I seldom trust the opinions of people who are 100% positive or 100% negative on a subject. Most topics, and most people, land somewhere in the middle – and of course, opinions shift. In that spirit, I felt like I should share how I’ve been feeling lately about the state of the Disneyland resort…and it’s far less positive than I normally am on this blog.
In a word, I’m feeling really disillusioned.
Disneyland has always been a very expensive vacation destination. But the justification has been the “magic” – not just rides, but character experiences, incredibly detailed spaces, live entertainment, etc. Recently, the parks have been cutting down on these value-add experiences while still raising prices. There are fewer characters in the parks, many shows/restaurants/shops are closed for long periods of time (beyond normal refurbishment), and the lightning lane system changed a free tool for guests into a paid add-on service. Live entertainment has been significantly reduced too. For example, Pixar Pier built a beautiful performance area in the center of the land – but the band has been discontinued.
I feel extra frustration with the continuously rising cost of Disneyland knowing that none of this money is supporting the people that matter most in the park – the cast members. These cast members are severely underpaid, and in the last few years have been extremely overworked. Basically, it’s hard not to feel like you’re paying more for less, for no real reason other than pure profit for Disney.
I’m not naive. I know that Disneyland is a business and their goal is to make money. But speaking as a customer of their product, I find myself for the first time really questioning if said product is good value anymore. Visiting is increasingly complicated, and confusing – even for a frequent visitor like myself. The reservation system (which is no longer temporary) adds a layer of complication to booking a trip – and it doesn’t seem to do anything to limit crowds.
And once you’re in the park, you have to be increasingly reliant on Disneyland’s app to do anything. The Genie, Genie+, and Lightning Lane systems are optional to use. But in many dining locations, mobile order is not optional – even if you’re physically at the location. I’ve been turned away from two different quick service locations when trying to order at the counter, with the cast member saying the only option is to order through the app. What happens if a visitor doesn’t have a phone, or if they’re someone like my grandfather who struggles with technology? I think the app is great in general – it’s super convenient when you’re roaming the park. But it shouldn’t be mandatory to do basic things.
Disneyland’s projects since Galaxy’s Edge have been extremely underwhelming too. Compare a land like New Orleans Square to Pixar Pier or Avenger’s Campus. The detail, storytelling, and experience are not remotely on the same level. And to be honest, Galaxy’s Edge was supposed to have more than it does – remember the planned live entertainment on the rooftops, or the whole “your choices have consequences” teasers before the land opened?
And finally, the park has glaring problems Disney just doesn’t seem interested in addressing. Tomorrowland is a mess – the former Launch Bay building, theater, and PeopleMover track all sit empty. The Submarine Voyage was supposed to reopen in “winter 2021”, but the lagoon is still drained. Hollywood Land is equally disastrous – the huge soundstages and entire “backlot” area are just lost space, minus Monsters Inc. Over in Fantasyland, the large theater space has been sitting unused since the park’s 2021 reopening. And no matter how many times it closes for refurbishment, Indiana Jones constantly breaks down or operates with major effects not working. Not to mention poor Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters in Cars Land, which has had 1/3 of the ride vehicles missing for more than two years.
There are other problems I have with the company that I won’t go too in depth about because they go beyond the scope of this blog (forcibly relocating employees to Florida, funding “Don’t Say Gay” bill sponsors when they claim diversity and inclusion is one of their five company “keys”, etc.). I guess the thesis statement of this whole post is just that it’s hard to be an enthusiastic Disney/Disneyland fan right now.
I’m not saying I’m done with Disneyland (or this blog) – because I’m not. I just think it’s important to be honest and say that the happiest place on earth can and should be better than it is currently. If you asked me five years ago what it would take for me to give up on Disneyland, I couldn’t have imagined a realistic answer. I still don’t know what that line is for me, but I do know that I’m closer to it than I ever have been.
I first visited Disneyland in August 1955. My brother Ronald worked there from day one (on the Mark Twain). He would have stayed longer than 8 months if they’d paid better.
Sad but true, Disneyland has lost its charm. I was an annual passholder since 1995 thru 2017. I have a hard time justifying a revisit (I’ve been 3 times since reopening). Good news is, I see that they’ve brought back the parking lot tram.
