After a recent trip with her husband and two children to Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, Gina Lee said it felt like she had lost 鈥渁ll concept of money and time.鈥
鈥淚t has gotten more expensive. It鈥檚 crazy,鈥 said the New York-based content creator. 鈥淚 feel like when you go to Disney, it鈥檚 almost like planning a wedding. You鈥檙e like 鈥楨h, I鈥檓 already in it, what鈥檚 20 or 30 more bucks?鈥 Before you know it, you鈥檙e way out of control 鈥 but you鈥檙e in this Disney mindset.鈥
Over the past couple of years, prices have gone up across the Disney-verse. Not only have theme park visits gotten more expensive, but so have Disney鈥檚 cruise vacations, souvenirs and the company鈥檚 streaming services. Its timeshare program, Disney Vacation Club, raised prices Over the summer, Disney quietly raised the prices at two of the adult-exclusive restaurants on board its cruise ships to US$135 per person for dinner, a nudge up of $10, to the Disney Cruise Line Blog.
Some of these increases are modest and common to Disney鈥檚 rivals in the entertainment and travel businesses. Inflation has played a big role, too. But one thing is certain: being a Disney fan has never been more expensive.
The price hikes come as Disney faces a in its history. The global entertainment giant is grappling with a still-unprofitable transition to streaming, recent box office blunders 鈥 like the soon-forgotten animated feature 鈥淲ish,鈥 released in November 鈥 and a murky CEO succession plan. A legal battle with Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, which is the state that holds Disney鈥檚 largest and most profitable theme parks, is ongoing.
Disney investors seem to be reeling from the uncertainty: The company鈥檚 stock is down 11% in the past five years. (Disney reports its quarterly results after the stock market鈥檚 close on Wednesday.)
The company did not respond to a request for comment from CNN.
Meanwhile, tickets to the flagship parks have shot up in price. A one-day ticket to Disney World during the peak holiday season has risen 47% since 2019, far outpacing the rate of inflation, according to Don Munsil, the president of MouseSavers, an online guide to discounts and deals at Disney and Universal theme parks.
Here鈥檚 the Disney math for a family of four: Two days in Disneyland and California Adventure parks the first weekend of March 鈥 not a peak period 鈥 will cost US$1,310 for admission tickets and parking. Genie+, a pass which speeds buyers through some ride lines, adds $240 to the total. That鈥檚 nearly $1,600 鈥 before the mouse ears and giant turkey legs.
Perks that Disney customers had grown accustomed to have also started to disappear. In the last two years, free shuttles from the airport to the parks in Florida were eliminated and the once-free FastPass system was replaced by Genie+, which starts at $25 per day.
鈥淥ver the course of the time we鈥檝e been running MouseSavers, we鈥檝e certainly seen Disney introduce more upsells,鈥 Munsil said. Disney had begun to increase the prices of their cruises 鈥減retty quickly,鈥 he said, though he added that escalating demand for Disney鈥檚 ships has played a role.
Brittany Huizinga, an Arizona-based travel agent at Smart Moms Travel, took a two-part trip with her husband and two children during the holiday season: The first four nights were spent at Walt Disney World and the last five nights on a Disney Cruise ship.
鈥淚ncluding airfare getting from Arizona to Florida, having a rental car and all the extra excursions we did on the cruise, it was about $20,000,鈥 she said, or more than $2,000 a day.
It isn鈥檛 solely in-person experiences that have gone up in price, though. In the fall, Disney hiked the price of its flagship streaming service, Disney+ and CEO Bob Iger has signalled that the company would take steps to crack down on password sharing in 2024.
In its 2023 annual , released in November, Disney cited 鈥渞ecent inflationary conditions鈥 as the reason behind some of its increased costs. However, the report also elucidated some of the House of Mouse鈥檚 struggles: operating income in the company鈥檚 entertainment division plummeted 32% between 2022 and 2023.
After a year of box office disappointments and heavy investment in Disney+, the company has looked for ways to save money. In November, Disney announced it would slash its expenses by another $2 billion, in addition to the $5.5 billion reduction it had previously announced, which included thousands of job cuts.
