Disney Parks Don't Want YOU Anymore
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- Опубликовано: 9 дек 2021
- Disney is at war... but not with who YOU might think.
As we slowly exit the, hopefully, worst parts of the COVID-19 with continued post-pandemic record breaking crowds, we’re gradually starting to see a sentiment towards Disney fostered by the public and media, something which has always been there but has never really been a point of contention this large. This is the idea that Disney is wildly expensive.
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Lots of people asking where I got the shirt. It’s one of our designs! amusementtrading.co/collections/the-secret-menu
If people's go their not knowing price high one that get their that buy less. An go home part unhappy. An like U seed the ones with lots of $$ .....get to go to Thea's place s. Whilst thoes with less money sitt back. Looking at the place like. .nar I don't need to go their ..it's like Lego land or Lego shop price higher. Than K mart. Myer an target prices higher than K mart.
Thoes with lots of money. May be don't whant less of. To get in for less $$. Is rude. The owner s have say in the price s ...over the 20 year s. Price rise as cost on to heir good gone up .so have to charge. More
Untill sume rich guy cumes in an builds a Disney land. Free entry.
I have a small sentimental tie to Disney as I grew up with the Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast but my kids are growing up with Disney +, which we don't have. So our next generation will have zero ties and maybe that's a good thing.
My family including my children told me they wanted to go to Universal Studios because they were sick of the wokeness Disney has got in to.
Why do we keep calling Disney a “Premium Experience” when they offer fewer attractions, entertainment, and food choices than 5, 10, 15 years ago? The company publicly brags about cutting costs and raising prices. They’re not a premium experience anymore.
We used to think of going to Disney as a "premium experience" in terms of service, environment, etc and we were really disappointed the last time we visited (right before Covid). The Magic Kingdom was surprisingly dirty and the condition of the grounds and buildings was a bit shabby- like they really don't keep it up anymore. Lots of overflowing trash cans and cracked walkways. We didn't even bother getting anything to eat but Dole Whip inside the park- the food offerings weren't great- overpriced and unappetizing.
We went to a park relatively close to us here in NY this summer and it was incredibly clean, the buildings and rides had clearly been recently painted or refurbished, and every worker we interacted with was great- friendly and knowledgeable. One man who'd worked at this park for 20 years or more laughed when we said it was "nicer than Disney", but we meant it. It was sad to even make that comparison.
Quite. Especially compared with say a London holiday.
@@ScientificallyStupid Probably a helluva lot cheaper too!
@@tulinfirenze1990 I actually just looked it up because I was curious. We ended up buying 2 season passes for 2022 at the highest tier (bc it included unlimited 2021 admission for the rest of the season, "perks" like parking, beverages, food discounts, no blackout dates, and admission to other parks in this group) and it was about equal to 2 adult one day "park hopper" Disney tickets- $160/ea. So yes...it was actually cheaper!
@@ScientificallyStupid cedar fair?
As a former Club 33 member, I'll be the first to attest that guest-relations is no longer a concern. The artists who build and design the parks are the true magic, not the execs or low-level managers. Club 33, specifically under their newest manager, Luke Steadman, began treating their original Gold Member as though they were low-buck baggage and were no longer wanted or needed, opting for higher paying, new-level platinum members, primarily from overseas investors and companies. Wealthier members, paying more annual dues, who frequented the club much less. Higher profit, lower operating expense.
We began to see fewer and fewer of the original members who frequented and supported the ol' club, some for over 30 years and the membership constituency began to change.
Disney prefers higher-value guests who spend more, take up less park resources, therein, keeping crowds down, lowering park expenses, precisely as this chap states.
As one Imagineer told me, 'Disney has a problem... We can't keep people out!".
We drank the DIsney-Kool Aid many years ago and I'm happy to say, we're over it.
There is a real, non-fantasy world out there to explore.
I have so many questions did you ever go in the Main Street club room and I had no idea people could just buy it and how much did it cost etc
Freemason?
"There is a real, non-fantasy world out there to explore." hear hear!
The beach is much more fun to go to.
Even the most exotic beach's parking is 50 bucks. Most are 2.50 and hour or so.
Also eating ice cream at the beach, very memorable.
Plus dance clubs and other fun. Go for a walk on the beach, see the dolphins in the ocean. Watch the boats and people!
@@stronghandhanson my brother has been a member for years you have to to rich AF and be on a long time waiting list after qualifying. Personally i don't think it's worth it but we live right behind Disney so Disney was always our "downtown" so he is there often and he dose business with them too so maybe it's good to be a member for that reason idk because i never go there even though i get invited or could go anytime i wanted
Disney is like:
We’re all for equality and everyone is the same
Also, Disney:
We will make it ridiculously expensive so all those poor people can’t come
only disney storyliving people can go
Well, I mean, you need to be realistic. Disney Parks are already so full even with its ridiculous prices. imagine how overfilled the parks would be if it was made affordable? There would be more frequent visits, more food needing to be prepared, more waiting times, ect. I'm not sure if it would be a good experience either way.
@@dust9497 not really, they actually have a set limit on capacity, the guests who are preregistered and have paid for their reservations, have priority and the walkins have to wait as capacity lowers, or go to another resort as capacity allows, it's been that way for over 30 years. I have been to Disney world on some of their busiest days of the year in the past, and it's not as bad as most people make it out to be, just be polite and watch the peek times for meals and such, and just walk around to another attraction and come back later.
What’s worse, is people staying at “value” resorts are subjected to daily security checks. Meaning, housekeeping HAS to come to your room and check it for ammo, guns, human trafficking, etc. From what I understand, DVC members or people staying at more expensive resorts aren’t subjected to these checks.
That pesky supply and demand
Honestly, raising the cost of going to the parks in order to "cut down on the crowds" seems like a thin excuse to me. Plenty of theme parks around the world keep the crowds down by having a set park capacity and when they reach it, no one can go in until guests leave. Since you already have to plan your Disney stay in advance and choose what park you will visit AND they don't let you park hop until after a certain time of day AND you have to have pre-reserved that park you are hopping to....then they already have the data and analytics to tell them when they have reached capacity.
If you want fewer crowds, lower the capacity limit.
But the truth is that Disney has outright admitted that they are no longer interested in repeat guests like my family used to do every summer when we would drive across the state line, book a Howard Johnson's in Orlando for the week, and spend 5 days visiting The Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. They have literally said that they want to cater more to the guests who save up to make it a once every few years kind of trip. Originally, they incentivized people to do that by staying in their resorts which got them early access, free parking, passes to cut the lines, and snacks and meals all rolled up into the price. Now, even staying at the resort doesn't get you any perks. Now you have to pay to skip lines, you have to pay to park *in the hotel's parking lot* and it's harder than ever to get the reservations to the restaurants your meal plan will actually cover, and even the quick-service (fancy name for "fast food") places make you order your meal hours in advance.
There's no more deciding, "Hey that smells/looks good, I think I'm in the mood for one of those meals/drinks." And you better know what rides you want to ride the day beforehand and get up at 7 am to reserve your spot on that ride, or you just aren't going to be able to get on it. There is no room for spontaneity anymore, no room to have FUN at the park, and to top it off, they are having you spend even more for that lesser experience.
So true, you said it well!
It is great for foreigners coming to spend BIG BUCKS...they like planning every move anyways
I had a pretty decent, relatively brief Orlando trip (travel and hotel paid for as a graduation gift, park tickets saved up for) in May 2019, that was 3/4 DW. Saw a lot, did a lot, met up with my boyfriend halfway through, didn’t break the bank.
The more I hear about Disney embracing naked cynicism when it comes to how they manage the resort, the more I think that it may be the last time I ever go. I mean, I’m literally in the exact opposite corner of the continental US, and I’ll be staying here for the foreseeable future. It feeling to me like such a special and, yes, _magical_ place was what convinced me that such grueling travel for a 4.5 day vacation was worth it.
There’s no doubt that they’ve always been about making boatloads of money, even back when Uncle Walt walked the earth. But up until recently, it seems like they always tried, even if just a little bit, to keep you from thinking about that. To make you believe that those parks’ ultimate purpose was to provide a truly special experience, to spark childlike joy and wonder in its guests. Instead of for pure profit. But Disney doesn’t care anymore- they’ve reached the point where they can almost get away with anything and still hit max capacity year-round. They have no reason to hide their sole motivations in any way that matters.
This transition was already happening in mid-2019, it just hadn’t progressed enough for me to notice anywhere from preliminary research to our last lunch in Disney Springs. I’ll never get that innocence back. Sad.
(Disneyland though, I’ll probably give another shot, it’s practically down the street by comparison, and I suspect some modicum of shame that they’d still feel for tarnishing Walt’s original pride and joy has kept them from going _quite_ as heinous there.)
No other theme park operator is seeing anywhere near the numbers Disney is seeing. You're talking about a park system that has hit capacity in each of the three Christmases leading up to the pandemic.
When you have problems of that magnitude, it is literally a supply-and-demand issue. Too much demand, not enough supply.
Even if Disney did as you suggest and simply cap the capacity, that creates a scarcity on the day of. That will lead to even FURTHER price increases as the remaining tickets become harder to get. You would likely see people selling their tickets in ebay and such (before the police catch them for scalping).
Find me a park that is flirting with capacity limits nearly as often as Disney is. I have checked the data at 8 other major operators in the US. No one else is nearly as close.
THAT is why no one else is doing these kinds of price increases (but they are trending upward everywhere). It is a legitimate business move.
@@trueedge2097
This argument only works if you pretend that “they’re increasing the price of the tickets” is the only thing that’s happening here.
There is much, much more that Disney is doing being discussed in just this one, very non-comprehensive video.
I was a Disneyland passholder from 1999 until 2019. My Disneyland doesn't exist anymore. I'm not going to Disneyland anymore. I don't come at it from a place of boycott, or protest. I do it out of self-respect.
Same here for me. I've had the pass for decades, been one of the warm bodies keeping California Adventure afloat when Disney was hurting when it came to try getting anyone, ANYONE, to visit the park. I have fond memories of the parks but even before COVID happened the resort was becoming less and less worth the price. Smaller meals, longer lines for treats and food, frustrating and sometimes rude cast members forcing the flow of foot traffic into a swarm of humanity prior to inconvenient parades that cut half the park off for a guest until it's over. They were doing things like setting up tickets for watching shows like Fantasmic when it used to be arrive and wait at your leisure, and blocking off previous free spots to watch the show with an ideal view by selling those spots at premium prices.
