Disney Fanatics are known and often ridiculed for the amount of money they are willing to spend on their visits to Disney theme parks, especially when one considers the destination options available for the same price as a Disney World vacation.
But everybody has a limit. So, what will Disney Fans NOT spend money or time on? Well, that conversation recently took off on social media, where some self-declared fans spoke honestly about how they approach their experience.
There are many categories and factors to this question, so we will divide it into three categories: rides, food and drink, and souvenirs.
Rides Not Worth Fans’ Time
Starting with the attractions, many of the fans spoke up about attractions they don’t give the time of day to experience anymore. These rides varied from the greatest thrill rides to the most iconic Fantasyland placeholders that hold almost more merit for what they provide to the overall landscape than in entertainment.
“I will not wait 270 minutes for [Avatar] Flight of Passage,” one fan said. “That is how long the wait was last time I was there.”
“I know opinions will vary, but it’s the dressed up carnival rides for me. Dumbo, Carpets, Astro Orbiter, Teacups. I can ride essentially the same ride at any [average] fair midway,” another fan admitted.
“Now, I know, for some that have been going since childhood and go frequently, there’s a nostalgia factor. I get it. But for me, I’d rather spend my time on attractions I can’t get anywhere else.”
“The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Ride. I mean, really Disney? Even with the advent of Tron’s cash flow days away, you are still going to charge an ILL for it,” another asked rhetorically.
The roller coaster themed after Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) is currently one of the only attractions at Magic Kingdom Park that is not included in the Genie+ Lightning Lane options with TRON Lightcycle/Run being the other.
Disney World Food and Drink Options Not Worth Fans’ Money
Moving on to the food and drink options, fans were quick to call out both the “fast food” element and the sit-down table service options in the theme parks and resort hotels.
The original poster started by saying, “$5 bottles of Dasani water. Criminal pricing right there. Especially when there are water fountains, a few bottle filling stations or free ice water from QS locations.” Many other fans chimed in in agreement with the cost of bottled water in general in the theme parks.
Another said, “I used to think the popcorn buckets were such a great value until I brought it home and realized it’s only HALF of one bag of popcorn. I still buy it though because we like popcorn but I no longer think it’s a great value- it’s volume eating at a slightly less cost than other snacks.”
But this was the most contested opinion as many chimed in to defend the value found in the free refills. The last comment in this thread was from another fan saying, “Unethical Disney life hack: get free popcorn by selling the ‘collectible’ popcorn bucket on eBay.”
Turning to other culinary categories, one person mentioned, “Dessert parties at Magic Kingdom. I will never pay upwards of $100 for muffins and pastries.”
The original poster also said, “Character dining. Okay, we are a couple aged 36 and 31. Seeing a princess at Dinner is so far down the list of priorities for us its almost irrelevant, but that the prices are now going up with Character Dining returning, it might rule a few restaurants out for us on principle.”
Disney World Souvenirs Not Worth Fans’ Money
Disney souvenirs are a big deal for any guest at any age. But out of the smorgasbord of merchandise, what is not worth the money?
“Swarovski crystal Cinderella Castle,” one fan said. “Every time I see some chump spend $250,000 on one of these at the park I think to myself ‘you fool! You could just wait till you get home and buy it for like $225,000!’ Some people just have no sense for money.”
“Balloons and bubble wands,” said another. “I get the allure of the Disney themed bubble wand, but you can just go to target or Walmart and get a cheap one, big jug of bubbles, and be ready to go. And yes I know some folks deflate [their] balloons and save them. I can take a photo of a balloon bouquet and add that to a photo album. I don’t need a balloon.”
“Oh man, it’s spirit jerseys for me,” said a third. “I just cannot fathom how a long sleeve shirt is upwards of $70. I thought they were so cute, and then I saw the price tag haha.”
Now, clearly, not every Disney fan feels this way. Hundreds of balloons are still sold every day, people still line up for hours for all of the previously mentioned rides, and they often chugged down an “overpriced” bottle of water while they wait.
At the end of the day, it is all about making the most of your Disneyland or Disney World vacation. But the conversation hopefully returns to the forefront of people’s minds so they will never repeat the same mistakes as last time.
In your opinion, what Disney item isn’t worth the price tag? Tell us about it in the comments below!
