How Disney Became Too Expensive For Many Americans REACTION

Disney’s rising costs have been a hot topic, and this recent video by ‪@CNBC‬ "How Disney Vacations Became Too Expensive for Many Americans: • How Disney Vacations B... " took a deep dive into the issue. I was surprised by how accurately they covered the topic, so much so that I had to share my top 10 takeaways.
In this video, I break down the most shocking and eye-opening points from CNBC's coverage and add my thoughts on how Disney’s pricing strategy is affecting fans and families. From ticket inflation to the cost of nostalgia, we’ll explore whether Disney’s magic is still accessible to everyone and how these changes might impact the parks’ legacy.

[@shashona3084]

We plan so far in advance to prepare financially for these trips. Even as a keyholder, the trip is still incredibly expensive.

[@upsidedownworld934]

They're pricing out a large number of families. At some point, only DVC members may be going at this rate. I'm one and I'm really disgusted with this company.

[@jkhweb]

As an AP holder at Disneyland, I completely agree with this whole analysis. Jenny Nicholson's Starcruiser review said it best. They're becoming Spirit airlines, but also trying to play the premium card at the same time. That wears on people.

[@CheriB702]

Thank you for a realistic and truthful look at what is happening at Disney. Going now takes a lot of $$, work and research. Then once there, you have to be glued to your phone to squeeze out what you would like to do. Last trip I found myself a bit stressed.

[@denisemcgilvrey3966]

I appreciate so many Disney KZbinrs pointing out the realities of the mistakes being made. Thank you!

[@nzjonty]

You’re right on the button with your viewers, and Disney Parks Fans in general, concerns. I feel like I’d need to write an essay to properly respond to this. Instead, you nailed it. Thank you for breaking this down and making me feel seen and heard with my concerns about my Parks fandom. Your empathy, kindness and insight shine through here. NB - you helped me understand my recent DLParis trip feelings in a couple of sentences. Wow. Thank you

[@michaelmadsen1222]

Every time prices go up (which has happened for decades) people say families are being priced out. But they clearly aren't yet as the parks are always crowded.

[@damilla1958]

This is exactly where my family is at right now. We have a Disney trip tentatively planned for 2025. We love Disneyland. We save for years for a Disney trip. I am the first of our family to suggest somewhere else for our vacation, I thought I was gonna get voted out of the family. I just can't justify the increased expense.

[@ThomasStevens-lk5ch]

I spent more money for a 1 day ticket in Disneyland than I did for 1 year pass for Knott's Berry Farm

[@climateanxiety2825]

Yeah, but if you don't want roller coasters, what is there at Knotts?

[@sky0kast0]

Enough I'd say because I'm not going to be negative about knotts just for the peanuts gang

[@climateanxiety2825]

@@sky0kast0 Mine was a serious question. Not negative.

[@sky0kast0]

And someone took my joke of an answer on another video today as native it was not how do you feel about that I don't feel all that good about it either

[@himynameiscorey]

I love Knott’s but one is global destination and the other is not

[@christineleonard8976]

Another great vlog. You were spot on about everything! Disney is expensive….they are demanding a premium price for NOT a first class luxury experience.

[@Thrillahbee]

Man, I’m a local Orange County, California resident and we have to save up money just to plan a one day trip! We totally understand the cost associated with the Disney magic. We have to plan to bring in water bottles and snacks to sustain through out the day. Budget the cost of dining for lunch and dinner and also merch. We try to avoid the Churros, popcorns, Dole Whip etc, it’s very tempting when it’s plastered all over the park! Sometime, we have family members drop/pick us up to avoid parking cost. Thanks for this awesome take, bud!

[@SamSitar]

visit other places between disney trips.

[@candycemonroe7345]

No debt for the trip our family of four took, but we can't afford to go more than once. Now I just go virtually on KZbin.

