Florida dad Craig Stowell was left stunned after a recent trip to Disney World left him with a high bill, telling Newsweek that it has left him considering going to the theme park less or considering other options.
Newsweek has reached out to Disney via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Disney World recently put tickets on sale for 2025, and these prices had increased since 2024. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, data indicated that Disney’s locations have been seeing an increase in visitors both domestically and globally.
Though Disney itself does not release attendance figures, the 2024 Theme Index report, cited by Magic Guides, found that annual visits to the Magic Kingdom have grown from 12.7 million in 2021 to 17.7 million in 2023. The Walt Disney Company recently announced that they are expanding their theme park empire, and will open a resort in Yas Island, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Disney currently has theme parks and resorts in six different global locations: Walt Disney World Resort (Florida), Disneyland Resort (California), Tokyo Disney Resort, Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, and Shanghai Disney Resort. The locations in total feature 12 theme parks.
What To Know
In a video shared by X, formerly Twitter, user Financial Dystopia that was viewed more than 8.3 million times as of Friday afternoon, Stowell revealed that he paid nearly $1,400 to take his family of five to Disney World for a day.
This total price accounted for the tickets, parking, meals and snacks, along with items purchased at the souvenir shops.
“I grew up as a Disney child. My mother took myself and my 2 siblings every year when we would come down to Florida to visit our grandma. Back then, a day at Disney was much more affordable for a young family with 3 children,” Stowell, a content creator and owner of business Flying Wheels, told Newsweek by email.
Stowell said he doesn’t consider himself a “Disney Adult,” but added that he does “love the magic of the parks and seeing the joy in my children’s eyes brings me back to my childhood.”
He said that this is why they visit “as often as possible.” However, “with ticket prices being so high and the additional expenses not Americans like myself do have to consider not going as often as we would like to or even consider other options.”
What People Are Saying
Craig Stowell in an email shared with Newsweek: “My oldest son just turned 15. He has his learners permit and is saving for his first car. I am proud that my children know the value of a dollar. And to put it in perspective to him, one day at Disney for our family of five was as much as a first car for him. Which would you rather have? A car or a day at Disney?”
What Happens Next?
With prices on the rise at the theme park, there may be more creators going viral on social media for how much they spend on days at the park.
The post Florida Dad Goes to Disney World, Left Stunned by Total Bill appeared first on Newsweek.
