The Worst Disney Stories of 2022

MickeyBlog works hard to remain optimistic about all things Disney. We understand that you love the company and use the theme parks as escapist fantasies.

You need these daydreams to maintain your sanity during your everyday life.

Still, we must acknowledge the bad sometimes as well. And I think it’s telling that when I compiled this year’s stories, the options for this list were among the largest.

Here are the worst things that happened with Disney in 2022.

Magical Express Ends

I’m starting with this story because it directly impacts the next one.

We already knew in 2021 that Magical Express would end this year, but that doesn’t make the change any less painful.

Disney refused to renew its agreement with Mears Transportation, the company responsible for Magical Express.

Mears buses handled all the transportation to and from Orlando International Airport (MCO) to Walt Disney World resorts.

That statement remains accurate, as Mears operates its own thing now. Of course, that thing isn’t free. Also, it’s not as good since it lacks Disney magic.

So, Disney has left us all feeling abandoned by the sudden absence of a beloved amenity.

Brightline and Disney Divorce

Part of the reason Disney ended the Mears Transportation relationship stemmed from the impending arrival of Brightline.

This high-speed rail service will soon connect many popular tourist destinations in Florida.

The Orlando hub will work as the crux, as Florida residents love traveling to Walt Disney World and, to a lesser extent, Universal Orlando Resort.

Disney officials thought they had an agreement with Brightline to build a station near Disney Springs.

The plan called for guests to depart MCO and take a train directly to the Disney campus.

Alas, NBCUniversal executives sensed an opportunity and negotiated behind closed doors to add a second stop close to the Orlando Convention Center.

Conveniently, that locale is suspiciously close to the upcoming Universal’s Epic Universe.

Disney had no interest in sharing the spotlight (or tourist vacation budgets) with Universal.

So, when Brightline authorized the so-called Sunshine Corridor, Disney canceled the Disney Springs station.

Brightline is maintaining a brave face here, signaling it will still build a station near Disney. However, it appears to have gotten greedy and overplayed its hand.

Disney Genie+ Pricing Changes

I could do an entire section on theme park price increases – and legitimately debated it. There’s no little point, though.

Disney has changed leadership and signaled the intent to roll back some of its most aggressive price modifications.

However, one appears likely to stay, and it’s insidious.

Specifically, Disney changed the rules on Disney Genie+ to make it more similar to Lightning Lane.

The latter service utilizes price variation to account for the ebb and flow of its popularity.

For example, no attraction is as popular on Tuesday as it is on Saturday. So, Disney usually charges more for Lightning Lane usage on weekends.

Now, we have something similar with Disney Genie+. Previously, the service cost $15 per day at Walt Disney World and $20 per day at Disneyland Resort.

The Happiest Place on Earth raised its prices to $25 per day and added language to suggest Disney Genie+ could cost even more.

At Walt Disney World, that’s a given now. Disney employs a variable pricing structure that has immediately spiked the price of Disney Genie+.

On a recent day, the service cost $29 plus tax, and I’m somewhat petrified with fear about what it may cost on Christmas Day.

Shorter line access was free before the pandemic. The pricing on the new thing, Disney Genie+, has quickly gotten out of control.

The EPCOT Experience Closes Because…

This story’s unintentionally hilarious.

When EPCOT introduced this new attraction, park officials intended to highlight all the new attractions coming soon.

Two of them were the new version of Spaceship Earth and the previously announced Mary Poppins attraction at the United Kingdom pavilion.

Since then, Disney indefinitely delayed Spaceship Earth’s changes and may have killed the project altogether.

Meanwhile, I’m working under the assumption that the Mary Poppins attraction isn’t happening since its biggest supporter, Bob Chapek, has left Disney.

As such, Disney closed the EPCOT Experience this year since it had kinda become a highlight reel of false advertising.

At least we did get Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.

Hurricanes Close the Parks

Walt Disney World rarely closes due to harsh weather. That’s why 2022 proved so troublesome for fans.

Two different storm fronts forced park officials to shut down Disney until the worst had blown through the area.

In the case of Hurricane Nicole, wind pressure never reached dangerous extremes, at least not in Central Florida.

Hurricane Ian proved much more disastrous in so many ways. Two million people in Florida lost power, internet, or both.

Meanwhile, the hurricane caused property damage of at least $42 billion. Some estimates placed the damage north of $200 billion.

As usual, Disney provided safe harbor to tourists and Florida locals alike. People who live in the area know that Disney’s the safest place to be.

So, the parks avoided the worst here, but many parts of Florida weren’t so lucky. As such, this is just a depressing story all the way around.

On a personal note, I watched my wife go through a call sheet of her Florida staff to verify their safety. The stress people experienced that day will haunt them indefinitely.

Hopefully, hurricane season 2023 is a total bust. It’d be a lovely change of pace from 2021 and 2022.

The Magic Kingdom Brawl

I’m referring to this:

Disneyland suffered something similar at Mickey’s Toontown a few years ago.

The whole thing proved so memorable that Disneyland sped up the timeline for the Mickey’s Toontown refurbishment. It was an attempt to get some distance from such a PR nightmare.

Magic Kingdom hasn’t suffered the same fate, as this area of the park is much more popular than the comparable one at Disneyland. Still, this was bad.

The Marathon Obnoxiousness

The petty nature of this story takes my breath away.

Historically, volunteers have thoughtfully worked at runDisney marathons in exchange for park tickets.

These temporary workers spend as many as eight hours ensuring that all the racers and their family members have a great time.

For no apparent reason, Disney changed the deal on them in November.

Volunteers for the Disney’s Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend received only half-day park tickets for their troubles.

That legitimately borders on Disney saying, “Thanks for nothing!” The Orlando Sentinel posted an article featuring some disgruntled volunteers.

One of them cleverly noted that Disney has always said it appreciates these workers’ contributions.

Now, by providing only half-day tickets, it’s like Disney is saying they only half-appreciate the volunteers.

This story is maximum Bob Chapek in the worst possible way. It’s just so ungrateful and needlessly dismissive.

The Reedy Creek Fiasco

You know the deal by now.

Disney found itself at odds with the local government because the company exercised its constitutional right to denounce a law.

Florida’s legislature responded in a probably illegal way by punishing Disney. The state voted to dissolve the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

Of course, the whole thing amounted to a governmental temper tantrum. Since it was so ill-considered, the lawmakers failed to realize the danger of this move.

Now, Florida faces more than $1 billion in loans that Reedy Creek currently owes at a time when the state cannot afford them due to hurricane expenses.

For this reason, the whole thing will likely blow over soon with little by way of actual damage to Disney’s daily operations.

Still, the whole thing was just so very stupid. It’s hard to overlook that. These sorts of leadership failures are inexcusable.

Tron Fails to Launch

Disney repeatedly promised that Tron Lightcycle Power Run would arrive in time for Walt Disney World’s 50^th-anniversary celebration.

 

At first, expectations centered on October 2021. Later, we thought Memorial Day Weekend 202 or maybe even October 2022.

Now, Disney has confirmed that it will hold the Tron roller coaster until the spring of 2023.

Insiders suggest that Disney chose this path specifically for 2023 marketing purposes, which is infuriating if true.

No matter the explanation, Disney promised something it didn’t deliver, which a company like this should never do.

That statement alone exemplifies the chaotic nature of the Bob Chapek Era, one none of us will miss.

Thanks for visiting MickeyBlog.com! Want to go to Disney? For a FREE quote on your next Disney vacation, please fill out the form below and one of the agents from MickeyTravels, a Platinum level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, will be in touch soon!

Feature Photo: Disney