[@ChrisLucas3]

We're seeing the implications of greed-flation with profit margins rising, Executives taking home more pay, and shareholders demanding larger margins across the board. For example Disneyland could operate on a 5 to 10% profit margin and be in decent shape but nowadays they have to have at least 20% margin minimum. And everyone is doing it, suppliers, manufacturers, services higher profit margins across all Industries that outpaces inflation, so before the average family realizes it prices have skyrocketed

[@BigRonRN18]

I totally appreciate the topic of this particular video. We are not upperclass, both my wife & I are Registered Nurses, but we buy annual passes (Inspire Key). We work hard and try to get our money’s worth of the annual passes by going about every other month or so. If we paid for single or multi-day passes, we would often feel slighted by not experiencing everything, every visit. This year, our son is two years old, so is free. We’ll likely get him a “Key” too, but that increases our annual cost by more than 1/3. I hate giving up on going to parks, as I’m a lifelong fan of Walt’s lifelong dream and work.

[@disneyguy3116]

The saddest part of the Disney price hikes the last several years is Disney cannot deal with supply and demand of guests and expand fast enough to do so ! So they price out guests so they can take their sweet time in expanding their domestic parks ! And used the pandemic to do so! 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@ct6852]

Yeah that's exactly right. They have their hardcore fans to lean on, and they definitely do. Some just don't care that much that they're being taken advantage of.

[@TheDesignRescueShow]

In the mid '80s, my brother and I used to go every single Friday and paid $9 to get in. In the year 2005 , we bought annual passports for $126 each for the five of us in my family. That same annual passport now runs almost $2,000 per year. Disney magic has been outpaced by Disney greed.

[@climateanxiety2825]

Yep in 1990 I was gifted an annual pass. The reason it was gifted was because it was $90 and included parking and a 20% discount. Adjusting for inflation, that $90 would be $217 now. That REALLY lets you know how much they are cheating you.

[@benwagner4353]

Oh come on. You guys got unlimited access to Disneyland for literally pennies a day. You were the ones cheating them lol

[@TheDesignRescueShow]

@@benwagner4353 to be honest, those were the days when Disney know how to do it right.

[@SamSitar]

they should balance the two.

[@michaelmadsen1222]

Even if you pay cash for a vacation, if you have other debts then you are basically funding a vacation with debt as well.

[@PhilDonaldson]

The Disney parks were never supposed to be a luxury experience. They were meant to be an exemplary experience.

[@troystaiger6154]

Hate to say it, Politics has much to do with high prices, regulations causing higher prices for updates to maintain ADA, CalOsha regs, and obligations to Shareholders!

[@regina3153]

One thing Universal does better is hotels/resorts. Not only are the costs more affordable, but they continue to build more rooms across a spectrum of price points. Disney is adding rooms, but they’re all DVC anymore. In fact, Disney eliminated regular rooms at GF and Fort Wilderness cabins to expand DVC.

[@alextirrellRI]

After doing WDW in (early) 2020, 2022, and 2023, I think I'm now good until any of the new stuff opens. It's just too expensive and the overall value just feels like less. In fact, I'm worried I won't be able to afford it at all by the time the new stuff does open. You're totally right about the luxury pricing -- from what I've been told there is a major decline in how the parks were maintained and operated in the 90's compared to now, and the fact that you get charged a markup for every little thing only adds to the lack of value to your ticket.

[@TheDesignRescueShow]

When it comes to nostalgia, up until this past May, Disneyland was where my family built a lifetime of wonderful memories. We’ve always been a Disney family. But in May, we lost our daughter, and now I see things in a whole new light. These days, when I think of nostalgia at Disney, it’s about the times we had when she was still here with us. Sadly, because of the high cost, we can’t afford to go back more than once a year, if that, to the place she called her second home. Before May, Disneyland was where we went to feel that Disney magic. Now, it’s where we go to remember and honor Jordan because it’s where she felt most at home outside of our own. I still have our families last annual passports from 2005.

[@himynameiscorey]

I respect you diving deep on this matter

[@jeffstoeger2974]

You hit the money on the head brickey. Disney is pricing most people out, and the hotels are raising prices to match. I can't go every year it is now every other year. I'm trying to save to go to WDW in the next couple of years. Thanks for your insight.

