I disagree. I know this is a popular sentiment on the internet, but I'm inclined to think this is a myth. At least for the time being.
It appears to me, that WDW is following in the footsteps of other businesses that have had major problems. It appears to me, that instead of appealing to MORE customers, they have decided to raise prices. Like they know they CAN'T find enough new customers, so they instead just try to get as much $ as possible from their existing customers.
WDW's latest commercial is REALLY telling. They used to always advertise a price. Something like, "A family of 4 can enjoy a 5-night WDW vacation for as little as $1000." NOW the commercial has no price, and - get this - when advertising their hotels, the ad actually ends with, "Disney hotels...why would you stay anywhere else?" That is such a tell, IMO. Like they are saying, "DO NOT LOOK AT the price of any offsite hotels. Just book WDW without pricing any other options."
Does anyone else remember the movie Brazil? When Michael Palin says "Trust me," while standing in front of a sign that says, "Who can you trust?" The ad reminded me of that. Omitting the price while saying it is a good deal = admitting the current pricing is terrible. The ad is called, "The Fun Never Stops," and features Dumbo.
Perhaps when the pandemic eases, the situation will improve, but...well right now a large portion of the population wouldn't dream of visiting a densely crowded place like WDW, especially if they have young children. Another portion of the population won't spend money on vacations until they feel their economic stability has recovered.