Ultimately once the passes were discontinued the message was clear that local fans weren't wanted anymore, so that's totally fine! It was pretty obvious that the company doesn't care much about it, otherwise they wouldn't have also done things that locals didn't want like completely changing Tower of Terror, California Screamin and now Splash Mountain.
@@Sahxyel I live in NorCal, but some years would visit 4 times in that year. Each time going for 6 days or so. I have an Aunt and Uncle in the area and could come down whenever I wanted. Even though I wasn't local, I kinda had a lot of the same feelings about things. I felt the change really kick in probably 5 or 6 years ago now. I'll miss it.
@WaterishDog I don't know, do we? 😄
I was a Walt Disney world pass holder from 1998 until 2019 no more
I've had a Disneyland pass for the 15 year's, I have the Enchant pass now witch is around 650 dollars , I also have a 2 year old now, so the Magic is still alive with her enjoying the park, I'll go 20-30 a year, so it's less than 20 dollars a trip to get in per trip. So it's still worth it for me, sorry it doesn't exist for you anymore.
As a former Disneyland CA castmember, I endorse all you have said. It disgusts me that greed has overtaken the parks.
100!
same
Disneyland started going downhill when Eisner came on board. Before then, the Mouse Kingdom was a magical place that a family could afford. Not since then.
@@elwoodblues9613 Back in the eighties I worked at the employees cafeteria: The Deck. One day I bused a table I found a napkin with a cartoon drawn on it. It's was Eisner as a certain animal. The quote was: Greed is good ! . When they had the strike I wouldn't transfer to another department. I liked where I was. It took four years of waiting to get weekends off. A had achievement their, even for anyone in management. I miss the eighties. Those were some good years for me. I served time their for barely six years.
Disney equals greed.
@@DR-nh6oo No, Eisner obviously has shall we say, different goals and views. This is not what Walt "Disney" had in mind for the American family.
Way too expensive for us. If I ever desire to stand for hours in a queue, I'll go to the DMV where not only will the trip be less expensive but I'll also get something accomplished.
I am smiling from ear to ear at this comment. Too freaking witty and true 😂☺️😭😊
🤣
BEST COMMENT ON HERE!!! hahahah!
It's very telling that everyone here uses their full name as their username, even more than the content of their message.
I'm calling you old
This reviewer hit this perfectly. My wife and I started going to WDW in the late 90s and her and my son have gone at least twice per year since 2005 or so as they are enormous fans of the park. I will join them every few years because it is not really my preferred way to relax, but seeing them have fun is worth the haul. Disney has always been expensive, but has become egregiously so in the past 10 years. We just returned from 8 nights and I would have to say that I was incredibly disappointed with the experience. We stayed at a Deluxe resort which I cannot even call deluxe any longer. They NO LONGER have maid service. Your room DOES NOT get cleaned during your stay. 600 plus per night and you have to live in a dirty bed and a dirty bathroom for your stay. They are supposed to give you new towels every other day but that never happened unless you called housekeeping, and half the time they would never show. They used to speak about magical service, but they DO NOT care about customer service any longer. They keep removing things from the experience and charge more. I hope and pray that people will eventually vote with their wallets. The place really kind of disgusts me.
Maid service is rolled back or suspended due to Covid. That said, I have never stayed in deluxe before, but the DVC resorts like Saratoga Springs does maid service every 4 days, which is ridiculous. First time I stayed was 2017 ish, long before the pandemic. The resorts older pracitces plus COVID changes keep maid service away during your entire stay. Having to call them and change the sheets once is fine, but being expected to do it ourselves for the expensive DVC room made my party angry.
I have worked for a hotel last year, and the saddest thing is they are not and or unable to hire people for positions like maids. I went to culinary school and I am a cook, so I live and breathe food and hospitality. It is already in their business model to staff the bare minimum and stretch employees thin. There is no such thing as a slow day, you are doing work for 8 hours that is supposed to be accomplished in 12 hours. And the hourly wage too, as we have seen from the Great Resignation. This is a perfect storm that has ruined vacation spots like Orlando.
8 Nights at Mickey's
Really? This old motel I had to stay in San Francisco gave us new towels.
I agree that Disney sucks, but do you change your sheets at home every night?
For $600/night you should be getting sheets and towels
I'm suddenly interested in that 20 day cruise from Hawaii to Australia
RIGHT!!?!?
With COVID that is very difficult at the moment
Same lol 😂 that sounds so fun
I would think many people would get tired of the activities available on your average cruise ship well before the 20 day mark. Plus not many people (in the US, anyhow) get enough vacation time to justify a 20 day cruise.
Me too
I live about 20 minutes from Disneyland. I've had a season pass for decades, but no more. The best thing about Disneyland is that even without a pass, you could just show up, get a ticket and go. No planning, not a huge cost. Now you have to plan every meal, every big ride, and pay to do it. It's absolutely terrible now. The park isn't fun any more I can't imagine how it is for someone who doesn't know the layout or how to navigate the system.
its doesnt even seem like a park anymore its like a factory
Same here. Also live about 20 min from Disneyland. The fact that I have to spend $330 a month for 3 annual passes is absurd. That’s a car payment or a getaway trip I could be going to. It’s unfortunate how expensive the annual passes have gone up to
@@ValSempai and the saddest part is that they simply don’t care. They see how packed Disney gets and as long as that’s happening, they won’t care to hear others complaints
@@zepp3793 its even worse when you consider that they're just bastardizing everything in the park. "oh look goofy is walking around! too bad you cant get a picture because thats valuable time you could be using to get in a line before it gets too long. spend your time wisely!"
My first DL Annual Pass in the early 80's was $60. I lived due-west, off Katella and Western Ave.
I worked in parades 85-94 and by the time I left it was becoming unaffordable. I can't imagine paying what they're asking for now.
It feels like a social experiment like some fashion brands do “will these people still pay 500$ for this trash bag? 🤭” Disney is testing it’s limits
Walt would turn over in his grave if he saw the price gouging. HIs dream was a family park that was affordable.
he'd necromance himself just to personally sue what was once his own company for those acts
Walt is turning in his grave as we speak
You’re kidding yourself if you think ‘Ol Uncle Walt gave a shit about your or your kids. Disney has always been about the bottom line.
Dude he would die a second time seeing how the parks have gone
Universal is surpassing Disney these days when you consider the overall guest experience. WDW is stressful and tense because everyone's spending thousands to try and offer their kids the same experience they had as a child. Disney is making that harder to achieve
It is impossible to recreate an 80s Disney experience. Sparse autumn crowds and orange swirls. Bathrooms that nobody knew about tucked into little corners that are no longer secret. 10 minute lines before the "pass". Electric light parade without being stomped on- people mover... tomorrowland house of the future. Ah well.
@miniprepper I was born in 92 so they're failing to even recreate a late 90s/early 20s Disney
Universal has had them beat for over a decade!
Universal is loads of fun too! Have you see universal show with the flying drones they use to actually create moving imagery?
Ngl universal in California is still kinda boring to me, however it seems like the one in Florida is doing pretty decent
Im by no means a big Disney fan, but I’m OBSESSED with the growing discontentment among Disney fans online. I love seeing everyone break through their nostalgia and acknowledge that Disney is still a corporation and though they can claim anything they want corporations exist to make money. If people will pay more for a lesser or equal experience they’ll let the experience suffer to save money on their end.
Literally same.
Your comment is utterly ridiculous you talk in circles wonderfully you should be a politician.
Well they traffic children too. Grandmas safe haven ain't safe never has been!
@@shanarstra2129 oh please. Tin foil hat might be alittle too tight on ya smooth brain
@@HighTide_808 we know the truth.
My husband and I went to Magic Kingdom for my bday in 2018 and I HATED it. Not just the crowds of course, but also how....controlling everything felt-including getting yelled at by disney cast for walking in the wrong flow of traffic.
It was a nightmare.
Later on in 2019, we decided to spend a day at Universal Studios and that experience was 100000× better. No crowds, we could hop on and off at rides, amazing staff AND a super magical Christmas parade.
And unlike Disney...they had rollercossters and awesome thrill rides.
Universal/Islands of Adventure resort is what a theme park experience SHOULD be.
My first thought is that Disney needs to open a new park, perhaps in Texas, to handle larger crowds while still making plenty of money.
But looking at the comments, it looks like Disney has become greedy, and it's time for someone else to disrupt their business model by creating an even better destination theme park.
I like this idea maybe one that infringes on some things from both Disney and Universal creating this ultimate experience but also catering to poor and middle class families looking to have a magical vacation with the entire family!!!
It’s a shame that in the current system it would take like a dozen passionate multibillionaires teaming up for a “new Disney World” to be realistically possible.
Or just Jeff Bezos. But imagining what “Amazonland” would be like makes me want to jump off a bridge lmao
What is Disney gonna do? They have limited space. Weeding out the poor people is the best option for everyone.
@@moonlambo5229 - they'll have plenty of space if they open another park.
And "poor" people (that is, working class people) is what made Disney successful in the first place.
I respect anyone who is willing to call Disney out when and where it's deserved. Anyone who isn't a shill, tells it like it is, and doesn't think being a legitimate fan of the company, or rather what it used to be, means you can't say anything remotely negative about it even when it's perfectly-justified. Hats off, big fan of your channel.
There’s two types of Disney fans. People who hate iger and chapek,and the fake fans who only care about their shareholder profits who like those two demons.
I dont think he blames disney at all. And rightfully so.
If it's still too crowded after so many price increases, that is the consumer saying "we like what you are doing!".
Disney is simply listening to what the consumer is saying. And he's right, it's up to us to stop coming. It's either that or admit it's worth the cost.
It took me along time to divorce my thinking from the Disneyland I loved growing up and what it is today. Love of the parks doesn’t mean you have to happily bend over and accept Disney management’s disdain for the guests.
@@Dan-sx9gl Yeah. My Disneyland doesn't exist anymore.