[@FunAtDisney]

Bricky, I agree… A vacation to Disney is expensive!!! But, then at point 12:45 in your video, the screen behind you clearly shows (from CNBC) that a 4-day trip to Universal Orlando was $4,797, but a 5-day trip to WDW was $5,000. That makes a per-day trip TO UNIVERSAL cost 20% MORE than WDW!! So again….. Yes, very expensive for sure! But why is it Disney is always called out on this when their main competitor costs more??

[@michaelmadsen1222]

Disney is expensive, yes. But why don't other forms of entertainment catch as much heat as Disney? The average cost for a Taylor Swift ticket is $1,088 for a three hour show of songs you can listen to for free every day. Sports tickets are almost always more than $150. Taking the family out to eat is $150. Taking the family to the movies is $100.

[@papapalps3513]

All of your examples get talked about all the time, the entire Eras Tour was controversial for this very reason

[@michaelmadsen1222]

@@papapalps3513 the controversy I remember was the fact that not everyone could get a ticket. And the Ticketmaster fees.

[@papapalps3513]

@@michaelmadsen1222 that and the absurdity of some of the prices, hell most concerts have absurd prices, it’s gotten very bad. Sporting events as well are gouging people out where even the nose bleeds are too much. Most season tickets for teams are too much for most. Disney is not the only one people are upset at, the problem with Disney is it’s not just the tickets but quite literally everything inside it, and of course when Disney is in our face 24/7 of course people are gonna turn to them first

[@climateanxiety2825]

My entire family used to go to Disney several times a year. My friend's families too. Now NONE of them go, even once a year. I hope that catches up to them soon.

[@toddbendall518]

Hey Bricky, for fun we priced out Disneyland and Universal Hollywood two nights ago. For Universal, they were $109 for a single day, and $159 for two days. Disneyland started cheaper at $104 per day, but when selecting the two day option, we noticed it was $155 PER day, or $310 for those two days. For our little family of 4, it would cost $1200 for two, 1 park tickets at Disneyland, based on their cheap day (we checked). For that cost, we could buy Universal Hollywood's mid-tier (not their cheapest out-of-state option) annual pass for our entire family. Again, for the cost of basic, two day tickets to Disney, I could get annual passes. This doesn't count food, parking, or hotels coming in. Nor am I counting Genie+, Lightning Lane, or any other upcharges. This is purely ticket prices. My little family is currently priced out. Edit: If anyone can show me that I am wrong with the Disneyland pricing, and it is cheaper than that, I would love to see it. My daughter is currently in love with Tinker Bell and I'd love to take her there to meet her.

[@grammasworld]

Months ago I set a tentative date to treat my youngest two grandsons (and their parents) to their first trip to Disneyland. Originally I wanted HalloweenTime since it's my favorite holiday at the Park. But, we have postponed to January at the earliest because there is so much construction - scrims and walls - and so many closed attractions (especially since some, like Big Thunder, are often not running) that the park will not have the magical first impression I wanted. Besides (and this wasn't mentioned) my grandsons don't really know these Disney or Pixar characters, so that element is a waste on them. And for the record, they are already in love with Knotts and Magic Mountain. It will be a sad day if Disneyland turns out to be a great disappointment.

[@Josahn]

Thank you very much! This video is totally on point. My first experience in Disney World in September 2022 is exactly that! Over expansive and didn’t deliver. My partner who was not a Disney fan and have the highest income get that “I will never do it again!” I’m the Disney fan and that makes me sad.

[@christiandoll4435]

The golden years of Disneyland. 1950's-1980's.

[@himynameiscorey]

Wrong. 90s and 00s were pretty great.

[@himynameiscorey]

Without 90s and 00s you don’t get Fantasmic, Sunset Blvd at Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Tokyo DisneySea, Disneyland’s 50th. Can’t remove these eras. Yeah 00s started to show cracks like with California Adventure but even they sorted things out with Radiator Springs in the 2010s.

