I feel this 100%! Just paid over $1800 for only 3 park days for my family of four (without hoppers)! In comparison, we paid $2,300 in 2019 for 6 days with hoppers. The cost today for the same tickets is over $3,000!
We would normally do more park days, but cut it to 3 this year bc of the increase. We decided to try a day at Sea World (we’ve never taken the kids) and a day at Universal (same) with the remaining days instead. Ironically just as expensive but something new and different.
I think Disney will get a lot of people willing to pay the prices this year bc there are lots who didn’t travel during Covid and are looking to make that memory. But as far as return visits, I worry that they are pricing themselves out of the market. The experience is lesser than it used to be but it costs loads more. Just no longer even a value IMO. We stay deluxe and I’d be happy to pay the premium if the benefits were there but they’re just not. Food quality has declined, park experience has declined, the whole genie/$ill system is a hassle, etc. For those who have never been, they won’t know the difference. But I’m not sure any of it amounts to people wanting a return visit for a long stay.