I will still go to Disneyland as it’s my favorite vacation spot, but harder to say that’s true anymore. And now $30 for parking and half the magic!
I wish you all could have visited back in 1955. I think dad paid $1 or $1.50 to park; ticket books with the ABCD tear-offs were $4.95, a lot of money when salaries weren’t much more than a dollar an hour. (E tickets hadn’t been introduced yet.) It was originally expensive, but muchly more magic. Walt’s focus was entertainment, not stockholder approval.
Bravo for having your say. Some of the changes I’ve read of via the media (coz I’m in Australia and under travel restrictions ATM) had me yearning for the Disneyland of 10 years ago when I was visiting any and every one of their parks near my overseas travel destinations. But taking care of its people should be a major priority for ANY company, and especially one that is reputed to promote family values. Families consist of individuals, some of whom actually work for Disney. I think senior management at the highest level of the company need to rethink some of its decisions and actions from an ethical perspective. And if they are serious about the popularity of their parks going forward, DO something to improve the experience for both employees and visitors.
Absolutely agree with this post. NPR coined a term for this phenomenon a few months back: skimpflation. It’s when we pay more but receive less. They used Disney as an example at the time, how the parks reopened without parking trams. Amazingly, it’s only gotten worse!
I’m similarly conflicted; I’ve noticed many of the things you pointed out and I’m not even a regular visitor. I’m a firm believer that I don’t mind paying higher prices if it means people are getting fair wages and my money is going to notable improvements. But paying more because the parks were closed for a year and lost out on one revenue stream while having a record year with their streaming products? Please. The company isn’t hurting the way all their park employees did during that closure. And what a waste of a closure not to do refurbishment work last year! It’s honestly offensive that they wouldn’t take care of their employees or the park yet expect guests to foot the bill for a subpar experience now.
I say all this as I prepare to take a trip next month, my third trip in 7 months…but I think it also may be my last trip for a matter of years.
Wow skimpflation – that is a perfect way to describe it. And I’m with you. I really have no “itch” to go back as frequently as I used to, which is a major shift for me.
I tend to agree that the Magic Kingdom has lost some of it’s luster in recent years, highlighted more so now with the many changes since COVID-19. For me the disillusionment began in 1998 when Disney bean counters came up with the idea of turning the parking lot into a separate thrill ride park (Disney’s California Adventure which opened early 2001 to small crowds and big controversy). Here in Southern California we have 2 other “thrill ride” parks for adrenaline junkies who prefer intense experiences over enchanting magic. To me Walt’s original, charming vision of the Enchanted Lands inside the “berm” were enough. I’ve been 5 times since the re-opening and everything has gotten more expensive, some things exponentially more, but that hasn’t seemed to deter the crowds.
Cast members are not the only ones underpaid, by the way. I’ve talked to outside vendors in the screen printing business that deal with Disney and they all say that while the volume is high Disney pays very low for the quality and terms they demand. We also hear locally the complaints from city, county, and state agencies about the tax and permit breaks Disney demands. Because Disneyland is such a large part of the local economy they get away with things that other small businesses in Southern California do not have the lobbying power to get away with.
Even with all the changes I do not agree with, the rising costs, and difficulty in parking/shuttling to and from Disneyland I’m not ready to break up with the Magic Kingdom just yet. However though, the 1:160 model I’m building is Disneyland in 1995, the 40 Years Of Adventure version before DCA with Splash Mountain, Indiana Jones, the last year of the People Mover and even though the Skyway closed in 1994 I’m going to include that too because that was, in my opinion, the best version of Disneyland!
I would say chin up, the world has changed drastically all around us (for the worse) so we need to appreciate our memories of the better Magic Kingdom experiences we grew up with. There is still Magic to be had, it just costs a lot more and is difficult to get there and find it.
Thanks for your perspective, Byron! I definitely think there is hope that Disneyland will get its act together. It is heartbreaking though to read about how contractors that work with Disney are also so underpaid. It makes me feel like I’m part of the problem when I visit, and I don’t know how to help those workers get paid fairly.
i agree with what you are saying, and everyday i see similar posts on my phone about this resort and wdw. I will probably never go to disneyland again or take my kids. it is not how Walt Disney would have wanted his park to be, and I’m sure he would not approve.