[@judithcampo8822]

I have a discrepancy with their including the Mears Transportation Company as a free perk that Disney is now charging for. Mears became known as the Disney Magical Express in 2005 and stayed that way until the end of 2021. Prior to that, a one-way ride to Disney world cost $10. My late Mom went to visit my younger brother back in 2000 and was told to have $10 in her pocket for the bus in case he didn't make it to the airport to pick her up. This was the same Mears bus that became, for a while, the Disney Magical Express providing free rides from the airport to Disney World and in 2022 went back to being a pay to ride service.

[@edstrong597]

Great video keep up the good work. Disney is already past the equilibrium point on the supply and demand curve and are starting to see less demand. The people who do go are feeling like Disney is nickel and diming them. They are not maintaining some areas and the areas they do upgrade they don’t deliver what was promised ( Epcot). They are starting to hurt their brand name and are not creating Future customers. Iger is managing a collapse ( of his own making) not growing the company.

[@yvettechristensen8315]

I have to agree with you. Right now I am in a place financially where going to DL with my adult daughter a few times a year is fine. But, when I retire that will not be the case. There's also a lot of discrepancies between West and East Coast. If I am paying for a deluxe resort, why am I also paying for parking? My daughter has a Magic Key. At Univeral Orlando where we are staying deluxe in a couple of months, the front of the line is free for Deluxe Guests. I can't help but feel like Disneyland (as a local), is just nickle and diming us left and right.

[@climateanxiety2825]

My first pass at Disneyland was $90. That included parking and a 20% discount of food and merch. The equivalent in today's money would be $217 with ZERO added costs. I would say they are Jackson, and Franklin-ing us.

[@bmrpink59]

In my 20’s, spend now, pay later. In my 40s, save up for vacations. If I don’t have the money, don’t go. Entertainment is expensive. In the 90’s, I was able to find Lakers tickets, 6 rows from the floor, $90. Those days are long gone.

[@jasonharris3873]

It’s crazy. The amount paid for a two day ticket I can buy Knotts and Universal 1 year passes.

[@crazee4mm]

DCA began as a "Disney park without the magic" and Disney quickly had to scramble to change that (it's still a work-in-progress in the "magic" department). Over time (and a ton of money) they have slowly erased the park's original theme and have transformed it into an IP park that connects with the little ones. They did this by putting in WoC and used to have daily parades (Pixar Play Parade) and nightly parades (MSEP and Paint the Night) that hit you "in the "feels" and made you actually care. Fireworks do that (not "projection shows") and LIVE entertainment throughout the park. We need our SHOWS back! Put SHOWS back into the Hyperion, Fantasyland Theater, Golden Horseshoe, as well as musical acts that make the place feel alive and warm. I recently rewatched a DVD touting the many reasons to visit the resort back in the early 2000's and 2010's and I was overwhelmed with emotion as they showed Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular, Snow White: An Enchanting Musical, The MSEP, and Billy Hill & the Hillbillies in the Golden Horseshoe. Magic is conveyed through human interaction and memorable experiences. Sadly, Disney sees humans (Cast Members & other "talent") as something that COSTS rather than CONTRIBUTES to why we visit in the first place. Shows bring audiences together and we experience the energy and emotion TOGETHER. Boats passing by robots can't compete with a wink or a hug from a character'd Cast Member who really makes you feel special. Nostalgia has it's place BUT you need people to sell the magic and make you feel like you're back home. BTW: One of my best memories was that, during Disneyland's 50th, GUESTS were greeted at the parking lot toll booths (of all places) with "Welcome Home" from the Cast Members. It was a tiny thing BUT I remember it 20 years later like it was yesterday. THAT's why I keep going back. Things like that matter!!!

[@anab.7450]

This might seem small but I did notice that my corn on the cob is now $6! I might have to start passing on Disney food soon. It’s crazy how expensive it’s getting. Hopefully I am not stopped at the gates with my bootleg corn on the cob.