@@fridaynightnicktoons6885 at least Iger didn’t go money-mad as Chepek has done! Iger still valued people and their experiences while visiting Disney
The biggest impact to Disney is their loss of culture. There was always this symbiotic relationship between the guests and cast. The parks are now filled with overstressed guests that have no emotional ties to the parks. With Disney’s reliance on nostalgia / everyday relevance to justify price, this current practice will hurt them in the decades to come.
Agree on "With Disney’s reliance on nostalgia / everyday relevance to justify price, this current practice will hurt them in the decades to come." It felt like a betrayal to turn on the people who kept the enthusiasm of Disney alive.
As a cast member I left crying. I’ll go back to my job because I love it. Management and my co workers are nice but because cast members outside my area don’t take the time to explain things to me I won’t be going back to the parks until they stop giving me a hard time. I was told that we can’t go through a certain entrance. Why? I’m 37 years old it would have been nice to have a good time but it wasn’t. I was bored. 4 rides broke down. Guests almost trampled a kid who fell and another woman fell. I’m over it nor do I care. Oh and why aren’t we taking about the many cast members who are sleeping in there car because they can’t afford to live in a home? 🙄🤷♀️ overpriced food? No thank you. But hey my co workers are super nice but I don’t get the weird snobby attitude with some of the other employees. I’m just over it
I also feel bad for the guests who pay a ton of money just to have 4 rides break down. It’s fine like I said I love my job and it’s not close to the parks so I’m good. Lol! But the magic is gone.
@@annmarie6870 Former manager in CA. People have no idea of the dire situation some of the CMs find themselves in. Homebuying is impossible around the parks, and renting an apartment is almost as bad. Back in 2006, a group of leads from my area rented a house together, 6 of them packed in like sardines. We used to call it "The Starting Over House" because when they made lead, they were finally able to afford to move out of their parents' house, but into a reality TV situation with too many roommates. One guy lived in his station wagon with all his possessions strapped to the top. Another lady had a weird habit of bringing in Tilex and cleaning the showers in the locker room. Turns out she lived in her car and just wanted the showers clean for her and anyone else that relied on them daily. We were taught to just give our the Lifecare phone number when people came to us with these problems. I tried to go the extra mile, keeping a list of people who needed roommates, pairing up people to carpool, and connecting people who had the shifts the other needed. It got to be too much for me. Things were bad for the CMs after 9/11, worse after the 2009 Recession. I got out before COVID. I can't even imagine what the CMs are dealing with now, as the parks literally turn into the poor serving the rich.
No worries, companies of any entertainment industries who displeased or beytrade their customers for their greed (EA, Nintendo with their copyright, etc) would pay their price. Even if they could initally emotionally-guilt us to pay more and receive less, it only works to a point. Audiences know their standards and what they deserves, eventually competitors, homebrewers or even piracy communities make workaround so as to enjoy the media as it intended (removing crappy DRMs, boycott campagns, cables ending cinemas and VOD ending cables). Although it looks futile for the dwindling of the big media, the consumer demand and the meritocracy set things right even with their IPs or lobbyist, albeit slowly.
I remember going to Disney World when they had the paper tickets. I used to go whenever my family had time to spare (one of my parents was a cast member, and the company used to give away a lot of extra passes back in the day). I went to Disney for school field trips, or when my family wanted to celebrate something special. I remember walking freely, with no crowds, no lines wrapping around the sides of buildings, no exorbitant pricing, just a clear, straight path to that classic gray and blue castle. It was a beautiful time! It’s never going to be the same, but I’ll never forget how special the parks used to be.
Thanks so much for this review. We just spent a week at DISNEY. Your assessment seems accurate. Right after our stay I filled out a survey that did indeed ask about income, with more focus on the higher levels of it. The feeling in the parks was highly stressed and crowded. And It felt like DISNEY No longer cared about the quality of every family’s experience. You got the better experience based on your willingness to pay more. It seems to have become an economic caste system in a way I haven’t seen.
Yeeeeup
They are greedy for our money and we as a public are greedy for the experience they offer……greed working both ways here. It’s good the prices are going up imo…..crowds are still too heavy
Disney has lost their way. Walt would be sorely disappointed with what his company has become.
I have been saying that for years. Walt would be sick to see the price of tickets. He would not have it.
But the world has changed. Walt Disney lived in a different time. He would have had only Americans. Now it's the world visiting
@@janebaker4912 No. International travelers have always been a huge part of Disney.
@@growlikethewind5788 agreed. But not as much as it is now. International travel wasn't like it was back then.
Absolutely. Disney is now associated with the demonic and has been for years.
Wow, for that price of 5 nights in Disney, I spent a little over 2 weeks in Italy. Flights, 5 star hotels, transportation food, sights, including an Andrea Bocelli concert at his Theater of Science.
It was Rome for 4 days. Tuscany for 4 days. Florence, with a side trip to Pisa , 4 days. Then Venice for 4 days. Had a blast.
There are cheaper, real experiences.
I am going to Brazil next.
Wow. II hope more people will realize that they can actually venture out of the country for 2 weeks for the same amount of money as 5 nights as Disney. I haven't been there in 7 years. I don't think I will be returning anytime soon.
I was about to comment the same, and literally visited the same places as you 🤣 but yes travel abroad is so much better and there are countries that are even more affordable as Thailand, Colombia, Turkey just to name a few
It is usually children and uncultured wives that demand Disney vacations.
Very true
for a family of four? I call bs
My family and I went to WDW back in 2015 and it was honestly so much fun. The waits weren't ridiculous, we rode several rides several different times and all the character interactions were super fun. Our friend let us use their time share at the Saratoga Springs resort, so we had a bus pick us up at the airport and take us to whatever park we wanted each day we were there. It was fun and convenient...I felt we were really getting the Disney experience!
Then I went to Disneyland with a friend in February 2020. Even if it was right before the pandemic hit, I didn't feel the Disney magic I remembered experiencing as a child and a young teen. There were people everywhere, lines were insane and there were hardly any characters out and about. Prices for the food was CRAZY. Merch was lackluster and to me, not worth the money.
I was thankful I got into the park at all because my friend's family worked for Disney, but I think that's the only way I would ever be able to step foot into a Disney park again. Nor do I want to! I can't support a corporation that caters only to those with a lot of money. It's just a waste at this point, at least for me.
This is so interesting. My last Disney experience was in 1993 in Disneyland. I have 2 kids and we’ve never taken them there or WDW.
We just got back this week from Universal Studios and for a family of 4 we got a 4 night, 5 day stay at a park hotel for $4300 and this included flights, hotel, and park to park passes.
Even without Express Pass we were still able to ride plenty of rides and had a great time. This video makes me rethink ever wanting to go to Disney as a family.
The Disney Star Wars hotel is honestly the biggest pisstake. The base, minimum price for a two person room is $749 USD per night (you're nforced to stay a minimum of two nights by the way) and that's not including alcohol, amenities, the park fees itself, Genie+, food etc. Yes, it's an interactive hotel that'd make the hardcore Star Wars fan have a stroke but Disney is honestly making Battlefront 2 look reasonable. This system is only better than lootboxes because if isn't a coin toss what you get.
The base is angry - you’re not alone
We are going to WDW & Universal in December. 15 day vacation with our 38 & 36 daughters. We have no grandkids. My oldest has a high paying job so she’s paying for most of it. It will be last trip to WDW but Universal will continue to be a yearly trip. We love Universal it’s relaxing & no stress.
It’s a better deal than WDW. But she wants to experience firsthand how bad it’s gotten.
Also as a family of 4 we get two separate rooms. Yes we stay at the premier hotels at Universal & Deluxe hotels at WDW.
I would like to stay off property at WDW but I love staying at the Premier Hotel at Universal. She’s paying most of it so we’re going along with her. My 36 year pays nothing her big sister pays for her all the time. I dread WDW but looking forward to Universal.
Being a Disney fan today, under the Chapek regime, is like being in a toxic relationship.
Even if you invested tens of thousands of dollars in previous experiences, the Mouse only cares what you are spending today.
With cutbacks, significantly scaled down regional theme park offerings and fully in-your-face approach of ‘paying more to receive less’ its a emotional play that will the guest will accept less and pay more based on past memories of better times.
It’s putting present day yield ahead of long term loyalty
It’s been like this since iger (you know,the bastard who chose chapek to not just run the parks,but become the ceo after him!)
There’s no loyalty even to employees. What makes you think customers deserve more loyalty than employees? You haven’t invested in anything. You spent money for entertainment. Thus, whet you paid for was enjoyed at the moment. This analysis is pure comedy.
Toxic relationship is the truth. Chapek chaps my a**1
I completely agree with everything you said.
Reminds me of some kind of political struggle, like a people who still love their country and culture and the way things used to be currently under the rulership of an oppressive government/leader. Really sad things have to be that way for Disney of all things
Just because you are able to afford something does not mean you should be willing to be ripped off. Hopefully big spenders will also push back
Yep. This. People with a lot of money to throw around expect a premium experience. The current Disney Parks situation ain't it.
They don't care. It's all about status for them. These people would rather brag to their friends than use common sense
They won’t push back. They will like the shorter lines and they liked to be surrounded by more people with their status. Rich people love paying for convenience
You are exactly right. Honestly, we can afford it, and spend a significant amount of money when visiting Disney, but just did our last trip for at least the next several years. The value simply isn't there. Customer service has declined, it's way too much work in your phone all day, you end up crisscrossing the parks all day w Genie+ instead of enjoying the parks organically land by land, the parks are dirtier than they have ever been, and while we expect food to be expensive, it's getting to the point where you feel like a fool buying it, even if you can. And the crowds are so bad that it feels like work just to move about the patks. We just don't enjoy it very much anymore. There are so many better premium experiences for the same or less money now.
I was planning to drop $10-12k for my family of 3 to go to Disney this summer, but I am seriously reconsidering after watching this video.
I have a family of 3, with Marriott points for Dolphin Swan, and driving to Orlando instead of flying, my estimated budget for a 7 day hotel stay (4 days to visit parks) is under 4K, curious to know how your budget is at 10k?
10k? For that you can travel abroad lol
@@BowtiesRcoool Unless they are staying at the Grand Floridian and eating 3 meals a day at expensive restaurants there is no way for the budget to hit freaking 10k!
You would have more fun going on a luxury holiday elsewhere. Disney is so busy right now and you'll be on your phone the entire time!
