"My Money Just Goes WAY Further at Universal Than It Does at Disney." 4 Reasons Disney Fans Are SKIPPING Magic Kingdom in 2026

In 2026, some Disney fans are SKIPPING their visit to Magic Kingdom.

It may seem bizarre to go to Disney World and skip the most popular park, or even to skip a Disney trip altogether when you usually visit frequently, but our followers have their reasons! We reached out to them to find out what some of those reasons are, and their responses were surprising.

We asked our followers on Facebook why they’re skipping Magic Kingdom in 2026, and we got a wide variety of responses.

Let’s dive into some of the big ones!

Construction, Construction, Construction

One of the most common reasons our followers said they’d skip Magic Kingdom on their 2026 trip is because of all the construction. Right now, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is closed, a large chunk of Liberty Square and Frontierland is under construction, and Villains Land isn’t set to open for a few more years.

One follower said, “Mostly I want to wait until the new lands open up and the walls come down,” while another noted, “We have to go to MK because my husband’s favorite ride is TRON, but I could skip it until my beloved Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopens.”

New Look at Magic Kingdom’s 2 Land Expansions

Don’t Have the Time/Budget in the Trip

Several people in the comments mentioned that Magic Kingdom is left out of Disney World’s current 3-day ticket deal, where you can purchase discounted tickets that are only available for use at the other three theme parks. Because of this, some folks are skipping Magic Kingdom in favor of saving money.

A follower from the UK said, “Too expensive from the UK when there is so much work going on, heading back to DLP (Disneyland Paris) later this year for our Disney fix.” Another fan explained their budget reasons, “Planning travel for two adults and three kids for 7 parks (4 WDW + 3 Universal), gets a little spendy. Resort, parks, airlines, and transportation add up to a kidney donation every 3 years (at least).”

In a similar vein, some people noted that they’d be skipping Magic Kingdom because they weren’t going to be in Disney World long enough to do all the parks.

NEW REPORT: You’re Spending Way More Money in Disney World Than You Need to

Going Somewhere Else

Another common answer is that folks are skipping Magic Kingdom to go on other vacations! One commenter noted, “I am absolutely NOT a person who has a side in the Disney/Universal debate. I’m a neutral enjoyer of both. But my money just goes WAY further at Universal than it does at Disney, thus more of it gets focused there on my trips, frankly.”

Another fan said, “Skipping Disney completely this year and going to Ireland instead.” We also got comments about a cruise on the Disney Treasure, a visit to Universal Orlando, and several people who alternate years between going to Disney World and Disneyland Resort. We hope you all have fantastic trips!

5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Cruising on the Disney Treasure

It Doesn’t Fit the Vibe

The last common reason for people skipping Magic Kingdom is that it’s just not the vibe for their family or group. One reader said, “I am older. A senior. I want to drink around the World. Going to EPCOT this time.”

Someone else noted that their kids prefer the other parks, “The last few years we’ve skipped Magic Kingdom. My kids are adults now and just enjoy the other 3 more.” There’s no shame in that game!

Why Fans Are Suddenly Skipping Disney World for Dollywood

“I’m Not!”

Of course, we also got a BUNCH of comments from people saying that they are absolutely NOT skipping Magic Kingdom this year! They’re making plans for big family vacations, trips for Halloween or Christmas, and some are even planning day trips to go to Magic Kingdom only.

One person even said, “MK is the one park I will never skip! I love MK – it’s so classic Disney and, for me personally, my trip wouldn’t be complete without it.” And you know what, we totally get it!