Link: Disney squeezing fans too hard

NewsNation: 68% of Disney World fans say the park’s ‘lost its magic’: poll

Some of the most loyal of Disney enthusiasts say one specific thing is keeping them from visiting Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando more often — they even say it’s causing “the Happiest Place on Earth” to completely lose its magic.

It’s the cost.

A family vacation to Walt Disney World Resort is more expensive than ever and fans are noticing, according to a new poll. The gambling website time2play recently released a study based on data from 1,927 “self-described Disney World enthusiasts” about the rising costs to visit the park.

According to the study, 92.6% of those surveyed believed the cost of a Disney World vacation is out of reach for an average family. Additionally, 68.3% of people said increases made it feel like the theme park has lost all its magic.

As of Tuesday, the cost for a standard one-park day ticket on Friday, Sept. 16 is $134, though prices of tickets vary by date. Standard Walt Disney World tickets range between $139 and $154 through October, according to Disney World’s website.

When Walt Disney World Resort opened in 1971, a ticket cost only $3.50. Adjusting for inflation, that would be $22.61 today. According to Koala calculations, there has been an average price increase of 7.4% each year since the park opened.