Go to Euopa park in Germany! Or Universal in Orlando, or Efteling in the Netherlands! All better experiences for the same or less money
I went to Disney World for the very first time last year as an adult with my two best friends and boy was it stressful. With my naivety, I just though you go to the parks and just...have fun, but my friends, who are bigger Disney fans than me, we're planning all of our meals, transportation, shows, rides etc and even woke up early to get a pass for the new Ratatouille ride. It was just insane to me.
It’s use to be fun
When my daughters were young, I did the Dad thing and took them to Disneyland and Disneyworld. Then, I could afford it and they had a good time. I haven't been there in years and after reading about the current prices, I won't be taking the grandkids there in the future. It seems like every part of modern life is being taken over by corporations for the benefit of those same corporations.
I am 64 and grew up in Southern California, only miles from the original park. I remember the first and last time our entire family of 6 went to the park, it cost my parent $8.75 per kid for a RIDE TICKET BOOK and food was double that on the outside but a burger was still only $1. In those days, you spent most of your time in line for your favorite rides, sometimes for more than an hour... and YOU LIKED IT. There was no such thing as paying to skip the line. Aside from Club 33, everyone was the same.
Well said! Greed is the North Star for these corporations. I ask, where is the executive who pushes back on this and tries to balance profit with guest experience?!
There are plenty of other theme parks that are affordable and more fun because they don't have the problems presented by Disney that have nothing to do with cost (2-3 hours in line for the basic ride?). I stopped going over 20years ago and have had just as much fun at the other dozen, affordable parks I've been to since. Disney doesn't get money from me for anything anymore.
@@jbarton1541 I am exactly half your age and remember getting out of school early on rainy days and my dad taking me up to Disneyland. Back in the late 90s you could hit all of the major attractions multiple times on a rainy weekday.
@@SuperChillin11 I mean, the cold hard truth is that if they tried they'd simply be replaced. Fiduciary responsibility to the shareholders doesn't mean they are always obligated to maximize absolute profits, but if all the data says to do so, they'll be under a lot of pressure to do it.
And you usually don't reach that level in business by being a soft hearted sentimental. Disney only reached that level because he built the place around himself.
I'm not trying to be ideological here but . . . 'that's capitalism baby' kind of sums it up and the modern trend towards intensive analytics and leveraging information advantages against the consumer is just too profitable to pass up.
I’ve been a Disney purist my whole life, but recently bought universal passes and am incredibly impressed. The product at Universal is just as high quality, the way they treat their guests is wonderful and the value is astounding. Very happy with our Universal passes and it’s now my preferred park. Disney just stresses me out now.
Same boat. I've only been to Disney and am looking at going to Universal and other nearby parks.
i hear that, plus i love the cabana bay resort. it very nice and retro
Same growing up my family were always Disney people, had vacation club, did trips there every couple years or so, sister did college program, etc. But now I’ve transitioned over to Universal as my primary park there and made trips to the others too like Busch Gardens and Sea World for day trips in addition. Still like Disney and want to go back at some point but dread it and the planning involved somewhat too versus the relaxing pace of a Universal trip. Be curious to see how stuff goes when Epic Universe opens. Will Universal pull more crowds away and keep their style or as they grow will they start to adapt some of Disney’s styles and raise prices closer to Disney’s.
Just got back from 5 days at Disney last week. Was completely turned off by the crowds/genie/lack of food options. Getting dinner reservations is a joke. The cast members at Disney were so extremely rude about the mask policies. Meanwhile we did a day stuff universal and had the exact opposite of an experience. Friendly employee, great food options throughout the park, wayyy better crowds. My fiance said when we come back were staying at universal.. that's saying a LOT for us
Same here, after being a family of Platinum Plus Passholders for many years we are not going to renew. Universal is our new favorite place.
Like Discovery Cove, they should have a daily guest limit. A limit that ensures reasonable wait times and a good experience .
Technically they do but it's higher than it should be
I went to WDW during the thick of COVID-19 when they only allowed 20% capacity and it was 👌
I completely agree. My family of 4 just went in November of 2021 for 4 days to Disney and 3 days at Universal. Not only did the trip cost us nearly 12k, but after we were done we had 10x better time at Universal then at Disney. I have been twice before and this time was the absolute worst! Disney was so stressful all 4 days and their new Genie pass is absolutely horrendous! Hopefully they will pull their head out of their butt sooner than later and realize how unhappy they are making the majority of those who visit.
$12,000???!!!! Omg!!!!
And I bet you you had to be on your stupid phone all day rather than actually get to spend time with your family.
@@SomethingSomethingg fortunately, we got a good system down and my wife was setting up the next ride as soon as we hit the line we had already reserved.
@@SomethingSomethingg Was probably closer to 10k. I believe the Tickets, Fast passes, Photo passes, Hotels were about 7k. Then about another 1k for food and gas for the trip there and back to Texas. Then another 2k to 3k for food and misc. stuff for the week.
When there are cast members struggling to pay the bills and when CEO Bob "Pay Check" takes in over 30 million that should tell you the priorities of this company. Its profit over people and I am glad I chose to stop handing my hard earned money over to them.
Actually that's not just Disney but all theme parks pay low wages
I believe he was arrested for child trafficking...
@@trailshade7590 He wasn't arrested for Child trafficking, troll
@@TELEVISIONARCHIVES Many news articles reported that he was. Now they say it was a hoax. It is a proven fact that the Former Vice President of Walt Disney was sentenced to more than 6 years in a sex abuse investigation of a child. It's also a fact that Disney hires convicted p3dophiles.
@@TELEVISIONARCHIVES that changes nothing though. Others doing it doesn't mean Disney doesn't
Universal won me over the last time I went. The workers were crazy nice, they surveyed guests asking about their experience, they had super stylish souvenirs that unlike Disney were affordable and souvenir pennies remained at 51 cents so I went nuts and bought lots of souvenirs and greatly expanded my penny collection. It even gave me some Disney like magic by my twin sister getting the seat with E.T's basket. I Can't say the same for Disney. The cast members remain amazing but with Universal expanding and adding things I like its making itself more and more appealing and for an affordable price too.
You sure some of those surveyors weren't the impractical jokers? Rofl
The rides at Universal are also just better.
Universal also had way better food.
And there's only two lines. Basic and express not genie pass or whatever. The extra nighttime activity is all covered by the ticket. Universal is going to win at the end. Disney just has nostalgia and sooner rather than later it's going to wear off. Especially when Nintendo land and studio gibly world opens up
When I was little WALT walked around the park all the time, he would not like this at all,He wanted everyone to be able to afford to go to Disneyland WALT was Great and kIND those were the good days it was always a wonderful time when Walt showed up
Walt’s daughter recently commented that DIsney as it is now is an abomination against everything Walt would’ve approved of
@@Tempusverum I agree with her
@@merlinidlehands3302 i never got to meet walt but this is so absurd. the parks are so bad how they are now, and so expensive. this is so unaccesible for me and my family and we have to wait like 2 years between each visit. it's so expensive...
I just came across your video today & wanted to thank you for your input. I grew up with Disney as did my first born daughter. We lived in CA & we've been to Disneyland a few times during her youth. When I was a kid, it was always Disney World, as I'd go visit grandparents in FL every summer. I didn't experience Disneyland until I was in my late teens.
My 2nd daughter has never been to a Disney park. When she was younger, she had a bit of a problem with sensory overload. Loud noises, pyrotechnics, or too much "in your face" stimuli would scare her to the point of crying & begging to leave. Chuck E Cheese caused a mini panic attack when she was 5 yrs old. So we always knew that as much as she loved Disney shows, movies, & characters, we would have to wait until she was more mature to handle the actual parks. After years of waiting, we were finally ready, but personal issues came up with family & we had to postpone. Then next year here comes COVID & everything shuts down - GRRR!
I've been waiting & watching how things progress since then. Now, I know things change & eventually get more expensive with time. But geez, what I've been seeing with Disney lately has really put a negative taste in my mouth. It seems the pandemic just exacerbated everything tenfold. I said it first when ticket prices hit $100+ dollars per day - "Uncle Walt must be spinning in his grave ". Everything you mentioned with the new changes actually shocked me. I can't believe how penny pinching Disney has become. Walt's ghost should rise from the grave & be haunting the exec's at this point! i mean they were always expensive, but this is down right ridiculous. OK, raise prices if you must but don't cut stuff in addition to forcing us to pay more. At least give us the SAME damn experience we've come to know & expect from the brand name.
I've noticed more & more RUclips channels that once touted everything great (ok, good) about Disney, are now saying the opposite & warnings on why we should stay away. My youngest daughter has become a huge Harry Potter fan. She said that although she'd like to do the whole Disney experience some day, but for now she'd rather go to Universal Studios-Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Well, that will save a few thousand bucks towards another vacation elsewhere in the future...
How many attractions can you possibly see in a day when you’re waiting 2 to 3 hours in line?! It’s always been ridiculous to me that people pay a lot of money to walk around amongst an overcrowded place & eating overpriced food
This is why you get disabled friends, I myself am the disabled friend, and legally I am allowed accomedations at theme parks where I can skip the line by going through the exit and can basically get on immidatley.
It quite literally didn't use to be this bad.
A typical day at Disneyland in the later 90s and early 00s you could conceivably hit all the major rides in the park as long as you got their by mid morning and be done by 8PM.
With fast pass you could usually even squeeze in time to eat and shop the gift stores a bit.
I went last week and payed for Genie+. It makes all the difference. Went on every ride in all parks, but yes I had to pay extra for Genie+
@@NANA-su5ql that isn’t how it works specifically because of people like you. Disney caught on. So I guess you don’t need those disabled friends after all.
@@TheGenXer Depends tbh, I do actualy need the accomedations some of the time, but for my friends/family I'm a bonus. And the way they do it is by only allowing 2 people to come with you, which works for me.
As a Floridian who used to frequent the Disney parks for many years up until after the pandemic, everything in this video is 100% on point.
The value to visit or become a pass holder really just isn’t there.
It’s a shame, but this throttling of the market, high crowds, and constant extra charges makes the experience so unbearable.
I went twice post pandemic, and everything is done through the app and all the freebies that seemingly added value to your cost all went away. It was nothing but stressful.
