A Detroit businessman was planning to take his family on a vacation to Disney World when he was shocked by the $12,000 price tag for the resort and theme park admission.
JT Singh, an accountant, investment banker and franchise owner who advises clients on mergers and acquisitions, took to social media platform X to question whether he had been “scammed” by Disney out of what he considered a “horribly expensive” holiday.
“My wife is planning a family trip to Disney,” Singh wrote on his X account on Wednesday.
Singh said a travel agent told the family it would cost more than $12,000 for two rooms at the Polynesian Village Resort, though each room could cost as much as $600 a night, depending on availability.
“Am I being scammed or is Disney really that expensive?” Shin wondered on X.
Singh’s X post had garnered more than 4,100 reactions, 400 reposts, 4,700 likes and 639 bookmarks as of Thursday.
Responses to Singh’s post were highly critical of Disney and its exorbitant prices.
“Look at the cost of food when you stay at a Disney hotel…” one X user replied.
Singh wrote back: “Maybe I should give them my bank account login details.”
“Disney is a total scam…so crazy,” wrote another commenter, who noted that Disney guests “pay to stand in line 80% of the time.”
Other commenters at X have noted that the Polynesian Village Resort is one of the most expensive hotels in the theme park.
according to Touring PlansBoasting three white-sand beaches, pool facilities, and other amenities like easy access to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, the Polynesian certainly ranks among the more expensive options for a Disney World stay.
The site lists rates at the Polynesian ranging from $691 to $5,825.
Among the more expensive Disney resorts include the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa ($816-$5,808 per night) and Bay Lake Tower ($672-$5,681).
The Washington Post has reached out to Disney and Singh for comment.
Soaring inflation and rising prices in recent years have made a Disney World vacation increasingly out of reach for a growing number of cost-conscious Americans.
last fall, Bloomberg News analysis We found that a family of four planning a week-long trip to Disneyland in Orlando could expect to pay anywhere from a minimum of $4,280 to a whopping $42,460, depending on the hotel they stay at and the experiences they pay for at the park.
Tickets to the Magic Kingdom can cost as much as $189 per person, and if you want to visit all four Orlando-area parks in one day, it will set you back $252 per person.
Disney also introduced a skip-the-line system that allows guests who want to shorten their wait time in line on busy days to pay a fee to get on rides faster.
last month, The Wall Street Journal reported. Millennials are increasingly choosing to take their families to smaller, regional amusement parks like Great Wolf Lodge, rather than splurging on pricey trips to Disney or Universal.
Personal finance website Finance Buzz published a study last month stating that food prices at Disney World have risen an average of 61% over the past decade, nearly double the rate of inflation over that same period.
Social media influencers with large online followings have been posting videos describing how they had to pay $70 for a bowl of Frosty Flakes at Disney restaurants, creating a buzz.
Disney fans have been venting their frustrations on Reddit, complaining about having to spend $500 on food and drinks after just three days at the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Epcot.
Exorbitant pricing was cited as one of the possible reasons why attendance at Disney theme parks fell last year after a strong 2022.
A recent survey by financial website LendingTree found that 45% of parents are in debt after their recent Disney trip, putting them in the red by an average of $1,983.
