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I grew up going to Disney World, and it remains my favorite vacation destination throughout my life.
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Now, however, I feel that the theme park in Orlando, Florida, is losing the magic that makes it so special.
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The holidays have become inaccessible because prices have skyrocketed and the loss of classic attractions has changed Disney’s unique setting.
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The treatment of the coronavirus pandemic and the dismissal of Disney World employees, however, is what really closes the deal for fans like me.
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I was about 18 months old when I visited Disney World for the first time.
I don’t remember anything about that trip, but old photos lead me to believe that I loved almost every second of it – that is, if you don’t count the photos that show me crying next to Pooh and Tigger for breakfast.
From that point on, my parents took my sister and me to Disney World whenever they could. We went from New Jersey to Orlando, Florida, every two or three years, and spent a week riding roller coasters, taking pictures with princesses and eating countless Mickey Mouse ice cream bars.
It has been more than five years since I last visited and many things have changed in the theme parks. Ticket prices have risen, classic attractions have been replaced by new ones and beloved cast members have lost their jobs.
Now, no matter how far I look into the future, I am concerned that the Disney World I grew up in love with will not be there when I return.
Rising Disney World vacation prices made it difficult for fans like me to pay for theme park trips
When I first visited Disney World in 1997, day tickets for adults cost approximately $ 39, and tickets for day children cost about $ 32, according to the Disney AllEars planning website. Ten years later, in 2007, tickets for one-day adults increased to prices between $ 67 and $ 71, and tickets for one-day children cost between $ 56 and $ 60.
As a result of consistent price increases, day tickets to Disney World for adults and children now cost more than $ 100, according to AllEars. This price increases even more if you choose to visit during a “peak” season, or if you buy a Park Hopper pass that allows you to go back and forth between the four Disney World parks.
And it’s not just tickets that have increased in price. Food, souvenirs, holiday events and more are also becoming more expensive. In an article on price increases in the park between 2019 and the beginning of last year, Courtney Willingham of the Disney Food Blog wrote: “It looks like Walt Disney World and the phrase ‘price changes’ are on the hip.”
Of course, price increases at any theme park – and most other businesses – are bound to happen. But over the years, it has become clear that rising prices at Disney World are the result of more than inflation.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Disney World raised ticket prices nearly double the rate of inflation over the 2010s, and the theme park’s reasons for doing so vary, as reported by Reader’s Digest.
Disney World seasonal ticket prices, for example, encourage Disney fans to plan their vacations well in advance and therefore spend more money. The introduction of luxury hotels, VIP tours and other high-quality services, on the other hand, attracted wealthy travelers.
The earnings from these expensive tickets and park amenities have helped Disney World install major attractions – including Pandora in Animal Kingdom and Galaxy’s Edge in Hollywood Studios – and compete with neighboring theme parks, such as the neighboring Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
As Theme Park Insider editor Robert Niles previously told Business Insider: “Disney doesn’t like to lose – not just lose, Disney doesn’t even like to compete. Disney wants to dominate its competition.”
When you visit Disney World, your favorite attractions may be gone
When Disney World opened in 1971, only a few of its original toys were inspired by the company’s films, programs and other intellectual property (PI). Today, however, Disney World IP attractions – like the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and the entire Toy Story Land – outperform attractions like Space Mountain and the Jungle Cruise.
This is partly due to the fact that many of these newer IP-themed tours replace classic and beloved attractions. Maelstrom at Epcot was remodeled with a “Frozen” theme in 2014, similar to how the characters in “Finding Nemo” were added to The Living Seas attraction in 2006.
Hollywood Studios has also faced major changes in recent years, such as The Great Movie Ride, Studio Backlot Tour, Streets of America and more have been removed to make room for IP attractions, including Toy Story Land and Galaxy’s Edge. As a result, Hollywood Studios’ cinematic aesthetic has almost completely disappeared.
Although I have not yet experienced many of the latest IP attractions on my own, I really enjoyed the others. The Living Seas with Nemo and Friends is cute, in my opinion, and the new additions to Fantasyland are magical. So I have no doubt that the other Disney World-themed attractions – and those that will come in the future – will be different.
Still, nostalgia is what often tempts me to plan a Disney World vacation. When I’m stressed or having a bad day, I daydream about running through the parks without caring about the world. But knowing that the destination I miss is not the same – and is changing more each day – makes me less inclined to spend hundreds of dollars for a trip.
Read More: 33 photos of old Disney World attractions that we would like to return to
Overall, it was the treatment of the Disney World coronavirus pandemic that really made me lose faith in my favorite theme park.
In mid-March 2020, Disney World temporarily closed its doors to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But even on its last opening day that month, Disney World took a risky step by gathering Mickey Mouse, his friends and several cast members for a farewell party in front of hundreds of park goers.
If that weren’t enough, Disney World reopened in mid-July, despite an increase in COVID-19 cases in Florida and other parts of the world. Although some people criticized Disney’s decision, hundreds of others rushed to the destination on the opening day, and have visited even more since then.
Personally, I was discouraged by the whole situation. Although I knew that many Disney World cast members would have financial difficulties if the parks remained closed, it didn’t seem a much better option to have them working with thousands of travelers during a pandemic, putting them at risk of falling ill.
But it was then that Disney World began to lay off thousands of its employees.
Read More: Disney World officials describe the cost of staying safe as coronavirus cases arise in Florida
On Thanksgiving Day, according to The Washington Post, the theme park giant planned to remove 32,000 of its workers. Almost immediately after the layoffs began, bills emerged from former employees who struggled to pay their bills and depended on food banks for meals.
And while I read story after story that broke the hearts of those affected, I couldn’t help wondering how the holiday destination with sky-high ticket prices and constant renovations couldn’t help those who create their magic.
Now I worry that the magic won’t be there when I get back to Disney World
After a long time away, I planned to visit Disney World with my best friend in May 2020. Although I knew that some of my favorite places, like the Great Movie Ride, would not be there anymore, I was still excited to try the new ones. Disney World attractions.
Of course, these plans were canceled quickly and, to be honest, I’m not looking forward to rescheduling them.
Expensive park tickets don’t seem to be worth it now that concerts, parades, fireworks and more have been disrupted, and I’m not sure I would like to try out new attractions for the first time wearing a mask. But most importantly, I can’t imagine visiting Disney World without the cast members who have always helped to make my vacation and millions of other people so special.
I still love Disney World and I know that one day, when it’s totally safe to do that, I’ll be back. But now, I can’t say that I have much faith in the future of the most magical place on Earth.
Read More: Don’t make the same mistake I made visiting Disney World during the pandemic. It just isn’t worth it.
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