Really? Please change that profile pic and name to something that’s way better!
@@carminecdinoproductions Why?
@Xi Xing Pooh I love the name and profile pic. Ignore the communists drones.
I feel the same way about the park here in CA man it sucks. But the name has me dead 😂😂😂
Pretty much feel the same way. Also post pandemic prices would cost us over a grand more a year. I make less than $20k a year so it was already expensive for us to go. What ruined it for me was the reservation system as I’m an independent cleaner locally, my schedule changes too often. It was a nice phase to go every other week to just catch a break, get dinner and go on a few rides and go home. Went to Epcot for the first time since February 2020 and it was so awful I left after 2 hrs and will never go back. Not worth the money, especially with higher costs and lacking quality.
From my experience, this is all true. Since annual passes are no longer available for non-residents, I purchased a 10-day pass since I stay in FL for 4 months per year. The cost was more reasonable than buying one or a few tickets at a time. However, Disney is very devious, you now have to use all ten tickets within 14 days. That is brutal since, as most park-goers know, it takes a LOT of energy to go to a theme park for even a few days in a week. Since I'm in excellent physical condition I was able to use 9 of the 10 tickets, but after 13 days of this, I was too exhausted to use the last ticket. I ended up getting sick from exhaustion and all the heavy, dense crowds that no longer wear masks. Thanks for a nightmare of an experience, Disney. Disney pocketed the price I paid for that last ticket not to mention the $25 parking fee for each visit which the pass does not cover and their $30 cost for a burger, fries, and a soft drink.
Disney is now a money-making machine designed to extract every possible dollar you can afford and the now-massive crowds all year round make it very difficult to enjoy. Take a real vacation to Europe or someplace real and avoid Disney until they remember their roots.
I took my family of 6 to Disneyland for the thanksgiving weekend, one of the things I’d always taken for granted was the incredibly polite staff. I had rented a motorized scooter & was told that I could not have anyone ride on it with me,ok after a lot of walking my three year old was tired & cranky so I carried him over to a rest area, yes I know I was told I couldn’t boy howdy, staff went out of there way to rudely remind me. I was more stunned by how they said it not so much that they said it. I had never experienced rudeness from any member of Disney staff in my life. What could I say I was in the wrong so it wasn’t like I could complain to anyone. That was just before Covid I had no idea it would be the last time I’d ever go there again.
The last time I was in Disneyland was about twelve years ago. It was closing time and the crowd was being hearded out and I was moving in the opposite direction to look at something. Just then a park employee started yelling at me and told me to " get the f**k in the other direction !! " I have not returned since.
@@Eliel7230 unbelievable!! The beginning of the end for Disney
Walt Disney created Disneyland as an affordable, clean, safe place for families to enjoy the carnival experience and to encourage the ideals of fantasy and science to better humanity.
Instead it has become everything he despised.
It makes me so sad.
He'd burn it all down. Same with Sam Walton and Walmart.
That’s okay, Disney. I’m sure your competitors will gladly take my money if you won’t.
Lol, that’s exactly the point, they don’t care! Too many people “threatening” not to give Disney their money but the parks are PACKED!! So instead, maybe suggest actual solutions?
@@vicdog4440 I don’t really care to offer solutions to a company as massive as Disney. They’ll never open another resort in North America to help alleviate the crowds packing the existing two. They’d rather just raise prices and cut expenses to keep crowds manageable.
Plenty of people will be fine with that, or are unaware of what Disney’s even doing, but I’m not putting up with it anymore.
The question here is, for how long are they gonna stay like that? Sure, the parks are packed right now, but we have to take into consideration that many people as we head into a post pandemic world are keen to visit more outdoor spaces than ever. Whenever this "get outside, live your life" rush ends thats when things will start to get real, and we might even see Universal taking over Disney as they are also planning to open the Super Mario theme park later on.
Universal workers, even if they enjoy Disney, STILL pride themselves of not working AT Disney.
@@JGuy97 i agree with you , but to be fair where would they put this third resort? i mean they can’t put up anywhere north because then it will only be open seasonally due to the winter months. I can only think of texas lol
I’m a DVC member, I’ve watched over the past 20 years as the parks have gotten more and more expensive. My kids now take turns using our points, as my wife and I near retirement we’re getting priced out. Thanks Disney 😕
So awful
I'm so sad that I'm going to have to step away from disney...
I really enjoyed it growing up and even as an adult. But the changes they have made just hurt.
I’m giving it up
For me, the disconnect is the price v quality. If you're charging me an arm and a leg, I am expecting an arm and a leg, not a finger and a toe. It's the shuttered attractions that are only open for private events. It's the reduction in hours that started at 9/11 and never went back. It's resorts that rival the Ritz or Four Seasons in pricing, but deliver a Sheraton experience. I go on Disney Cruises and that is where the old school "Disney Difference" is, I just miss seeing it in the parks.
I've said this same thing. the cost for the parks is sooo pricey and you get so much less. We are doing back-to-back on disney wish for the same price or less than 6 days at Disney world.
“Disney Parks Don't Want YOU Anymore”
Works for me, thanks Disney.
True. It's a blatant money grab that has been growing for a long time. The whole concept of paid "Fast Passes" draws a line between the "I have money so my experience will be more enjoyable than yours (and to your detriment)" and those who can't/won't. I was at Animal Kingdom about a month ago and for the first time I can say I was sorry for the money I spent in a Disney experience. Expensive Tickets, horrible expensive food, long impossible lines, broken rides. I guess its their business and they can do what they want, cant blame them. I just wont be there anymore and... they'll definitely won't miss me
I went to disney with fam a couple years ago, it was like a job to get the best experience. I think if youre a planner, its probably the most exciting vacation you can have. I had an itinerary for everything we did down to 5-10 minute intervals. If we got off schedule, the stress built. Its supposed to be a vacation...
The really weird part of this is that even as they're trying to make Disney World more "exclusive", they're simultaneously dumbing down a lot of their attractions in to more "lowest common denominator" stuff that is going to make it less attractive to people willing to pay for high end experiences.
Yeah, like the $350 lightsaber that falls apart within a couple weeks.
It can be more expensive but it can't be more expensive and you get less. That's the trick they seem to be trying to pull. People will pay a premium price for a premium service but disney seems content to dissolve their brand integrity
THIS! This puts into words the experience my friend and I had in November. We were super disgusted with Disney by the end of 5 days when we had went just a couple years before and had the time of our lives. Genie plus is a joke, they had NOTHING for souvenirs, literally whole gift shops closed (I understand that supply chain issues are a thing, but that wasn’t our case at Universal), the fact that we had to order our food ahead every single time we wanted to eat was absolutely ridiculous and takes the freedom out of your day. We were going to take my friend’s cousin who had never been there and by the end of it decided it was good she wasn’t able to come with because we didn’t want that to be her first experience of Disney.
This year, we are going to Universal again. We are staying in one of their not premium hotels, getting transportation to the parks, early access, etc. All the things you USED to get with Disney before they only started to care about the money they bring in. We both agreed we really have no desire to go back to Disney any time soon and honestly, that’s sad and kind of sucks since it used to be one of our favorite places.
It's a matter of time before Disney will file chapter 11 they are growing exponentially yet the prices are way beyond outrageous. The average everyday people like myself simply can't afford to purchase a single ticket just under $200.00 yet Disney fails to get the fact that they are alienating their customers to so few people actually have a endless supply of money.
When D*sney announced they were getting rid of free Fastpass earlier this year, that was the moment when I lost all my remaining respect for their theme park division, and it left me with (even more) ill will toward the corporation as a whole. Thanks to you, Dom, I have a better understanding of why things are this way, and that their actions aren't necessarily borne out of malice.
That doesn't mean I have to accept it. D*sney can still shove an oversized turkey leg where the sun don't shine for all I care.
I feel Disney should follow what universal does with express lanes and higher purchase price. That’s what I feel the best money spent is
@@themesscrew7 This. The thing I have the most disdain for is Individual Attraction Selection (extra cost for certain rides not part of Genie+ lightning lanes)
Why did you censor "Disney?"
The last time my wife and I went to Disneyworld, it was a nightmare. THe crowds were shoulder to shoulder, literally, and those people were rude. I have back injuries from service connected injuries while in the Army so I use a cane and I move slowly. I try to walk to the side so people can pass but at times I had to cross over. In one of these cases a young boy about 10 was behind me complaining loudly I was too slow and pushed me to the side. I was waiting for his mother to discipline him but she just said “he’s anxious.” No apology. That was a decade ago. I will never go to Disney nor Universal Studios again.
So why do you hate Universal if you had a bad experience at DISNEY? Makes no sense.
I'm sorry that was your experience. Thank you for your service!
I'd sue that mother for letting her child put you in wreck less endangerment.
Missed learning opportunity
Parents do not "parent" their children any more. They entertain them instead. No respect for anyone, and I for one, appreciate your service to our country.
I worked for the Disney travel company booking vacation packages and I can confirm this is EXACTLY What’s happening. When prospective guests would call in and complain about price we were instructed to contrast the cost of other entertainment( such as a concert ) with “a fully immersive magical experience unlike any other “ prices raise every year so that it IS more exclusive and they penalise those that must save up just for tickets and stay offsite .
I had a horrible experience with their customer service a few years ago regarding non-official store merch. Ever since then, I see it as a greedy corporation. It shows in everything they do.
Disney wants the people that make a big trip every 2 to 3 years (annually would be better). However, if you keep charging more, cut perks and keep making a rides and features that are poorly made, Disney is counting that these people don't care or are stupid. Everything Disney is doing is short term focused, which is how every CEO operates these days.
Absolutely correct.
People actually fly out to Disneyland? I'm driving distance away and haven't gone in 7 years 😂
The unhealthy and seemingly poor decisions Disney makes is almost out of necessity due to the massive on-credit spending spree of Bob Iger. Imagine a middle class family with 2 kids living a comfortable American middle class life with a nice minivan, pool and fun vacations year after year and life is good. Then in a one year spending spree the mom starts buying hoards of items off Amazon and the Internet and runs up the credit card bills 20,000 bucks. Moving forward the kids might have to return to school in lower priced clothes, dinner might be more simple with more potatoes and less beef and seafood and the family vacation has to be cancelled. To survive Disney needs all of its guests to bend over and take one for the team.
