There are few brands that can get away with the kind of price hikes that Disney has unloaded on loyal fans over the years. The latest Disney pricing strategy involves yet another hefty price hike for admission, which just rolled out in February.
And admission isn’t the only thing that’s going up. Just last month, they announced that all Disney World Hotels would be charging for overnight parking. So visitors can add an additional $13-$24 per night if they’re staying at the resort.
Now Disney’s increase in price is nothing new. They’ve been doing this steadily for years. (This Travel & Leisure article shows you the cost of basic admission every year at Walt Disney World since they opened in 1971). Even adjusted for inflation, the 2017 price was over $80 per ticket more than what my parents paid when they took me in 1981. Whether Disney has done it with tiered pricing or straight-up increases, the cost of visiting – even for just a day – has gotten downright ridiculous.
It’s certainly a possibility. Attendance fell at 11 of the 12 Disney parks from 2015 to 2016. Universal’s park attendance, on the other hand, increased during the same time period. It will be interesting to see what the numbers are next year after Disney fans have had to swallow this latest bitter pill in order to see their favorite mouse.
Beyond the turnstile slowdown of 2016, the social media response to this most recent price hike was less than stellar. Some people are getting sick of it. Some simply can’t afford to go anymore. And unfortunately, no amount of Disney magic can make your wallet fatter.
When planning my family’s trip to Universal Orlando earlier this winter, I had originally planned on including a day-trip to Disney. I went to AAA, eager to get a discount on one-day passes. But guess what? They don’t have them. AAA discounts are only for multi-day visits. Foiled again.
So we 86’d Mickey from the itinerary. And put all of our focus on a brand of magic far more powerful (and far more affordable) than fairy dust – the magic of Harry Potter.
My daughter didn’t even complain. She was perfectly happy drinking butterbeer, getting to know the Simpsons, and going down the hotel pool slide 500 times. And we were happy to save the $350 we would have spent just for entry.
But that’s just my personal experience. Whether or not people choose (or can afford) to visit Disney, we still have to wonder: has “the club that’s made for you and me” evolved into a club made for a more elite group? And how would our friend Walt feel about that? My guess is, he wouldn’t be whistlin’ zippity-doo-dah.