Question why you want to keep feeding the greed of management. Then go elsewhere. We are.
The system is broken. We saw it. Cast admit it.
Disney is able to charge so much because they have a product that people enjoy and love.
They still offer something other places don’t.
Reminds me of an old saying - "A fool and their money are soon parted." If you complain about WDW management but yet willingly give Disney your money, you (in the royal sense) are part of the problem. A line in my signature sums it up nicely: YOU have the power - Vote with your wallet.
Disney realized they had a product that people really loved, and since they’re a public ally traded company trying to capitalize on that enjoyment to the fullest extent.
I can complain about management decisions, yet still enjoy the parks where those poor management decisions take place.
Adding Genie doesn’t make the Hall of Presidents, Moroccan pavilion, Wilderness Lodge, Pirates of the Caribbean, and fireworks on Main Street disappear. It increases their barriers, but it’s still possible to enjoy them.
People travel all over the world to get to Disney parks. That’s a huge barrier. Comparatively, a series of bad management decisions, while a big barrier in culmination, are still relatively small.
When I flew to Shanghai on the first ever commercial direct flight from Atlanta, one of the flight attendants asked what our purpose of travel was. We just told her we just wanted to visit Shanghai as tourists and visit Shanghai Disneyland. She was fine with the Shanghai part, but the Disneyland part raised a few eyebrows. She rather noted in a snarky manner, that going to Shanghai is a long way to go to Disney, insinuating why in the world would you go to Shanghai when there’s a Disney accessible via a flight 18-times shorter? Which I found highly amusing.
I also went to Hong Kong and Tokyo thereafter, and the barrier of entry to visit those parks were higher than if Disney tripled or quadrupled their prices.
I have no plans on returning to Shanghai or Hong Kong anytime soon, even though they were great experiences, and visiting the surrounding regions was absolutely incredible.
I’m trying to go back to Japan in 2024 which would include a few days at Disneyland, but regardless, moral of the story, don’t underestimate the draw of Disney Parks.
I’ve been to Disneyland Paris, 3, soon to be 4 times and have recommended it to several people who have since gone, but I don’t really believe Paris is a substitute resort for WDW, Anaheim, or Tokyo. It has the most beautiful castle park, by a significant margin, but still lacks the depth that the other big three resorts have.
To trim a rant down, if I’m looking for a substitute Disney product, I don’t believe there’s really any in the world. Sure, I can go on other non-Disney vacations, and I do, but those fill a different desire. If I’m wanting a Disney park experience, the only thing I can do is go to a Disney park.
I really hate the sentiment that “you need to stick it to management and not go” because that effectively outlines those who go as bumbling idiots who just give-in to blatant greed, but that ignores why we went in the first place. At no point, was Disney charity, it may have been two, three, or more magnitudes more affordable, but it still requires a commitment. People go to Disney because they enjoy it.
The only park that I’ve personally been to that matches Disney on a relatively consistent basis is Islands of Adventure. I’m trying to visit the great European parks of Europa, Phantasialand, Efteling, and others in the not so distant future, but as of yet, I haven’t found a worthy substitute.
If there’s no valid substitute for Disney, then you can spend your commitment and time elsewhere by doing something entirely different, like going to Boston, or skiing, for example.
But that’s like wanting a steak so you go to a steakhouse, then they only have Sea bass. Sea bass is delicious, by all means. Wonderful fish, but it’s not the steak that you wanted. A ski trip can be perfect fun and deliver plenty of enjoyment, but if you’re wanting to go on a
Disney vacation, you can only really go to Disney.