Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Laura

@elby2007.bsky.social

490 followers 160 following 3.9K posts

Teacher, traveler, dog mom, Disney nerd. She/her

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Laura @elby2007.bsky.social · Dec 8

Hi 👋🏼

I don't yet know how actively I'll use this account, but I figured it was time to get my content out of Elon Musk's dumpster and see where all the cool kids had run off to.

Laura @elby2007.bsky.social · 9h

I didn't count that since that's not included in theme park admission - just your resort stay - but it's still a great point! I could do a whole other spreadsheet on just resort price increases and offerings. Free Magic Bands would get added to that list for sure.

Laura @elby2007.bsky.social · 9h

(Also: PLEASE check my math, facts, everything! I am more than happy to be corrected if I'm wrong about something!)

Laura @elby2007.bsky.social · 9h

In conclusion:

IDK, seems bad. Are we reaching the point where I'm nostalgic for 2015 Disney??? We had so many things that are now gone: Citizens of Main Street and Hollywood, Rivers, Illuminations, MuppetVision... 😭 We complained so much back then but honestly, I'd go back in a heartbeat.

Laura @elby2007.bsky.social · 9h

And, finally, a cursory look through 2015 park hours shows what looks like many more days when the park was open til midnight or later. Even in February!
Mon, 2/15/15: 8 am-1 am
Mon, 2/16/25: 9 am-10 pm

Laura @elby2007.bsky.social · 9h

Another note on park hrs: in 2015, whether you were staying at ASS or the GF, you could theoretically have 3 hrs EMH at MK during a week. In 2025, if you're at ASS, you get a max of 2.5 hrs & at the GF, 3.5 (only if you rope drop MK daily). Realistically, it's more like 30 mins for ASS & 1.5 hrs GF.

Laura @elby2007.bsky.social · 9h

If someone can figure out how to calculate the average number of hours per day MK was open in 2015 and 2025 (once we have the full Dec. calendar) while excluding one-off events, you'd be my hero.

Laura @elby2007.bsky.social · 9h

Park hours are difficult to factor in. I listed Thanksgiving Day because that's one of the $209 days in 2026 (but we obviously only have 2025 hours now). Still, prices have gone up across the board and, it seems, hours reduced.

Table comparing park hours at MK. See spreadsheet link in first post for breakdown of text.

Laura @elby2007.bsky.social · 9h

If you pay for LLMP and both LLSP options at MK on the most expensive day of the year in 2026, you will pay $83 for something that used to be included in your ticket price. Except for the Pirates League upcharge activity, this whole category is a gut punch.

Table comparing miscellaneous changes at MK. See spreadsheet link in first post for breakdown of text.

Laura @elby2007.bsky.social · 9h

Not much on the dining front, and yes, I was being generous to count the spring roll cart as QS. Remove that and it's -2 for QS with no additions.

Table comparing dining at MK. See spreadsheet link in first post for breakdown of text.

Laura @elby2007.bsky.social · 9h

Entertainment took (predictably) the biggest hit. I had actually forgotten about some of these entertainers. Putting the Cavalcade as an "add" is even a bit of a stretch since it's arguably a downgrade from the Move It Shake It dance party - really, nothing new in 10 yrs. Huge loss on this front.

Table comparing MK entertainment. See spreadsheet link in first post for a breakdown of the text.

Laura @elby2007.bsky.social · 9h

Next: attractions. I am not sure how to weigh re-themed attractions, so I left them out of the calculation, but one could consider them an addition. I think we can also agree that ditching Stitch was not really a loss...but he gets counted anyway. It's a net negative regardless, even into 2027.

Table comparing MK attraction additions/losses. See spreadsheet link in first post for a breakdown of the text.

Laura @elby2007.bsky.social · 9h

First: prices. Two things I found interesting after adjusting for inflation:

-The % increase is less than it seems on the surface. 45% is still a lot, but it's not double.
-In 2015, tickets were not date-based. The lowest price in 2026 will actually be a little less than the 2015 price, adjusted.

Table comparing MK ticket prices. See spreadsheet link in first post for a breakdown of the text.

Laura @elby2007.bsky.social · 9h

Most of you are probably (wisely) already in bed, but I did the thing and I need to share it now while the thoughts are fresh on my mind. Have a spreadsheet: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

Laura @elby2007.bsky.social · 20h

Oh yeah, great point!

Laura @elby2007.bsky.social · 21h

I am going to come back to this later this evening when I have time, but I want to make a detailed breakdown of gains and losses including attractions, entertainment, dining, and park hours, as well as adjust prices for inflation. Get ready for some spreadsheets.

Laura @elby2007.bsky.social · 22h

Also a post from 2014: give us the enchanted Arendelle forest we deserve in Fantasyland, you cowards

(And I am not even a Frozen fan...!)

Laura @elby2007.bsky.social · 22h

Have park offerings increased enough in the past 10 years (when single-day tickets first crossed the $100 mark) to justify doubling in price?

I would need to make a detailed list of changes to answer more thoughtfully, but my gut says no.

WDWMAGIC @wdwmagic.bsky.social · 22h

Walt Disney World 1-Day Ticket Prices Top $200 for the First Time www.wdwmagic.com/other/magic-...

Walt Disney World 1-Day Ticket Prices Top $200 for the First Time

Walt Disney World 1-Day Ticket Prices Top $200 for the First Time

www.wdwmagic.com

Laura @elby2007.bsky.social · 1d

Oh my gosh, how fun!

Reposted by Laura

AndreaaaHHhHHHHhHHhhh!! Grimes @andreagrimes.com · 2d

Panda is judging the fuck out of you. Be advised.

Panda the teeny black and white Chihuahua mix sits on an outdoor couch pillow giving you specifically the stink eye

Laura @elby2007.bsky.social · 2d

Poor baby 😞

Laura @elby2007.bsky.social · 2d

Oh no, hope she gets good care and makes a full recovery!

Reposted by Laura

TW @twesq.bsky.social · 2d

Laura @elby2007.bsky.social · 2d

AI strikes again…but at the same time, I’m totally saving this for the next time I teach Modest Proposal 🤣

Screenshot of a Facebook post. The post is an image of a run-down-looking trailer. On the back, someone has spray painted, “THEY EAT BABIES IN DENVER!!”
Meta’s AI suggested searches include:
-Baby-eating restaurants in Denver
-Denver's unique food scene
-Denver's popula…
-Restaurants that serve babies .

Laura @elby2007.bsky.social · 2d

Seems bad

Reposted by Laura

Dr Kat Day (she/her) @chronicleflask.katday.com · 2d

Daughter of Robin Williams, Zelda Williams 💔

zeldawilliams
20m
From Create Mode
••
Please, just stop sending me AI videos of Dad. Stop believing I wanna see it or that I'll understand, I don't and I won't. If you're just trying to troll me, I've seen way worse, i'll restrict and move on. But please, if you've got any decency, just stop doing this to him and to me, to everyone even, full stop. It's dumb, it's a waste of time and energy, and believe me, it's NOT what he'd want.
To watch the legacies of real people be condensed down to 'this vaguely looks and sounds like them so that's enough,
, just so
other people can churn out horrible TikTok slop puppeteering them is maddening. You're not making art, you're making disgusting, over-processed hotdogs out of the lives of human beings, out of the history of art and music, and then shoving them down someone else's throat hoping they'll give you a little thumbs up and like it.
Gross.

And for the love of EVERYTHING, stop calling it 'the future. Al is just badly recycling and regurgitating the past to be reconsumed. You are taking in the Human Centipede of content, and from the very very end of the line, all while the folks at the front laugh and laugh, consume and consume.