Doug Arthur, an analyst who covers Disney for Huber Research Partners and has a 鈥渂uy鈥 rating on the stock, is confident that money will soon come for Disney鈥檚 streaming business.
鈥淭hey will make money in this, and they will probably make a lot. I鈥檓 not too worried about whether it鈥檚 this quarter, next quarter, this year, or next year,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to happen.鈥
On Tuesday, Disney鈥檚 ESPN, along with Fox Corporation and Warner Bros. Discovery (CNN鈥檚 parent company) made the once-unthinkable announcement that they would unite to create a new streaming service to house their sports assets. Each company will own one-third of the new service.
Disney has said it expects to get its streaming business out of the red by the end of this year.
For now, though, Disney, like most companies that contend with rising costs, seems to have passed some of those increases off to its customers.
Lee said she strategized to trim down additional costs of her Disney vacation, including purchasing cheaper replica Mickey Mouse ears ahead of time on Amazon. Disney-branded mouse ear headbands, sold at the company鈥檚 theme parks and online, have bumped up in price in recent years, along with other Disney-branded merchandise. According to the Wayback Machine, a digital library of historical websites, the headbands are up nearly 17% since 2022.
Hezbollah hurled dozens of projectiles into Israel early Wednesday, including a missile aimed at Tel Aviv that was the militant group's deepest strike yet and marked a further escalation after Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed hundreds of people.
More Canadians are installing solar panels on their homes, but some are facing challenges when it comes to getting home insurance after the panels are put in.
The federal government has 'no intention' of pausing the next planned increase to the carbon price, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault confirms.
The leader of a nonprofit representing the Haitian community invoked a private-citizen right to file charges Tuesday against former U.S. president Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, over the chaos and threats experienced by Springfield, Ohio, since Trump first spread false claims about legal immigrants there during a presidential debate.
A team at the University of Waterloo are developing a process to 3D-print bones, which could dramatically improve the quality of life for cancer and trauma patients.
A city councillor in British Columbia says an online mob of "extremists" and "politically motivated hackers" is responsible for uncovering and publicizing a photo of him wearing a blackface costume to a Halloween party in 2007.
Mortgage rule changes allow easier entry into the housing market with lower monthly payments, but also an increased cost of repaying a mortgage.
An image of the unidentified object shot down over Canada's Yukon territory in February 2023 has been obtained by CTVNews.ca.
We've all had neighbours we didn't like, but two people from Sault Ste. Marie have been awarded more than half a million dollars for the 'extreme' behaviour of the people who lived next to them.
An advocate organization is calling for an inquiry following the death of a six-year-old boy who went missing in Shamattawa First Nation.
The smoke over the Port of Montreal has dissipated, but the fire in a container filled with 15,000 kilograms of lithium batteries prompted firefighters to issue a warning about how common these incidents have become.
A team at the University of Waterloo are developing a process to 3D-print bones, which could dramatically improve the quality of life for cancer and trauma patients.
More Canadians are installing solar panels on their homes, but some are facing challenges when it comes to getting home insurance after the panels are put in.
Four puppies were found near County Road 21 in Essa Township after a passerby spotted one when it ran out of the ditch and onto the road.
Mortgage rule changes allow easier entry into the housing market with lower monthly payments, but also an increased cost of repaying a mortgage.
Donald Trump flubbed the name of Charlottesville, Virginia, while going off script during a speech on Tuesday otherwise focused on economic policy, slamming U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris for lying about 'Charlottestown.'
A Missouri man convicted of breaking into a woman鈥檚 home and repeatedly stabbing her was executed Tuesday over the objections of the victim鈥檚 family and the prosecutor, who wanted the death sentence commuted to life in prison.
Iran鈥檚 new president signaled to world leaders Tuesday that he wants to open a 'constructive' chapter in his country鈥檚 international relations 鈥 but he made clear that everyone else, including the United States, needs to do their part.
