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As Disney has increased the costs of tickets and hotel rooms at its theme parks and added expensive, hard-to-use tools, even its most unwavering enthusiasts are wondering if they’ll reconsider their vacation.
By Tariro Mzezewa
Earlier this year, Toronto-based filmmaker and content writer Jake Williams made his long-awaited return to one of his favorite places on earth: Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. After traveling to Disney World and Disneyland several times a year since his formative years and as an annual passholder as an adult, Mr. Williams had not been to a Disney park since 2019.
“Since it used to happen all the time, it seems crazy to me that I haven’t been to a Disney park in so long,” he said in a phone interview. “It’s a special place. “
Before his trip, Williams learned about some changes at Disney World, but he didn’t anticipate what the other things would be like, starting with the airport. Since its last visit, the company had gotten rid of the Magical Express, a loose bus that had been transporting other people from Orlando International Airport to its Disney resorts for more than 15 years. Customers will now have to take a round trip that costs between $23 and $30 per adult per trip, depending on the time of year, use a rideshare service or car rental.
For Disney fans, the end of Magical Express raises a bigger problem: the need to be in the happiest place on Earth is emerging while the benefits are disappearing. As the company has raised the value of tickets and hotel rooms and added expensive, difficult-to-use travel-booking equipment to upgrade older products, even its most staunch fans are wondering if it’s still worth it. grief.
Williams said a day at Orlando parks and a night at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort charge a “staggering” $886. 34 for two adults. He made the decision to calculate how much the same prices would cost in 2017, a year in which he visited the park several times. times. Cost: $567. 90. Even accounting for inflation, he was stunned.
“It is difficult to justify moving to Orlando in Iceland,” he said. “When you have a budget like this, you can go through a lot of places, see and do a lot of things. You can even take a cruise to Disney for less.
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