseven replies,
“True! For some families it’s their first time traveling at all, let alone to WDW, or their first time in a crowd. I always give more grace to folks standing in doorways or stopping in walkways or who just don’t seem to know how to do stuff efficiently or at all. But line jumpers and uncouth behavior and yelling at CMs or anyone else… that stuff really grinds my gears. I don’t care where you’re from or how often you’ve traveled, we all learn in kindergarten how to wait in line and be nice.”
Further down, a user identifying themselves as a former cast member cosigns on the idea that quality and expectations in the parks have significantly declined since they worked for Disney.
u/fallen_fruit writes,
“I used to be a CM and go to the parks often. After I made my way out of the Disney bubble, I’ve been back a couple of times every year, whenever possible. On one of my visits back in 2022, I planned our vacay for my cousin and her kids. It was their first time, and they wanted to wear matching shirts so I obliged. Every CM we had to deal with was insufferable, rude and extremely dismissive to us. I can only assume it was because of our matching t-shirts. It was sad to be treated so bad when I know we were not being the annoying guests.”
The user goes on to share how frequently they were blown off by photographers and guests with annual passes or who were members of the Disney Vacation Club at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, but they end their testimony with the following statement.
“APs and DVCs were rude to us as well while waiting in line or waiting for food.. I noticed some people would do snarky comments about our shirts and us not knowing what to do because we were “annoying tourists”. So yeah I believe OP was probably not the issue here.”
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While the quality of one’s trip depends on a number of factors that can be unpredictable even at the best of times, The repeat offenders mentioned in this feed are certainly cause for pause. Not every trip to a Disney Park is going to be perfect, and vacation planning is essential for even veteran park hoppers, but human behavior and corporate policies are simply out of tourist control.
Are reports like these keeping you out of the Disney parks? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!