The leader of a nonprofit representing the Haitian community invoked a private-citizen right to file charges Tuesday against former U.S. president Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, over the chaos and threats experienced by Springfield, Ohio, since Trump first spread false claims about legal immigrants there during a presidential debate.
The passenger in a car was killed when a horse smashed through the windshield during a series of crashes on a Southern California interstate over the weekend, authorities said.
A man who authorities say staked out Donald Trump for 12 hours on his golf course in Florida and wrote of his desire to kill him was indicted Tuesday on an attempted assassination charge.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is back in Ottawa Wednesday as members of Parliament get set for a vote that could -- but likely won't -- bring down his minority government.
The federal government has 'no intention' of pausing the next planned increase to the carbon price, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault confirms.
U.S. President Joe Biden reflected on the motivation behind his decision to step away from politics and sent a message of unity to global leaders gathered at a time of increasing division and geopolitical instability.
The federal Liberals are creating a new agency to beef up Canada's ability to handle rapidly spreading infectious diseases and protect from future pandemics.
A team at the University of Waterloo are developing a process to 3D-print bones, which could dramatically improve the quality of life for cancer and trauma patients.
The province has announced a new plan to lower the age for mammogram self-referrals to 40 from 50 in an effort to get more Manitobans screened for breast cancer.
The smoke over the Port of Montreal has dissipated, but the fire in a container filled with 15,000 kilograms of lithium batteries prompted firefighters to issue a warning about how common these incidents have become.
Questions are being raised over the use of body cameras in stores as a way to combat crime.
Scientists have discovered a new species of ghost shark that lives in deep ocean waters near Australia and New Zealand.
The Crown's key witness in the sexual assault trial against former Hedley frontman Jacob Hoggard will take the stand in a northern Ontario courtroom Tuesday afternoon following the judge's instructions to the jury.
Drake wasn't around to accept a handful of trophies at the SOCAN Awards on Tuesday, but the rapper's presence was still looming large at the celebration of Canadian songwriters.
Another woman sued Sean 'Diddy' Combs on Tuesday, alleging that the music mogul and his head of security raped her and recorded it on video at his New York recording studio in 2001.
Mortgage rule changes allow easier entry into the housing market with lower monthly payments, but also an increased cost of repaying a mortgage.
A federal judge sentenced FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried鈥檚 former girlfriend to two years in prison, citing her extensive cooperation with prosecutors that led to the conviction of the former face of the cryptocurrency industry in one of the largest financial frauds in U.S. history.
Given the continued progress the Bank of Canada has made in bringing inflation back down to the 2 per cent target, it is reasonable to expect more rate cuts, Governor Tiff Macklem said on Tuesday.
From cellphone 'hotels' to patchwork policies to recalibrating lesson plans, teachers and schools across Canada are learning to navigate a classroom without cellphones.
An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.
The Newcomers Football Club, an impromptu team made up of asylum-seekers, has helped provide Boubacar Lukaku and others with a joy that erases their stress. And it's helped connect them with a supportive community as they navigate the challenges of a new country.
Watching Connor McDavid screaming in a locker room is something hockey fans didn't necessarily expect.
Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre revealed Tuesday at a hearing on federal welfare reform that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
American gymnast Jordan Chiles鈥檚 legal team has submitted a new application in the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland over the decision that led to her losing an Olympic bronze medal, pointing toward new video evidence that Chiles鈥檚 lawyers say proves her case.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) reported this week that officers in the agency's Montreal Marine and Rail Services seized 78 vehicles and transferred them to police. Numbers of stolen vehicles in Quebec continue to skyrocket.
Struggling Jeep and Ram maker Stellantis is looking for a CEO to succeed Carlos Tavares, but the company says it's just part of a normal leadership succession plan.
The U.S. Commerce Department on Monday will propose a ban on the sale or import of smart vehicles that use specific Chinese or Russian technology because of national security concerns, according to U.S. officials.
Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.
An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.
Fire has destroyed a barn and 17,000 plants at a family-owned business in Lower Coverdale, N.B.
