Disney, are you F'ing kidding me?

Remember the good old days of amusement park fun?

Remember the days where Disneyland and Universal Studios and other theme parks cost about $20 bucks to get in? Cheaper with triple A discounts?

Well, those days have been long gone.

Most recently, I went to Disneyland with my wife and we were asked to pay $99 per adult ticket, along with an extra $40 to add in a California Adventure park hopper fee.

Ladies and gentleman, that's a whopping $140 per person, $280.00 just for entrance tickets into the park. Doesn't not include Fast Pass or even considering the jacked up food prices in there.

Have we all lost our minds? Why do people even support them anyway? This morning, I heard this news on KTLA 5...

Dislaneyland to increase price of ticket.

The story I've heard is that Disneyland and theme parks similar to them are jacking up the prices intentionally, where they are trying to drive out any and all local residents from going to the park. All the while, they are more catering towards tourist groups (China I'm looking at you, locusts).

For very simple reason really, when gigantic tourists groups such as the ones from China (or where-ever), coming over to visit these theme parks they only have like this one chance to visit they don't really care about the ticket price.

So imagine that you're from Europe or wherever, this is likely the only time you'd be visiting the U.S. and heading to Disneyland. Now you find out that the theme park ticket cost $140 each, would that stop you from going? I think not right?

Also, these large travel agencies may have access to much cheaper ticket pricing, since they are buying large volumes of it.

In any case, I just think that it's awfully unfair to California residents, or Florida residents since we are not getting residential pricing. But, perhaps we state residents alone are not paying them enough to keep them alive, who knows.

Anyway, just my 2 cents on it. As things are getting more and more ridiculous, the wife and I just refuse to go there anymore. Not for finance reasons, but purely not wanting to support an unfair act.

a reply to: truthseeker84


I am more concerned about Disney letting go citizens who work for them and force them to train their foreign replacement.....to me that is the bigger issue?

Seems like someone is feeling a little racist.

a reply to: truthseeker84

Here are a few realistic figures to keep in mind before letting your price-increase-indused anger get the better of you.

1. Inflation

While media outlets like to flaunt the astounding price increase for a day at Disneyland ($1.00 in 1955 and $100 in 2015), I hope you pay careful attention to the very simple inflation figures I’ve listed here. The truth is, a day at Disneyland hasn’t increased 100-fold. Rather, it’s tripled. And Disneyland in 2015 probably has ten times as much to do as Disneyland in 1955. Instead of rising gradually, the price stayed fairly constant until the late 1980s, then took off. And it's probably that sticker shock and that quick increase that catches people off-guard. But recognize that it's not as bad as the numbers would have you believe.

2. Multi-Day Tickets

As well, remember that, despite the sticker price, very few folks pay for one day at Disneyland and then go home. Media outlets can't get enough of headlines that point out that it's $99 to visit Disneyland. That's only half true, though... By far, MOST visitors to Disney Parks use Multi-Day tickets. It would be reasonable to get a four-day ticket to Disneyland, which carries a price of about $64 per day. Certainly an increase over the past, but not blindingly so. $64 a day, in terms of spending power, is twice as much as people were paying in the 1960s, and the parks today have exponentially more attractions.

3. Class Warfare?

Folks in the comments here and on Facebook will no doubt decry that Disney has officially priced them out of a vacation and that Disney no longer caters to the middle class. It's true that Walt and Roy Disney recognized that the rise of a middle class post World War II had perfectly positioned Southern California as a tourist destination. But 60 years later, recognize that Disney Parks are not necessarily supposed to be accessible to anyone working 40 hours a week.

Look at any photograph of the park in Walt's time and you'll see folks dressed to the nines in suits and heels. While that doesn't necessarily suggest wealth (people wore their Sunday best to such events back then, regardless of their social status), the fact remains: People who were struggling to pay their bills did not go to Disneyland back then, either. Even if the price was less, disposable income was even harder to come by back then. Only in modern times has this new notion emerged that any loving parent WILL take their children to Disney World, even if you have to take out a second mortgage to do so, and that is the real problem.