Disney just wants the upper 4-5% of income earners to come more often and spend more while there. This also goes for attracting singles and couples without children over families simply because those without kids have the extra cash to spend. Families are the lowest spenders in the parks. They couldn't care less about the majority of families that have to scrape and save to come to the parks, because they can't promise constantly more profit because they simply don't have the disposable income Disney craves at this point.
@@rebeccan7276 that didn't used to be true. Disney used to love that people saved for 4 or 5 years to afford a trip to disney. The current management knows nothing about anything at all.
This is crazy because just a few years ago, I was wondering why you couldn't pay extra to skip the lines at Disney like how you could at Universal Studios. I asked someone at Disney this question and they said it was because Disney didn't want to cater to the rich and wanted to give everyone an equal opportunity to skip the lines via the Fast Pass. Fast forward to now, the fast pass system is gone, and Disney has implemented all of these shenanigans, essentially pricing out the common person. Crazy how much things have changed.
Not to really defend Disney but, at least based on an analysis I saw of the Fast pass system, it wasn't exactly a eutopian experience.
@@databoy2010 So then they went an introduced an even worse experience??? Hahaha. Yeah, ok. Makes no sense at all. Fastpass > Genie+ and Lightning Lane
Damn, I feel lucky now that my parents were able to take us to Disney and Universal Studios when I was a kid. (I must admit that I thought US was part of Disney until now lol.) Our trip was in the early 2000s during the “lull” mentioned in late February and early March.
My parents are pretty frugal and I do recall a lot of planning went into the vacation (although nowhere close to how it is now). We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel and tickets to Universal Studios were included in the package along with lots of other things that would probably cost extra now. I had more fun at Universal personally because the rides were really fun and less of a wait vs. Disney (even with fast pass).
As for Disney, my parents did shell out for fast passes so that we wouldn’t be stuck waiting in long lines. That worked out great for us despite the additional cost. We didn’t have to wait super long with the exception of the most popular, well known and attractions at the magic kingdom, Epcot, etc. It’s
In regards to food and souvenirs- we were allowed to pick 2 things each within reason that we couldn’t get at home. This was because thing like character toys were insanely over priced and readily available in the Disney store at the local mall. We are as little as possible inside the actual parks and shared a lot. My mom brought snacks with her too.
It’s really sad to see how ridiculously expensive Disney world has become, especially because it’s more crowded than ever and you get less for your money. If I was a kid now there is no way we would have been able to go on the same vacation that I did. 😔
I agree. Being a passholder ISN'T as magical when you see the same stuff over and over. We go to Tokyo DisneySea--much less frequency, but WAY more magical.
For about the same price my wife and I can travel internationally which is just crazy to me. The last time I went they switched to the digital fast pass system and it was a lousy experience. People just hogged up tickets left and right, and seldom did they cancel their tickets to kick them back into the queue.
I preferred the older system of physically having to go get your Fast Pass ticket. I felt like you had to really want it to make the trek and the other thing I liked was that, if someone couldn't use it, they'd just ask if you wanted their ticket. I did this myself a few times and, though it was a small thing, it really made my day to get or give the ticket.
The mouse is too damn greedy now =/
The mouse evolved into a rat.
I used to love to find someone with a MY FIRST VISIT button on and give them a fast pass! It made my day to do that. :)
I'm saving money to go to Tonga next year, to spend 8 days snorkeling with Humpbacks. It's 5000 to 5900, counting everything except the plane ticket.
For roughly that SAME PRICE, you can spend two nights in a Star Wars themed Hotel that everyone is saying looks cheap.
And even if it didn't, can you really say you'd rather do that over the other option?
Really sad to hear they got rid of the physical fast pass.
That fast pass system was so bad! You could only get certain rides at certain times… I remember when there were the non digital ones we got to use them whenever.
I'm so glad I'm not alone in feeling the magic is gone from the disney parks. I recently went and the I not only got rammed into by several strollers but almost all the cast members sounded dead inside and were short when we asked for directions. (this was in the morning)
I just got back after spending Christmas at DisneyWorld and cast members were openly complaining. It happened on 3 separate occasions. It was awkward and really bummed me out. I didn’t know what to say or do. I think they are overworked or perhaps annoyed by rude people.
@@texasgirlhowdy I agree, but I wish they would complain to executives. Maybe they would consider hiring more people back if every Disney employee banded together and did a walk out.
@@PeachyGamess something needs to happen. One cast member at Soarin' said she was there since 8am without a break and this was around 6pm. Unfortunately, I don't think the executives care.
Just sad!
Disney Cast Members are getting royally screwed over nowadays. They’re being overworked and those who are still left after the others got Covid are expected to pick up the slack or be terminated, especially those in non-union sections like Downtown Disney.
The "live" cast member with whom you spoke, who had been with the theme park "or decades," has almost certainly been fired. Nearly all live performers (no matter how long they've been with Disney) have been let go. The salaries they were paid are now spent on Marvel, Lucas, and other non-traditional Disney themes, as well as the Disney Web channel. New CEO Chapek is reportedly behind these changes, but don't expect them to stop, Disney stock was at an all-time high last quarter. Walt and Roy Disney, the company's founders, were in debt much of their lives because they focused on entertainment, not profit. I'm a big fan of Capitalism, but greed is greed. I no longer _do_ Disney.
Walt Disney had the total opposite in mind when he dreamed of Disneyland and DW. He wanted a clean, fun park with family experiences totally in mind. He would be shocked and wouldn't allow this place to exist with his name on it.
How can you be a fan of capitalism and not be a fan of greed. You said it yourself, Walt Disney was in debt because he focused on entertainment, while Disney now financially thrives because they don’t care about how much normal people can’t afford it. This is a direct result of capitalism. You can’t be sitting here suffering from diabetes and still say “Man. I still love eating all this junk food” without sounding in denial and silly.
I’m not saying I’m a socialist or a communist but this whole late stage capitalism thing we have going on here? It’s not it either.
Disney turned me off the idea of amusement parks period. I went once when I was 6, and hated it. Waiting for everything, paying double for everything, and rain the whole time. Money well saved.
The Disney magic is going away. They’re making visits more complex with reservations and lightening lanes. We’re having to pay more for less. And worst of all, the quality seems to not be on par with what it was in the Michael Eisner era. Sure, places like animal kingdom still are top tier, but that isn’t the case for most of the parks.
We stayed at a Disney hotel in September. We bought a few to many trinkets so we decided to buy a cheap bag on Amazon so we could take them home and avoid paying through the nose - 100 bucks - for an extra travel bag at Disney. The mouse charged us to simply pickup our bag! It’s insane.
In short, it seems that Disney is catering for rich instagramers who care more about showing off their travel with filters as opposed to people looking for a real experience.
Disney magic has been gone long long ago
So, don't go...
@Trevor Phillips Maybe, calm down a bit...
Michael Eisner was horrible. He was awarded Millions in pay and bonuses annually while homeless cast members slept in their cars and showered at local gyms nearby Disneyland. It's a company that lost the ideal of What Would Walt Do.
Hell, at Universal Orlando, staying ON PROPERTY and paying $400.00/night for a room…. I had to pay for parking. I was like, whaaaast?!
I don't think I will ever go back to Disney World for all of the reasons you listed. After four days in Disney parks, going to Universal felt like a completely more satisfying experience. Better food (and cheaper), shorter lines, and more interesting rides make it all around more enjoyable.
Yes, exactly..
Universal, I'm comin aboard!
I"ve been to Universal two years ago and laugh whenever people online gripe and whine about the food there. I've eaten in the parks and Universal's food isn't bad but still beats Disney in price too. My favorite is Richter's Burger in the little San Francisco section. That place gets PACKED in at lunchtime! Also, the corn dogs in Springfield were good and go well with Homer's favorite drink Duff beer.
I remember when I would visit Disneyland atleast once a year. Slowly it turned into every other year and then no visits at all. Whatever they got going on now is not my Disneyland that I remember. This saddens me that they have devolved into this mess. There is no magic anymore.
wdym
Universal Studios is definitely easier to understand in terms of their ticket and fast pass system - you don't need a degree and Excell spreadsheet to manage it. Also, the fast pass really does make the wait faster, so it's honestly worth coughing up the extra cash to do so, and it works regardless of whether you stay on site or not. That certainly helped my decision on choosing a park, but it's also interest. I can't stand the Diseny brand and a lot of their movies are for kids, whereas Universal has more for adults (like intense coasters). Not having kids yet, this was a win for my husband and I. But if you like the Disney brand, then I can see how Disney hiking the prices is sad. Universal is much less of a logistical headache for a similar experience tho.
Ahhhhhh! I've been saying this for years. I went on my HM in January 2018 and it was so packed with people, it mildly ruined the trip. I used to go to WDW every 2-3 years, stay at a value/moderate hotel, and enjoy the parks. There's no enjoyment anymore, it's whales... and nothing else. This is disheartening and completely against what Walt envisioned and built. I've noticed a lot of reevaluating Disney CEO's and management styles and I've noticed Eisner is getting better reviews than ever. I wouldn't have enjoyed working for him (and he certainly made his share of mistakes), but the truth is that everything the Bob's are taking away, Eisner made. He used to put on a pair of sneakers, khaki shorts, a baseball cap and spent a day walking around the parks. He stood in lines and listened to people talk, what they liked and didn't like about their experience. He actually cared about ALL VISITORS!
Theres a lot of bad things you can say about Eisner, but you cant deny he was willing to explore new, creative ideas and had an overall eye for quality
Id take the age of direct-to-video shlock over all the terrible live action remakes. At least youd get the occasional good song or decent (new) movie
There's just too many people now and not enough capacity. This will only get worse and with things that actually matter as time goes on..
Hahahar good let the rich go. Blow all their Mony. Their. An get stuff all..long line an to many people s....yeep thats all I Sean ..,..youth an adult's. It for the kids an family s...in 80 s Orly 90 s. But now days it sound like mostly rich kids or rich family s only going their.....oh well not missing out on much. ..I keep buying more LEGO ..at the best price...not go to Lego shop or Lego land ..not Shaw why. Thay. Put price s so high. .now day s ....but have to wait in long line to Manny people's. An stuff not operating. Or sold out. ..limited product are best .....going to them places. 20 thousand youth all wearing same top.or got same pencil case. Or same school bag. Or same toy fig...... This is why I be teaching my kids limited edition better. Than ..same old pic..every ones got. ..boring...sale out hype..main stream...for quick .,$$$ back ..but not cearing for the kids with learnt with less $$. Thay might as well put a big sign out the frunt. Cume in .rich an worker s we going to take your money. An all U get is....this ....
