A majority of “Disney World enthusiasts” surveyed said the Mouse House lost a lot of appeal due to skyrocketing prices.
Of 1,927 self-described Disney World enthusiasts surveyed by gambling website time2play, 68 percent reported feeling the iconic frequent price hikes cost the theme park a lot of its magic. High costs reported for the park make vacationing there “out of reach” for the average family, according to 93 percent of those surveyed.
Tickets for Disney World’s Magic Kingdom cost $3.50 in 1971, the study noted, adding that inflation-adjusted tickets would cost $25.60 in 2022 dollars. Current ticket prices for one Disney World park cost between $109 to $159 per day, explained the study.
Approximately half of survey respondents reported that price hikes caused them to postpone a visit to the resort destination. Time2play reported repeat visitors expect to pay nearly 40 percent more for their next trip.
“I understand inflation and all of those things. I understand cost increases,” Kentucky father Matt Day declared to the Washington Post earlier this year. “I always had the impression that Disney was a family vacation destination, and that impression is why I was surprised to see how expensive it truly was — and how out of reach it is for most American families.”
Theme Park Insider’s founder Robert Niles explained to the Post that many fans report being in worse financial shape than before the COVID-19 pandemic. “So every Disney price increase hurts even more,” Niles said.
The Walt Disney Company justifies price hikes by pointing to more than $20 billion invested in recent years to build new attractions and parks worldwide.
“We continue to invest in creating attractions and services that wow our guests and enhance the experience, and we offer a wide range of options to match different budgets and interests,” Disney told The Washington Post in March.
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