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Credit: Forsaken Fotos, FlickrIf you have a bad experience at Disney World, you used to just have to grin and bear it while thinking of the thousands of dollars you were spending. Now, Magic Kingdom is facing an increasing crisis as its Yelp score is rapidly crashing due to dissatisfied Guests.
The Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando is facing some unprecedented times. The Disney Experiences arm of the Mouse House is currently pulling in more revenue than ever before, outstripping films, television, and various merchandise branches by a significant margin. In theory, that’s a good thing for Disney Parks, given that the company desperately needs to shore up the billions it is losing by betting everything on Disney+ streaming.
Related: ‘Dirty Rain’ Shuts Down Disney World
However, it turns out that Disney Parks are not actually drawing in more Disney adults and children but have just increased their prices by staggering amounts across the board. Finance Buzz has reported on the eye-wincing price hikes outstripped inflation for food costs alone, saying, “The prices for food favorites at Walt Disney World have inflated 61% on average over the last 10 years. The cost of food at Disney World has inflated more than the cost of a single park ticket, which has risen by 56%. Walt Disney World food prices have significantly outpaced the rate of actual inflation (32%).”
Similarly, The OC Register reports, “The cost of tickets to Disneyland has increased 351% from $43 in 2000 to $194 in 2023 — more than quadrupling the cost of admission on the most expensive days in less than a quarter century.”
Guests are taking on huge amounts of debt in order to visit Animal Kingdom and Disney Springs, with the cost of a high-end family trip breaking the bank at an estimated $40,000 (your mileage may vary depending on the options you choose, naturally). You might expect Disney to have tried to raise its level of hospitality to compensate, but Yelp reviews say otherwise.
In addition to the ever-increasing costs, multiple Yelp reviewers are accusing cast members of rude and pushy behavior. Katy Dean, a frequent visitor, says, “Many cast members have become condescending and outright rude. During my last visit, cast members were also on their cellphones and disengaged from guests, and one was dripping with attitude when we had a misunderstanding.” A Disney World subreddit describes cast members as “rude, completely unwilling to help and openly derisive and hostile” and “generally disgruntled and overly loud/yelling impatient ride workers.”
Related: Disney Teases New Walt Disney World Passholder Magnet Release
A new Bloomberg report regarding Disney World Guest dissatisfaction points out a disturbing downward trend in the theme park’s Yelp score, strongly indicating that it has been losing its reputation as the Most Magical Place on Earth. According to the outlet:
“WDW) is suffering from a social sentiment crisis. On Yelp, the number of four- and five-star reviews has tumbled from almost 52% in 2019 to 33% in 2022. Last year, more than 40% of Yelp reviewers gave the theme parks a one- or two-star review.”
That is a massive drop for a business that inherently depends on continuing goodwill from visitors. Currently, the park’s Yelp score is 3.6, based on 1,637 reviews; as a comparison, if this was a high school exam, the pride of Mickey Mouse would currently be graded as a C-. That’s not a score you want on your report card, to say the least.
In comparison, Dolly Parton’s Dollywood has a 3.9 (based on 1,271 reviews) on Yelp, while The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando blows away Magic Kingdom with 4.7 (based on 256 reviews). While Yelp can be (and often is) manipulated by angry customers, an aggregate score like Disney World’s and its continual drop over the last five years can only indicate widespread dissatisfaction with the experience.
Disney World may be the world’s most visited theme park, but with a score like that, it won’t be for long.
Tell us about your Disney Parks experiences and how you Yelp review them!