Yes kind of shocking that we look back in fondness at Eisner. But it was an era that balanced the reality (sometimes quite cynically) of Disney needing to make money to survive with an obvious commitment to value for the patrons. The attitude of "give me your damn money" is so blatant now...pushing the boundaries of what Disney fans will put up with before they break.
This is so true! My very first visit to Disneyland, Eisner came right up to me and my family and talked to us at length, specifically to little 5 year old me, about what we thought of the place. We were only able to afford one day in the park, and were not “important people”; my parents were small time farmers from Saskatchewan, and saved for 5 years to take the trip. I still remember that interaction and that day in the park, and have had a lifelong love of Disneyland. When I got married, we went there for our honeymoon. Even from thousands of miles away, we had annual passports and visited for a cumulative 2 months worth of days a year. Shortly before the pandemic, we visited for the first time with our 3 and 1 year old, and stayed an entire glorious month! I love Disneyland. We are so loyal. But it is not as good as it used to be. We spent our last trip trying to stifle the urge to constantly compare how much better it even was the last time we visited before we had the kids. It’s sad when they had something perfect, and they are slowly eroding and degrading it.
Feels like we’re seeing a repeat of the Paul Pressler Era where instead of the rides being neglected in maintenance in order to maximize profits, now the ticket prices are being exponentially increased to maximize profits. I wonder if the tepid reaction to the Galactic star cruiser is going to be the first big example of people voting with their wallets against this type of profit maximization.
Along with a good sprinkle o’ cost cutting like before
I’d take it one step further: It feels like a ‘What if Pressler became the Disney CEO who succeeded Eisner?’ scenario
Just what I thought when they created the “Disney Parks, Experiences and Products” division of the company. Paul Pressler lives.
Since the experience is already booked in the first 2 months, I believe the lackluster experience that might happened will be the real wake up call and probably be as infamous as Euro Disneyland.
@@Emplordxiii But it's not really booked...they are having a lot of cancellations as people come up against the dates that they have to have the full amount paid for the stay. So even though it looked to be booked, that is all predicated on people putting down a small amount of money to book and then having to have it all paid before staying... people are backing out. Especially after they crappy video they put out recently that they ended up deleting off of youtube due to the negative feedback they were getting.
Last time I went it was crazy crowded to the point that I wondered why they didn't limit the capacity.
I will never understand people who ONLY go to disney
We spent a week at the Contemporary with a park view room in 2012, complete with multiple character dining experiences (1900 Park Faire, Tusker House, Chef Mickeys, Akershus) and California Grill. We spent $5600 all in.
This year we booked Art of Animation for six days and the cost of that plus tickets is going put us at $6000+. That includes no food. That includes no parking. No souvenirs. That is just a room and tickets.
Surprisingly, it’s not the price that is giving me pause, it’s the packed parks and diminished experience. While the price is astronomical, I would pay it for a good experience. Instead, every day is news of packed parks and three hour plus waits for rides, and it’s entirely possible that you can wait three hours for a ride only for it to break down before you get on it. The park hours are shorter, the restaurants are booked, and even people that are paying for Genie+ are saying that it isn’t helping. I’m seriously considering cancelling our trip. The amount of anxiety I feel about this trip has made it not enjoyable at all, and I’m not even there yet.
Came here to say exactly this. Disney phasing out annual passes, raising prices, etc. isn't so bad. People will save up and come for the once in a generation, savor the memories experience. Except that experience stinks; you look back and realize how much you paid to fight crowds, spend most of your time in queues, and end up only riding a handful of rides. There are far better experiences to be had around the world for the same price, and even better theme parks (I love Dollywood).
Cancel and go elsewhere
So why do you keep going back? I burned my hang on a stove once. But only once.
PT BARNUM, QUOTE: " THERS A SUCKER BORN EVERY MINUTE .....ON QUOTE ." HURRY HURRY STEP RIGHT UP FOLKS $$$$$.
I live six hours away from Disney world and I haven’t gone yet, my daughter wants to go but we don’t want to deal with the crowds and it’s crazy expensive. We went to Sea World last year, we went in October, it was still busy but not as hot and not as crowded. We try to avoid the summer season and peak hours at most places. Tbh we have lots of fun going to different childrens museums. Gives the kids something to do for hours that make them happy and engaged. Different cities have different activities and interactive displays. Anyways, it still gives us time to see and do other things the next day or two. At a place like Disneyland you have to invest a few days to ride the rides and see everything.
It makes me sad because my best memories come from Disney parks yet I cannot afford to ever go again. My children grew up there, there was only one place we wanted to go for vacation and saved 2 years at a time just so when we did go, we could buy and spend whatever we wanted. It just isn’t even an option, so I guess I am excited to try something new.
I grew up in SoCal and went to Disneyland a few times a year.. have done Florida and Paris once each..I took my 6 year old to Cali twice when she was 3. She just asked me last week when we can go again. I told her NEVER AGAIN.. When she asked why I told her that Disney is Greedy Woke Asshoe! We'd rather do Universal Hollywood or Six Flags. I even cancelled Disney Plus and boycott all their garbage..
For me the price very easily switched my dream to going to universal instead, going to the Harry Potter themed area would be so damn cool, also similar level of fun without being unaffordable for the vast majority of people
And it’s 17 miles from there… it’s half the price of a day ticket for several days at universal… for me makes my vacation planning obvious and hoping other people see it a similar way, maybe they might change after eventually there will be less people going even though they are a company that already has crazy amounts of money but wanna find any way they can to wring you dry of any money they can
In 2022, these kinds of changes don’t really surprise me. The growing disparity in numerous areas of American life have essentially prepared me for this possibility. I’m neither happy nor truly upset about it, but I think voting with your wallet is the way to go in this case.
The one thing that truly does upset me, though… I think Walt would be absolutely mortified that this is the direction this is going.
Edit: I forgot to add - I also feel for the cast members and hotel/customer service employees (are they also considered cast members?). These changes are only going to make their jobs harder and create a disconnect with the park guests as the Disney side continues to sell, sell, SELL and starts to ignore the human connection and simple memory-making.
Yes, hotel and customer service employees are also considered cast members
Over the last 6 years Bob Chepeck has systematically destroyed Disney’s parks in a way never seen before, on top of Bob Iger’s stupid and irresponsible financial decisions, murdering 2D animation, and discouraging creativity and those “awful” new ideas, and well Disney’s in quite the pickle
Destroyed? From their point of view, they are earning more money. Guests? Who cares about them. They're just money.
Don’t forget iger destroying Star Wars to pander to the toxic “Lucas raped muh childhood “ assholes. Disgusting. George trusted him and he betrayed him
@@fridaynightnicktoons6885 As a massive Star Wars fan myself I couldn’t agree more, I mean JJ Abrams (the talentless hack he put in charge of Star Wars) was a massive prequel hater who literally believed he understood Star Wars better then George Lucas LMAO, and what he did to Lucas making that hand shake agreement only to backstab him after stealing Lucas’s entire life work is the definition of dirty business and quit frankly evil, I could go on for hours talking about why the Disney “sequel” trilogies illegitimate fake Star Wars, but at the end of the day that doesn’t matter Star Wars is 6 movies and will always be 6 movies no matter what Disney says about it
I've realized that this was an obsession (almost addiction) to my dad who would take us to Disney World/Universal Studios for a week once a year spending maybe $150,000 MXN or more.
The rest of the year we'd be always short of money and he was in perpetual debt but considered the experience to be "magical" and "priceless" so of course Disney can charge whatever they want and people will be happy to pay to wait 3 hours in line for a ride.
BOY O BOY , TALK ABOUT HAVING YOUR PRIORITIES FTH-UP!! NO EXCUSE!!
My dad did similar, but that was during the 90’s when it was affordable. We quit going once we grew up
No it's JUST waiting in line for a crappy ride and bad food and sweaty rude ppl that's not what I want to do on my trip go to universal for gods sake
what is MXN is this a new type of crypto?
🤣🤣🤣🤣
The last 10 times I went to Disneyland, I knew a cast member who got me in or I went on a sponsored trip that covered a significant portion of the cost. I will never go paying full price.
Disney under Michael Eisner = the customer was king.
Disney under the Bobs = “shut up and give us money”
Sad and spot on. I have a family of 5 and would now have to drop $10,000 just to get the old Disney experience. I am definitely voting with my wallet
They will sell out to the rich either way. Your wallet vote doesn't hurt them.
@@alexvids9232 I am voting by now going to Universal. Believe me that Disney notices competition. They want every piece of the pie.
@@rycub9264 That's why I find these anti-monopoly laws ridiculous. Disney already has a monopoly on the entertainment industry that's disturbing when you look at how much they control.
@@mish375 Yes, it’s getting out of control.
@@mish375 What's been happening now also happened back in the late 1800s to early 1900s. Around 64 people controlled almost everything in the entire US. This led to the creation of anti-monopoly laws which then were used to break up this consolidation that was choking the country.
Over the years, control consolidated again as the rich and powerful bribed, blackmailed, and threatened our gov officials. The latter is responsible for initiating and prosecuting monopoly cases. The GOP and Dem bases were turned into zombies. They want to throw verbal mud at each other every day rather than get involved in the e lec tion process to replace almost everyone in Congress and their staffers. That rotten-to-the-core branch has the power to clean up and right-size the entire fed gov fairly quickly.
In the early 1980s, Disney lobbied Congress to change the copyright laws so it wouldn't lose its mouse to the public domain. The new copyright expiration is 1 Jan 2024 unless they do this stunt again. This is an example of how these goliaths use our corrupt politicians to slant the playing field in their favor. Forty years of copyright works that should have been moved into the public domain so they public could do whatever they wanted with them have been held up all for a cartoon character. No one should have that much power.
