Credit: DisneySomething feels different at Walt Disney World right now—and longtime fans are starting to notice. On the surface, everything still looks polished. The lobbies are immaculate. The music loops play on cue. Cast Members smile and welcome guests home. But beneath that familiar Disney sheen, there’s a growing sense that the company is taking the cheap way out when it comes to some of its most expensive on-property hotels.
This isn’t about a single change or one-off inconvenience. It’s about a pattern. A slow pullback. A feeling that Disney is asking its most loyal—and highest-paying—guests to accept less, while still charging premium prices. And nowhere does that tension feel more evident than at Disney’s Deluxe Resorts.
Disney’s Deluxe Resorts Are Supposed to Feel… Deluxe
For decades, Disney’s top-tier resorts have been positioned as the gold standard of a Walt Disney World vacation. Hotels like Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, and Disney’s BoardWalk Inn are marketed as elevated experiences—places where convenience, comfort, and location justify the higher nightly rates.
These are resorts where guests expect more than just a nice room. They’re paying for proximity to the parks, shorter travel times, smoother transportation, and a sense that Disney has thought through every detail. When someone books a Deluxe Resort, they’re not just booking a hotel—they’re buying peace of mind.
That expectation is what makes recent cost-saving decisions sting as much as they do.
Why Guests Love Staying at Deluxe Resorts
There’s a reason Deluxe Resorts fill up even with nightly prices that can rival luxury hotels off-property. Guests choose them because they make a Disney vacation easier. Walking access to EPCOT or Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Monorail rides straight into Magic Kingdom. Boats gliding across Crescent Lake after a long park day.
Beyond transportation, these resorts offer larger rooms, signature dining, quieter pools, and a more relaxed atmosphere once the parks close. For many families, that balance—high-energy parks by day, calm and comfort at night—is worth the extra cost.
Or at least, it used to be.
Disney’s Cost-Saving Push Hits the Top Tier
Lately, Disney appears to be pinching pennies even at its most expensive properties. One of the most noticeable examples shows up in transportation—an area where Deluxe Resorts were once clearly prioritized.
Many Deluxe Resorts now share bus service with neighboring resorts or villa properties for specific destinations, especially when options such as the Monorail, boats, or Skyliner are unavailable. In plain terms, that means guests paying top dollar often find themselves on the same crowded buses, making multiple stops, with no time advantage at all.
The idea behind it is obvious: fewer buses, fewer drivers, lower operating costs. But for guests who chose Deluxe Resorts specifically to avoid these headaches, it feels like Disney is saving a dime at their expense.
Why This Has Become a Real Problem
Shared transportation doesn’t just add a few extra minutes. It changes the entire experience. Bus stops back up. Lines grow long and unpredictable. Guests stand shoulder to shoulder at the end of an already exhausting day, watching bus after bus fill up before they can even board.
The frustration grows when you remember what these guests paid to be there. Deluxe Resort rates often cost hundreds of dollars more per night than those of Moderate or Value Resorts. When the transportation experience feels worse—or at least no better—it creates a sense that the value proposition has collapsed.
You’re paying more, but getting fewer conveniences. And Disney fans are very good at spotting when that math doesn’t add up.
One Post That Sparked a Bigger Conversation
That frustration boiled over recently when one Disney World guest took to X to share just how bad things had gotten at Disney Springs. Along with a photo and video showing an overwhelming line of guests waiting for buses, they wrote:
“I know it sounds like I’m harping on this, but @DisneyParks this bus situation for Yacht/Beach Club/Boardwalk leaving Disney Springs is insane.”
The footage showed a packed queue—dozens upon dozens of guests—just trying to get back to their resorts after dinner or shopping. Not leaving a park at closing. Not during fireworks. Just trying to go home.
Another guest jumped into the conversation with an even sharper observation:
“That is insane and that’s just for Disney Springs, imagine from Magic Kingdom! All Stars get more efficient bus service than Yacht and Beach which is terrible.”
That comparison cuts deep. When Value Resorts are outperforming Deluxe Resorts in basic logistics, something has gone seriously wrong.
What Disney Should Be Doing Instead
At its core, this isn’t complicated. Deluxe Resort guests should receive Deluxe Resort benefits—full stop. If Disney wants to justify premium pricing, the experience needs to reflect it.
At the very least, Deluxe Resorts should not share bus routes in a manner that creates massive delays and overcrowding. Ideally, each resort should have its own dedicated bus service or expanded boat options where possible. Transportation should feel seamless, not stressful.
If Disney wants to get creative, extending existing systems like the Skyliner could be a real solution. Guests staying at Yacht Club, Beach Club, and BoardWalk already rely heavily on non-bus transportation. Expanding those networks would reduce pressure on buses and restore the convenience for which these resorts are known.
Instead, Disney seems content to trim costs and hope guests accept the tradeoff.
The Bigger Picture Disney Can’t Ignore
Disney has consistently promoted the idea that staying on property is worthwhile. That promise rests on convenience, immersion, and thoughtful design. When cost-saving measures begin to erode those fundamentals—especially at the highest price point—the entire system begins to feel shaky.
Deluxe Resorts aren’t supposed to feel like compromises. They’re supposed to feel like the easiest, most relaxing way to experience Walt Disney World. Currently, too many guests are leaving wondering what exactly they paid for.
Final Thoughts
Disney’s “cost-savings” directive may make sense on a spreadsheet, but on the ground, it’s creating real frustration. Cutting corners at Deluxe Resorts doesn’t just annoy guests—it chips away at trust. And once that trust erodes, it’s hard to rebuild.
If Disney wants to keep charging premium prices, it needs to stop treating premium guests like an afterthought. Because at Walt Disney World, magic doesn’t come from saving money—it comes from making people feel like the experience was worth every penny.