Someone mentioned much cheaper pricing several years ago. I remember visiting in January 2009, and there was hardly anyone there. Keep in mind that it was the depth of the recession at that point, so we can't expect recession-reduced pricing and crowd levels to persist for years on end.
I live out of state and have to fly in to visit Disney. Even that 3-night 2009 trip for my 5-year-old and I cost over $2,000. When some Florida residents complain bitterly about price increases on their bargain-basement cost passes, it's hard to comprehend from an out-of-state perspective. Florida residents get by far the cheapest tickets & other discounts, plus they don't have to fly in and some don't even require lodging or ground transportation expenses to visit WDW. And then for them to complain it's unaffordable is astonishing.
Why are Floridians more entitled to a Disney vacation than anyone else? I have to budget & save for every trip we make, & Disney World keeps getting more crowded. A sizable percentage of the crowds are Floridians who have discounted annual passes, so raising pass prices & putting blockout dates on those discounted passes makes sense to reduce crowding.
After the thousands of dollars that out-of-state families have to pay just to get to WDW, it's disheartening for massive crowds to prevent enjoyment of the trip, & we don't have the option of just going home & coming back another day. I think pass prices should be the same no matter where you live. Florida residents would still save money in many ways by living closest to the parks.