Before influencers on social media, Canada鈥檚 Jeanne Beker was bringing the world of high fashion down to earth and as Calgary鈥檚 Glenbow Museum gets a major make-over, it will include a new exhibition showcasing the pop culture icon.
A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.
A Nova Scotian YouTuber has launched a mini-truck bookmobile.
Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.
Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.
An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.
Less than one month before voters cast their ballots in the provincial election, a new poll of British Columbians shows half of respondents fear for their safety in their own communities.
A new report from Re/Max shows it's becoming increasingly unrealistic for most people to buy a detached home in Metro Vancouver.
Jericho Pier has been closed to the public since a storm battered it in January 2022 鈥 but now, the Vancouver Park Board has approved a plan to repair it at a cost of $1 million.
A woman was rushed to hospital in life-threatening condition after she was struck by a vehicle in Mississauga early Wednesday morning.
Ontario's ministry of education is now officially investigating a Toronto District School Board (TDSB) field trip at an Indigenous rights rally students participated in, where pro-Palestinian slogans were later chanted.
A woman fatally struck in a collision in The Junction neighbourhood on Monday evening is being remembered as a 'wonderful and beautiful person' who was a beloved member of Toronto's jazz community.
Alberta's premier wants to reinforce the ability to choose whether to receive a vaccination or other medical procedures through changes to the province's Bill of Rights.
In-street signs meant to slow drivers down and keep pedestrians safe are having to be replaced at a rapid rate in Calgary because they're being hit by vehicles.
A Calgary man is facing child pornography charges after an investigation uncovered years of messages exchanged with an alleged felon.
The City of Ottawa has found more than $564,000 in back taxes are no longer able to be recovered and staff are recommending councillors approve writing it off.
The Ottawa Police Service is investigating reports of gunfire in Ottawa's west end on Tuesday evening.
Ottawa police say two people under the age of 18 have been arrested following an incident that prompted a lockdown at Glebe Collegiate Institute around the noon hour Tuesday.
A veteran Montreal police officer says racism is a 'cancer eating away at the organization' in a stinging resignation letter.
The heat is rising for Quebec Premier Fran莽ois Legault as opposition parties demand answers about his government's investment in the planned Northvolt battery factory near Montreal.
One of Montreal's biggest cultural institutions, La Tulipe, announced that it has closed down 'for now' in light of a recent court decision.
Local leaders are echoing concerns about doctor shortages as the organization representing Alberta's doctors warns nearly half of the physicians surveyed are considering leaving the province within five years.
One person was hospitalized after a crash involving a Valley Line Southeast LRT train and a semi Tuesday morning.
While Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch and his staff still have two weeks of training camp to decide who stays and who goes to cement the 23-man roster for opening night, onlookers saw what could well be the makeup of the squad come Oct. 9's home game against the Winnipeg Jets.
Questions are being raised over the use of body cameras in stores as a way to combat crime.
As temperatures cool down, the Halifax Regional Municipality is serving eviction notices to residents at one of the city鈥檚 larger tent encampments.
An image of the unidentified object shot down over Canada's Yukon territory in February 2023 has been obtained by CTVNews.ca.
An advocate organization is calling for an inquiry following the death of a six-year-old boy who went missing in Shamattawa First Nation.
An MLA recently kicked out of the NDP caucus says he is setting the record straight about a controversial handshake between PC MLA Obby Khan and Premier Wab Kinew.
Summer officially gave way to autumn on Sunday, but Winnipeg鈥檚 construction season is far from over with work continuing on regional roadways and residential streets.
Based on exclusive new polling data collected by 麻豆传媒 in partnership with Insightrix Research, the majority of Saskatchewan residents say they鈥檙e ready for change, but most don鈥檛 see that change happening in 2024.
Saskatchewan鈥檚 Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) has been deployed following a fatal officer-involved shooting on Fishing Lake First Nation.
An appeal hearing stemming from a court challenge of the Government of Saskatchewan's Parents' Bill of Rights has come to a close.
A reward of up to $50K has been issued by Waterloo Regional Police for information leading to the conviction of the person or persons responsible for the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Joshua Bennett.
