TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Some of the most loyal of Disney enthusiasts say one specific thing is keeping them from visiting Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando more often — they even say it’s causing “the Happiest Place on Earth” to completely lose its magic.
It’s the cost.
A family vacation to Walt Disney World Resort is more expensive than ever and fans are noticing, according to a new poll. The gambling website time2play recently released a study based on data from 1,927 “self-described Disney World enthusiasts” about the rising costs to visit the park.
According to the study, 92.6% of those surveyed believed the cost of a Disney World vacation is out of reach for an average family. Additionally, 68.3% of people said increases made it feel like the theme park has lost all its magic.
As of Tuesday, the cost for a standard one-park day ticket on Friday, Sept. 16 is $134, though prices of tickets vary by date. Standard Walt Disney World tickets range between $139 and $154 through October, according to Disney World’s website.
Almost 50% of respondents said they postponed a Disney World trip in recent years due to price increases.
According to a study by “Koala“, a company based in Brooklyn that connects vacationers with timeshare owners online, a single-day ticket Walt Disney World could cost $253.20 in just nine years.
When Walt Disney World Resort opened in 1971, a ticket cost only $3.50. Adjusting for inflation, that would be $22.61 today. According to Koala calculations, there has been an average price increase of 7.4% each year since the park opened.
Meanwhile, the cost for standard one-park day tickets at Disneyland, Disney’s California park, cost about $149 for Sept. 16. Standard Disneyland tickets range between $135 and $165 through the month of October, per Disneyland’s website.
Disney enthusiasts polled by time2play also said by a large majority (66.9%) that they felt they wouldn’t get a true Disney World experience if they didn’t pay for upgrades like the Genie+ service, which offers “Lighting Lanes” — which lets users wait in shorter lines for rides. Genie+ service is an extra $15 per person each day (though prices may vary), in addition to admission cost. Genie service doesn’t come complete with all Lightning Lanes, however. Guests must purchase even more lanes within the Genie app for full lane skipping.