[@misfitwookiee3177]

I'm guessing that zero executives took you up on your challenge, Brickey. A true shame, because if they actually experienced a Disney park AS AN AVERAGE FAMILY WOULD, they might realize that their prices are too high for the experience received, and their quality hasn't earned them a spot on that premium tier they're pricing themselves at. As a DIS shareholder, I want to see some change relevant to the guest. Doing this will increase the shareholder value over time... but that's not what the executives/institutional investors want.

[@MattMcIrvin]

At this point your most cost-effective way to have a Disney vacation might literally be to fly to Japan and hit the Tokyo resort. If it isn't, it's close.

[@joejohanesen1]

As you’re talking to #4 and the bad experiences in general it made me think… maybe they are getting close to the idiom “jumping the shark” for ALL the reasons you’re talking about. It is definitely a mental game to turn off the “too expensive” thoughts to enjoy the experience and make fun memories with your kids or family. With probably half the park time usually waiting in line or stuck trying to play the Geri plus/lightening lane games to maximize the experience of park magic. I think the magic is keeping people distracted enough to easily overspend to make the memories, experience the nostalgia and be happy. Once out of the gate how long does the magic last as the video shows and you have mentioned hearing in the park, it’s very expensive. With the park prices along with travel, lodging and food the same when Disney has lots of the rides or experiences closed is definitely a big negative memory. If 1/4 of the rides, areas or experiences are closed then the tickets should be discounted by 25% with lots of information of all the closures. I would think lots of people plan their family trip at least 9 to 12 month in advanced, booking rooms, park tickets, other local experiences to have Disney just close sometimes big portions is a major let down. I hope there is a solution to really bring back the magic. I have had a trip about 28 years ago where the vibe was good and it was before DCA. Thank you for sharing Brickey.

[@Randys-ge1vd]

If they can do exclusive packages, where it includes things where it would be less hassle. And reservations where it's only on the 1st day of The Visit. On 2. 3. and five day

[@toshibavoodoo]

Been 2 years since last visit to Disneyland! I'm a local and I find it to expensive. Family of 6, makes Disneyland to expensive.

[@be5376]

The rumors of fastpasses was around for while EVERYONE else charges it And unfortunately bus trip was a battle between Mears and Disney long before Covid my dad loved to talk to people and according to magical express drive he said he was surprised every year that Disney buckled and kept it going that was 3or4 years pre covid

[@MrHubbmuscle]

Yup. Went with the family in 2016. Took me to 2019 to pay it off. Had issues the entire two weeks to relax about the money being spent. I’m at the point it’s not worth the prices anymore. It cost us $4100 for a family of 5 including food plan. Now the cost today for the exact same package as if the kids were the same age today as then is just under $10,000

[@SamSitar]

ouch!

[@spaceshot485]

I remember when i got the $99 annual pass to Disneyland around the 40th anniversary, single day tickets were low 30, and SoCal discounts low twenties. It wasn't as crowded either (no FastPass at all, not even the original version). It was a great place for vibes. Now it's so expensive that i don't feel like there's time for vibes because you have to deal with lines so as not to waste your money. They've raised prices like mad and yet the parks are crazy crowded. Maybe there's less to do now other than stand in lines, so maybe that's why it seems like a high pressure trip. I appreciate the honesty in this video and the willingness to warn about a possible future.

[@climateanxiety2825]

And when you think that is about $250, in today's dollars, it makes it even worse.

[@jnotravels]

As a child i we went at least once a year for birthdays. I now have my own kid and she has only been once. The one time we went it cost over $2k for 3 people and we went cheap that was back in 2014.

[@yoopergamer2121]

The demand is there so the price will continue to increase. They continue to make huge profits in the domestic parks so the increases will continue until demand drops. Problem is they will start to lose current and future customers when people start doing something else with their kids.

[@23pinkpear]

Today a bloomberg article I read said because ticket prices are high families are choosing other destinations and aren’t renting short term rentals in orlando and the short term market is in severe decline there thereby entire ecosystem supporting Disney rental homes for a theme park week is in distress

[@Taydar]

Why do they only go after Disney though? Its cheaper than going to a football game.