As much as the media today tells us that Disney is someplace that all "normal" families go to, the truth is that the park was always a premium experience... The fact that it had an admission fee alone was staggering in the 1950s, and eliminated many potential guests from having the disposable income needed to even see it.

Don't misunderstand: you have every right to take your family to a Disney Park, even if you're financially struggling. But Disney, in turn, will continue to raise prices to limit crowds. And unfortunately, that might mean you.

So no, Disney is not trying to destroy the American dream and ruin middle class childhoods. It's doing just what any reasonable company with a responsibility to its shareholders would: maximizing its profits. If, along the way, some families become unable to afford an annual trip, then so be it. Then they'll have solved the crowding issue at the same time. It's not a rosy fairytale, but it is a smart business decision and a way to increase guest satisfaction at the same time.

Link
Every market is based on supply and demand. It sucks, but it happens.

a reply to: truthseeker84

As long as people keep buying tickets, they'll keep increasing the price. It's not just Disney, professional sports tickets and concert prices are really outrageous too! How can anyone afford taking a family out for a day of fun without feeling they were robbed out of their hard earned money? The ticket prices are bad enough, than the cost of food is overly priced. It's pretty sad when you see a family of four splitting food and a soda!

a reply to: WeRpeons
It's even more sad when you see that people feel the need to live beyond their means. You can spend a whole day hiking or exploring an area near you instead of splitting a soda. They deserve it, in my mind.

Disneyland has always had a cheaper rate for locals whose addresses are in certain close-by zipcodes. Are you saying these special rates are no longer available?

And yeah, it's expensive. Always has been. Now they are instituting "in-demand" pricing so that if you go on a busy holiday, you pay more.

I'm also much more concerned about Disney firing employees to hire foreign visa holders. THAT'S what seems outrageous to me.

a reply to: truthseeker84

When I visited in the late 80's it was 19.oo for a day pass I believe.

I can think of a hell of a lot more to do with 280.00. You can send me 200.00 and I will send you a 2hr loop of all the rides, send you a soft pretzel and a pop. I promise you'll love the experience, or your money back!!!!!

A one day pass to Disneyland hasn't cost $20 since 1985/86.

this is the main reason i stopped going to amusment parks. i used to be able to buy season passes for 60 each... with my family of 4 that wasnt too bad at 240 for the family and came with discount coupons. today a family of 4 season tickets is beyond the means of a middle class income unless you forego any family vacation

a reply to: truthseeker84

I can't imagine what it costs to run a theme park plus insure it against all of the frivolous lawsuits. Frankly, I am fine with paying that amount if I am going because it isn't something a normal person does more than a few times in their life. I think even if I was local I could still do it once a year if that was important to me.

You really don't seem like you understand how much it costs to run a place like that and staff it and advertise it...etcs. I have issues with Disney, but the cost isn't one of them.

Disneyworld in Fla is fantastic. We used to go every summer. My grampa lived in Sarasota. Would spend a week there or so and it seemed like a week in the park. Always at the polynesian resort.

Was just telling my wife I want to go again. Maybe wait til my grandson is a few years older though.

Nothing beats staying in the park

You need to use coupons!

(I only say that because, as I clicked on the this thread, the ad that popped up to the right of the OP was for free DisneyWorld coupons LOL. Gotta love those context-sensitive ads)

To be honest I've spent about $50 for 18 holes and a cart. That's about 3 hrs for $50 plus beer.
So $150 for a 9 hr day is about the same rate.

a reply to: seeker1963

Not the case most of the time with foreigners. Most of the time, citizens are lazy :/

originally posted by: truthseeker84
Now you find out that the theme park ticket cost $140 each, would that stop you from going?

And then they wait in line for 2 to 3 hours in the heat to go on a ride that lasts 60 seconds. Hey, if they consider that a day well spent, let em have it.

the lines are terrible at disney land. If the prices were any lower they would be worse. Supply and demand.

Can't wait to go with my wife later this year. We went to Cali Disneyland last year an loved it.

I don't like screaming, badly behaved children.

Unless I one day have a screaming, badly behaved child...I don't foresee myself torturing myself willingly at Disney Land or Disney World.