Is it simply too expensive for the average family to visit Disneyland? Many people believe so, and apparently, so does Disney.
According to the Wall Street Journal, conversations have been happening at Disney about whether middle-class families are simply being priced out of going to Disney resorts and theme parks.
It now costs more than $200 to visit Disneyland on the popular days. Passes to skip lines can add up to $450 on top of that, not to mention the hundreds of bucks you might have to spend on food and souvenirs.
The Wall Street Journal, citing Disney insiders, says Disney executives are starting to think that unrelenting price hikes have gone too far. The Journal says internal discussions have focused on whether The Happiest Place on Earth is now a bit of a downer for most families with young kids.
Disney’s own surveys have found that the percentage of people planning return visits after visiting the park is declining, and that is the key reason.
So, what do you do? Well, it’s a very simple choice. Do you look after the interests of your customers, or do you protect the profits of your shareholders?
Which way is Team Mickey going to go on that one? For the time being, Disney still seems to believe that they’re offering great value for the money. And I think many people will agree with that.
That said, a recent survey conducted by Harris Poll found that about three-quarters of respondents believe Disneyland is now financially out of reach for families. That’s something that Disney is paying attention to, however the company is calling that survey flawed and misleading.