I go to the parks alone frequently. It’s my dopamine hit. I love the special events and have noticed that these events are geared for adults. Disney like the rest of the world is waking up to the fact that families don’t mean money. It means penny pinching for the experience. Sadly that’s going to single out a whole lot of people. They’re focusing on a new demographic which is not based on children interests. They want people who aren’t looking at the price tag but looking at the Instagram of food, experiences, and merch.
You mentioned cutting out families and that reminded me of something. Short story - I tend to complain a lot about the Tron coaster coming to WDW. I think it’s overhyped and taking way too long to build. But one of my other complaint and a complaint no one is mentioning is that Tron is very likely going to have a minimum height of 48 inches, which is the tallest in the parks. It’s not the family coaster most think it will be despite’s minimum thrills most motorbike coasters give relative to Rock n’ Roll or even Everest or BTM. But the lights and the show building are perfect for Instagram and that’s what matters.
Well seed. Untill sume rich guy cumes in an opens up a Disney land for the kids an thoes with less money free entry. That will fuk up. The other Disney lands lol whant it .lol....workers with $$$ geting to greedy in this world. An. This happening. ..kid perints with less money missing out. As humien we get jerk for haven less money. But can't take the money with us when die ..
A lot of young people (the ones who can pay up) aren’t having kids so they are simply adapting to the new demographics.
@@karenmassey8354 that’s quite sad
Imagine having a business you can continuously raise prices and business keeps growing
Lucky Me .... I first went to Disneyland in April 1958 (11 years old). My brother and I were already watching Mickey Mouse club on TV. It is my favorite Childhood Memory. When we went on the Mark Twain Riverboat we got invited up to The Pilot House to ride with the Captain and Steer the boat. The original Disneyland may it rest in peace ...... I'm sure Walt is up on his cloud looking down and "Shaking His Head"
I did the Disney Internship back in college and the only good thing about it was getting to go into the parks to play for free. That was the ONLY way I was going to get to go into the parks, and that was back in 2006. In 2015 I went to Disneyland as a graduation present and while it was fun, it was also stupid expensive.
Cast members and Interns (CPs) are blocked out from parks on most days now. No more playing in the parks as a perk....just get back to work.
I worked there in the late 90's and left in 2002. It was nice getting in for free, but as many times as I went I never once got "out" for free.
Oh really? I applied for the program but didn’t get passed the web based interview. Maybe it was better that way..? 🤷🏻♀️
im in the DCP now. the parks are blocked out most the time, and when its not blocked- reservations are full. the whole “play in the parks” aspect is completely gone from the CP now. its extremely disappointing and i dont recommend it
I was planning on spending tons of money at Disney over the next several years.
1. Dream Wedding Celebration at Disney
2. Disney Vacation Club
3. Disney Family Reunion
Not anymore. I'm glad I was saving up for all of this and hadn't spent a dime yet. I'm going to take that money and go to other parks. Knott's, Universal, etc. I might do a Disney Cruise, but that's a fraction of what I was intending to spend.
At some point 10 or 15 years ago, they stopped adding capacity but doubled down on more hotel rooms on property. I got a 10 day pass in 2012 with a free magic band. It still has 3 days left on it. I was in FL for Christmas and for the first time in my life did not visit WDW. The last time I was there it was TOO damn crowded to enjoy. When I was a kid, we would Easily do all the E tickets and re-ride some and still have left over time to just wander. (we moved to the Tampa area in 1963 after leaving Southern CA.
I was a child when Disneyland opened. It was an image in my head. I visited Disneyland in 1970 when I was twenty. It was a modestly fun experience.
I took a tour, and the very attractive tour guide flirted with me ----I figured that was part of her job description, since very few women ever bothered with that.
A working class Mexican national who commuted across the border gave me a ride. He said it was his ambition to be able to take his family to Disneyland.
My recollection is that the head of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev, visited Disneyland in the 1960s when he was head of America's chief rival, with control over nation killing nuclear weapons. Interesting that Disneyland was one of the things he wanted to see when he visited the United States.
I've gone to FL twice in my life. The first time was last june, the second was just a couple weeks ago. Both times I went to Universal Studios. I stayed at one of their resorts. I bought wizard robes that I wore every day, and a wand Im so proud of (after my second trip, Im up to 3 wands haha), and every toy, collectors item, snack, food, drink, and whatever else I wanted. I felt so happy and connected to that inner child I thought died years and years ago. I never in my life thought that I would be able to go to Universal, it was a truly spectacular experience both times and Im planning to go AGAIN; this time bringing my siblings along. I'm not super rich, but both trips costs me (including food and travel) around $1500 give or take. Thats it. And BOTH times I stayed there a week. Left to go Sunday, came back home the following Saturday.
Both times I went to FL, I considered going to Disney, as I've wanted to go since I was very little. However, the way things are now? Even though I could probably afford it, I don't care to spend that much money. I don't WANT to make spread sheets throughout the day. I don't WANT to have to follow a strict schedule. I don't WANT to have to be whipping our my wallet just so I can get to ride a ride. I could do it, I have the money, but I DONT WANT TO.
Universal lets me go and just...have fun. Be an adult kid. I get to just be spontaneous and go wherever my heart takes me. Ride Revenge of the Mummy 4 times in a row? I did that last June with a friend and had a blast. Spend a morning wandering around Diagon Alley "shopping for school supplies" and having everyone treat me like a student? Yes please. At night, just chill on Citywalk? It was so much fun! Just spend the afternoon at the resort, relaxing by the pool? It was so nice.
At this point, Disney can suck an egg. Universal has shown time and time again to me and everyone else who visits that they just want us to be happy and entertained, and I am more than happy to give them my money for the top tier experience I got. I'm excited to see what they do next with the main parks after Epic Universe is built. Im excited to go back. I'm excited to spend more time there, with more friends and family. I'm just excited.
I've made my choice, and it's not Disney.
Oh, and to add. I bought a season pass to Universal. At the second Highest tier. Im not from FL, Im from a completely different part of the country. The season pass was cheaper than paying for tickets every day for a week, and offers a lot of awesome perks. One of the reasons I went back again so soon is because I have a season pass. The friends I went with also got season passes, and have gone back on their own. My mom wants to go later this year with all of her kids for her birthday (all of my siblings and I are adults...and I don't think my mom has many friends....), and I want to go (along with some friends and siblings) for Halloween.
Having a season pass allows me to spend extra money on the resort stay and reserve better resorts than if I had to buy tickets for the week. It allows me to spend more money on tshirts, and toys, and food, and drinks, because I didn't just spend like 100$ to get in and that's fresh on my mind.
I understand Disney's logic, but it's flawed. At this point, I've pretty much given up any desire to set foot in the Kingdom of the Mouse, as they are only going to get more expensive from here. They can keep their "exclusive once in a lifetime experience" I don't like being stressed out and made to feel like I HAVE to do something or buy something because this the ONLY time in my life I'll be able to do it.
I'll go where I can have a blast and created the best memories with the people I love and cherish. Again, and again, and again.
Disney isn’t worth it
If Disney wanted to reduce crowding while still keeping the parks affordable to the middle-class, the only solution would be to build more Disney resorts. A multi-park resort in Texas and another in South America would definitely reduce the demand on the California and Florida parks. But why spend $20B in expansion when you can raise prices instead?
Disney World Texas sounds like a pretty sweet idea.
Im a fla resident so my fam would still be going to orlando, but i love this idea.
That is such a good idea, but ya… they’ll never do that. Way too greedy.
I have always wondered why they haven’t done this. I know there was talk of a second park in Long Beach. It seems like a no-brainer to me. Regulars would want to see all the parks.
Disney in Texas?.hell no!
Couldnt they also just do a max amount of visitors a day, visitors would just have to reserve a ticket. This way it is not about who can pay the most, but who is the fastest.
I took my family of four to Disney world three times. Stayed at the resort had a meal plan and airfare for a four day trip for around $2,500 Canadian. Went in 2008, 2009 and 2012. I'm not at all interested in the new attractions and think Disney has lost their way. I will probably never go back but we had great times and it was a good value as well.
We switched to Universal this year. We loved it. It was much more affordable but even more important for us, it was much less stressful.
As an avid, lifelong theme park lover and roller coaster enthusiast, I have no desire to ever set foot in another Disney park ever again, for all of the reasons you mentioned. And I CAN afford it.
Exactly!
Agreed. Also it's delusional for ppl to assume ppl who don't like the Disney line skipping system as simply "poor & broke". I've seen many comments like that. Ppl can make 6 figures and still shop at dollar stores and nothing's wrong with that. Financial hygiene is a preference and when I spend my money I absolutely expect reasonable experience. And Universal theme park has definitely taken me. If I pay for premium, I demand premium experience, not a fake equality which makes absolutely no sense.
What gets me is that the company sings the poverty blues after going on massive shopping spree. Marvel, Star Wars , etc. clearly we are paying for their bottom line.
Your mastery of the analytics is quite impressive, my friend! Superb research superbly presented. Keep up the good work!
last time i went to Disneyland it was about $125 to park and entrance ticket for one person. $125 gone and i had not even set foot Inside the park yet..this was about 1995 -ish.
Then for a number of years Disney kept raising entrance prices citing falling attendance.
I wonder if Disney ever caught on to the connection between raising prices and falling attendance......probably not.
You're trying to be diplomatic and look at the issue from both sides and I can respect and appreciate that, especially in this age of constant digital vitriol. The bottom line though is that Disney made it clear they don't care about their customer base through pumping out cheap and creatively bankrupt experiences, charging completely unreasonable prices for those experiences, and BARELY responding to their customer base at all. All of this was why I went over to Universal as a consumer. They've learned from their mistakes, done a much better job of listening to criticism, and have been making a more visible effort to deliver higher quality experiences for their customers.
After being raised on twice yearly visits to Disneyland since the late 1960's, working there in the 80's and having AP's well into the 00's, Disney has lost this customer. My Disney is dead and buried, never to return. I'll keep my memories, they're free and have far fewer crowds.
Well said. Same here
They won't be free and you'll be charged for those too, don't worry.
Very sad and I am certain not what a boy delivering newspapers in Missouri and creating animated mice and Imagineering happiness for the average person had envisioned. As a former imagineer and lifelong fan of my hero Walt - It breaks my heart ❤️.