[@IronSouls]

I think this is a very interesting topic myself. It's more than a Disney issue IMO, rising costs (and wages not rising... this is the real issue actually) are all over. We are seeing similar issues in Dining and Entertainment all over. People aren't going out to each as much because of rising food prices, and if they are they are looking for a higher quality experience. Chain restaurants are dying because the food is pretty mediocre, and the prices are too high to warrant people spending. So, you get two types of places. The places racing to the bottom, i.e. McD 5 buck meal "deal", or higher end restaurant that cater to upper middle class and above. Same for movies, people just aren't going to see movies anymore unless it's an deem "unmissable", we've had a couple of those recently in Deadpool/Wolverine and Inside Out 2, but a lot of movies go out there and just die in a week these days. There is no room for B movies anymore. Also, the theater experience has gotten way more expensive, I live in the DC metro, Average ticket price around here is like 15-17 bucks. Add in some snacks/drinks and you're looking at 30 bucks for 2-3 hours of entertainment. I wish the piece on theme park price compared other similar vacation pricing, like maybe 5 days at the beach or 5 days to a major city to take in the sights. I haven't done the math at all but guess it's cheaper but not insanely cheaper. So, I guess the question really is, should Disney be artificially lowering pricing compared to market forces in order to allow it to be afford to more middle-class families. I think there is an argument there, but I could also argue they already are. The demand is certainly there, the parks are pretty full most days. If they wanted to squeeze harder, they could. I do agree with you that I don't think this would be in their best interests in the long term but they are also beholden to stock holders, etc... It's definitely a complex issue all around.

[@vrodtrippin]

The cost of Disney has definitely increased exponentially over the last decade. Yet, as much as I complain about rising costs I still find myself making my way to Disneyland every couple of years at the minimum. Also, I've gone to WDW a handful if times since 2007 and I've been to Tokyo Disneyland as well. I still hope to get to Disney Sea in the next few years. That being said any trip to Disney MUST be thoroughly planned ahead of time so that the majority of the trip is paid before I ever get there. I learned many years ago vacation is not so enjoyable when you know that you're coming home to a large credit card bill. I also do not have to worry about the cost of taking a family. I have done that on 2 occasions but planned those trips a year in advance to take myself and 3 kids to Disneyland and WDW My problem with the expense of Disney is you're not getting as much value for your dollar as you once did. I understand the rising costs. A day ticket broken down by the hours spent at the park is cheaper than going to the movies on a Saturday night. That starts to change when you add multi lightening lane and individual lane passes,, being at the parks more than a day, food and merchandise. (I try. but I just can't resist Disney merch!) That easily adds more an $100 per day per person. When you look at the cost of staying on property at any of the parks around the world Disney fails on an epic scale. WDW is the only location with Value options and even then you can get WAY better possibilities off property. The perks of staying on property have dwindled so badly that I cannot convince myself to stay on property unless I'm lucky enough to stay with a friend that has DVC. I still think Disney is worth it. Just not yearly and not on property. Careful planning allows for a fun trip. There's not any bells and whistles to go with it though. Many CMs are wonderful but the magic rarely happens. Fun memories but not necessarily magical memories.

[@himynameiscorey]

credit card debt is a prolific issue in american society in general and disney debt is just another symptom of this

[@katrinaandrews5263]

I haven’t been since 2018.. coming from Canada it’s just too expensive.. since I’ve been there is no draw with price.. I’d rather spend the same amount or less and go somewhere new with my family… however if there was incentive with a lower price I would have definitely visited again!

[@lohphat]

As a former cast member who started going to DL as a teen for less than $20 in the early 80s, I REFUSE to pay current prices -- I only go if a current CM or retiree passes me in for free. I will not play these games.

[@TubeLVT]

The Disney parks were theme parks. They now are merely amusement parks. The themes provided the vibes.

[@Richard-k6n]

When is it ALWAYS about Disney and NEVER about Universal. BOTH parks have seen significant increases in admission. Disney has always been the better buy at roughly the same price.

