New Poll Shows Disney World Fans Think Resort Has “Lost Its Magic”

Almost no one will tell you that a vacation to Walt Disney World Resort is cheap. Between the Park tickets, your hotel, airfare, and food, the typical Disney World vacation will set Guests back thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, things are only getting more expensive — and many Guests are beginning to feel that they are getting a lot less while paying a lot more. That has led to a lot of anger amongst Guests — most of which is being directed at Walt Disney CEO Bob Chapek, who took the Disney reins in February 2020.

Credit: Disney

In a new poll conducted by time2play, nearly 70% of Disney World Guests feel that Disney World has “lost its magic” because of the high price increases. In addition to the higher ticket prices, we have also reported on Guests noticing food portions and food quality going downhill. Guests are also finding their Disney World hotel rooms lacking, even though prices for those rooms are at an all-time high.

Credit: time2play

In addition to that, nearly half of those polled said that they had postponed taking a trip to Walt Disney World because the cost had gotten so out of hand. Costs are so high that more than 92% of those polled felt that a Disney World vacation is now “out of reach for average families.”

It should be noted that the poll included answers from more than 1,900 adults who consider themselves “Disney World enthusiasts” — meaning these are people who typically prefer to spend their money and vacation time visiting a Disney Park or going on a Disney Cruise.

Credit: cinemablend.com

One of the more surprising results may be how many of those polled felt that they needed to buy Disney’s front-of-the-line service, Disney Genie+. Disney Genie+ was introduced in 2021, taking the place of the free FastPass system that had been in place for years. Disney Genie+ costs Disney World Guests $15 per person, per day, and allows them to get priority access to select rides.

Credit: Disney

Of the 1,927 people polled, over 66% felt that they needed to purchase Disney Genie+ in order to get the full Disney World experience. While Disney first advertised Disney Genie+ as a way to get on a ton of rides in one day, the company adjusted the website to now say that theme park Guests should be able to have Lightning Lane to 3 to 4 rides per day using Disney Genie+.

In recent months, Disney CEO Bob Chapek has said that Disney is seeing record profits — claiming that happy Guests are spending 40% while in the Parks. Of course, with most things at the Parks being more expensive, it’s not all that surprising that theme park Guests are spending more. And despite the poll results, many Guests have said that the Parks seem more crowded than ever.

What do you think of these poll results?