Newlyweds claim the company they hired to take their wedding photos and videos took off with their precious memories 鈥 and their money.
Back in July, a plot of land had an immature crop of corn destroyed. It was an action that outraged local farmers. Now, a new report into the matter has been released and will be presented to regional council Wednesday.
Based on exclusive new polling data collected by 麻豆传媒 in partnership with Insightrix Research, the majority of Saskatchewan residents say they鈥檙e ready for change, but most don鈥檛 see that change happening in 2024.
Saskatchewan鈥檚 Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) has been deployed following a fatal officer-involved shooting on Fishing Lake First Nation.
The Government of Saskatchewan says a private Christian school, embroiled in abuse allegations, has proved it's met education ministry rules by formally disconnecting from an affiliated church. But, by some indications, connections remain.
An image of the unidentified object shot down over Canada's Yukon territory in February 2023 has been obtained by CTVNews.ca.
A 49-year-old Sudbury woman who was killed in a tragic collision with a police boat June 7 on Nepewassi Lake was told to remain in a residence on an island until police returned to pick her up.
We've all had neighbours we didn't like, but two people from Sault Ste. Marie have been awarded more than half a million dollars for the 'extreme' behaviour of the people who lived next to them.
鈥淚 was going to make breakfast, and I put the frying pan on the stove and opened it and remembered I needed something from No Frills,鈥 said Frank Wall, who lives just north of Aylmer, Ont.
Petrolia Mayor Brad Loosley pulled no punches during Monday鈥檚 council meeting, reacting to vandalism in the community, "This will not be tolerated."
Hundreds of job seekers filled the halls hoping for some one-on-one time with employers, and to learn about opportunities from different job sectors.
Three construction workers are being praised for their actions that police in Barrie say likely prevented an armed man from fleeing before being taken into custody.
A driver lost their life after a traffic collision in Caledon.
Four puppies were found near County Road 21 in Essa Township after a passerby spotted one when it ran out of the ditch and onto the road.
A quartet of alleged thieves pried their way into a Devonshire Mall apparel store early Monday morning, with the store鈥檚 owner reporting thousands of dollars worth of shoes were stolen.
A man swimming across the Detroit River from Windsor to Detroit was rescued by a mail boat, according to the J.W. Westcott Company.
Ward 3 councillor Renaldo Agostino feels a Ferris wheel is a no-brainer and has asked city administration to look into the possibility of one in a parking lot along the river front in downtown Windsor.
A city councillor in British Columbia says an online mob of "extremists" and "politically motivated hackers" is responsible for uncovering and publicizing a photo of him wearing a blackface costume to a Halloween party in 2007.
Less than one month before voters cast their ballots in the provincial election, a new poll of British Columbians shows half of respondents fear for their safety in their own communities.
A boater was rescued on Monday evening after spending three hours in the frigid waters off Vancouver Island.
A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.
The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.
Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls 鈥 including one that gave birth to 10 puppies 鈥 from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.
Dozens of police officers and support workers have come to Lethbridge for the Social Disorder and Urban Crime Conference.
Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.
To make higher education an easier step to take for Indigenous students, the University of Lethbridge is dropping some fees for those applicants.
A 25-year-old suspect was charged with impaired driving Sept. 21 after police spotted two people without helmets on an ATV on Sand Bay Road in Goulais River.
A federal offender who was last seen in Sudbury is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for allegedly breaching his statutory release conditions.
The Crown's key witness in the sexual assault trial against former Hedley frontman Jacob Hoggard will take the stand in a northern Ontario courtroom Tuesday afternoon following the judge's instructions to the jury.
Newfoundland and Labrador sponsored a minor football team in England, now they鈥檙e about to play one of the biggest clubs in European soccer.
Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
A 16-year-old biennial event aimed at fostering business in the country's eastern Arctic and northern regions has been cancelled indefinitely as a dispute unfolds between Inuit in Canada and a Labrador group claiming to share their heritage.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 麻豆传媒. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.