[@remyd8767]

Universal is just as expensive. People seem to think that Disney is the only one hiking prices. Even six flags with the recent cedar fair merger got super expensive for a crappy product. Tripled in price actually. And such flags did is $20 for a disgusting entree with no drink

[@michaelmadsen1222]

Any thoughts on how Disneyland is a fixed product (there is a fixed amount to go around) and the population of people wanting to go has gone way up?

[@disneylandlux]

“Taking on debt” means not paying off your full credit card balance each month. Fairly normal.

[@mcqueen133]

I just went last week to disneyland and yeah I was in debt yet again...totally worth every penny

[@rickroberts4848]

I am paying off a 4k loan we took for our last disneyland trip. We planned out the trip for over a year and where hoping to have free plane tickets due to we signed up for a credit card to get free miles. We'll we missed the fine print that said you need to have the credit card for 6 months before you could redeem points. So I got personal loan to pay for some plane tickets and spending cash.

[@KaiyaKramer]

Yeah it’s unfortunately gotten too expensive even with a magic key to make the trip down more and more.

[@willrontani5894]

I think much of this is a little bit overstated from CNBC who does not analyze their own issues but apply them to criticism of Universal Studios. So I question the intentions here. There are ways to cut costs. But people buy anyway. At some point Disney reaches the line. I do think folks are reaching the threshold.

[@remyd8767]

The whole thing about debt, i bet you know they are just counting anytime people used their credit card to pay for the vacation. That doesn't mean people took on debt and kept it. They may use their credit card to charge it instead of writing a check or paying with debit or cash. Paying with a credit card is much smarter since you will get various perks from protection. You use the credit card then pay it off before interest hits

[@blagoyavichrod]

Live in Fresno. Looked online to see what a Saturday trip, down and up in the same day, park hopper tickets for me, the wife and the boy: $777.00. ONE day.

[@climateanxiety2825]

Did that include parking and all the add ons?

[@cramfive3205]

Could it be that Disney needs the cash flow for all the park additions they are proposing? Maybe all the Disney+ bombs have killed the cash flow and the price hikes are mostly temporary. Just an idea.

[@patlatorres7000]

While living in California (no longer the case), I haven't been to Disneyland since 2004. It has been pretty much a combination of the overwhelming crowd size matched with the increasing ticket prices. I'm not going to drop $100.00 plus just to stand in these horrific lines -- and maybe get on four or five rides over a day. Or have to run from place to place and dial in this app and that app (as one who has little use for ANY cell phone apps! They either need to figure out how to say, "we're too full" and cut off admissions (perhaps a reservation system days in advance, how many state and national parks work today), or just figure they really don't need my money!

[@ct6852]

Do they ever turn people away?

[@ericiancarr]

There was a huge price increase when they opened up cars land, and I said they can keep increasing prices if they are going to sink money into the park like this. However, I've seen less investment in the park lately. Hopefully the new projects will help me feel good about high admission prices again.

[@bobsylviajr.1085]

Magic vs Profit? Profit, always.

[@BudoDave76]

Yes

[@Atyomommahouse-p2m]

Open up at night for us who just want to ride. No lines. No food or merch. No mascots no parades. No fireworks. Just let us bring our kids in and experience the rides atleast.

[@happymaskedguy1943]

“No line. No food or merch” This is honestly one of the least considered comments I’ve read. You realise it takes a small army of people to run the rides alone, right? Security, health and safety, operators, mechanics, gate staff, transport and so on. And you want Disney to pay all those people to stay on late, without getting the profit from guests from merch or food? Huh? 🫤

[@ashersarchives]

Walt started it for families. Eisner did good but wanted the money for the share holders. Iger pushed it a bit further. Chapeck put it full speed and cared nothing about but making money. Then Iger now is finishing what he told Chapeck to do but in the vain of ohhh look I care. They don’t care about us. They care about their bonuses getting more stock and cutting where they can to make the shareholders happy. I am a shareholder and I am not happy.

[@SamSitar]

before the pandemic i visited epcot. prices were MUCH LOWER back then. find other places to visit.

[@quinnhouk5369]

Last time we went to Disneyland they changed the Disability thing so now it only works for people with Autism. I have high functioning Cerebral Palsy but I think it can work for Autism too cause they’re similar

[@Randys-ge1vd]

How much hassle is too much hassle even for the rich? When you just wanna get away and relax.

[@brianscotpatterson2101]

We'll make this a short video: YES.

[@hamiltoncox7651]

Its supply and demand. Disneyland is packed day in and day out. There is no "off season" anymore. They seem to be near capacity even with all the closures and construction and diminished "magic" these days. As long as thats the case they can charge whatever they want.

[@davidculver5446]

No they are not packed. You can monitor almost daily by live streaming at the parks. Further if rides are closed it compresses park walk ways but nothing of note.

[@annlavine3576]

not paying for lightining lines

[@JP-1990]

You know what would probably be a cheap way to greatly add value to the parks? More characters! No more of this "rare character" nonsense. You should get to meet as many characters as possible. That would be, in my opinion, just as valuable as riding the rides.

[@be5376]

I’m not saying they are not worth it 1 million percent they are and more but the cast raises is one reason price will go up

[@be5376]

I’m not saying they are not worth it 1 million percent they are and more but the cast raises is one reason price will go up

[@usroadtripper]

Man, Brickey, I could make my own half hour video about this, but I'll just write you a book here instead. I've gone to WDW at least once a year for the last 26 years, and this is the first year where I've decided to skip it. It was literally cheaper for me to go to Dublin and Edinburgh for a week than to go to WDW. The flight is more, but everything else...attraction admissions, hotels, food, souvenirs...all of it is cheaper than at Disney. And I'm getting a brand new cultural experience instead of "another trip to Disney World." It's sad that this is how it happens. Last year, I spent four days in December at WDW and spent one day at MK. Out of my four days, only one of them was a full day where the park closed at 10:00pm. The other days it closed at 6:00pm for MVMCP. So if I wanted to get the most out of my full price ticket, I needed to go on the longest operating day. But everyone else thought this too, so the park was absolutely jam packed. So I forked out an extra $25 for Genie+ just so I didn't spend all day in line. They take away my option of spending a full day in the park most days (in favor of an overpriced after hours event) but still charge me a full price admission. And it's gotten worse and worse as they add more MVMCP dates every year. Why give people full days in the parks when you can charge them the same price for a shorter day, then charge them even more if they want to stay later? The whole thing has just started sitting so poorly with me that it's driven me away after 26 solid years of annual trips. And fuck Disney's $18 cocktails, man.

[@GeoTactics]

It's to keep the riff raff out.

[@bradkoerner1]

But what has really changed since 1971 or even 1955? Disney or the entitled attitude of Americans? Disney or the gutting of the middle class? In '55 or '71, the "typical" family would spend several days driving (burning dirt-cheap pre-embargo gas), stay in some dirt cheap dumpy motel in Kissimmee or on Harbor and go to the park for only one precious day. And they whined how expensive the fast food and merch was. Only the rich stayed at the Poly or Contemporary. Disney fans want to ignore that when Walt opened DL in '55, the media excoriated the park as being exorbitantly expensive. So now people whine when their airfare is expensive? When their 5-night stay in a luxury themed hotel with restaurant dining for every meal and all transportation covered is expensive? What is everyone really comparing? As for me, we're a middle class family and guess what -- we can't afford Disney, we can't afford "luxury" beach vacations, we can't afford skiing vacations, etc., anymore.

[@davidculver5446]

The Disney Company stock price today compared to 6 months ago has decreased over 20 percent. The market is not yet willing to buy with expectations of future gains.

[@tropmonky]

Multi Year Disneyland AP here. Visited Disney World a few years ago and felt penny pinched. Since then I've been to Universal Orlando twice, both times were VASTLY cheaper with one of their bundles. SHOCKED how much cheaper it was. Once my Disneyland AP Key comes up I'll be dropping it. The magic is gone for me now. 2018 was the best year, Max pass was great, fast passes worked... the new system is lame, there's a lack of entertainment all around which means more people are doing the things that are open (rides, food, character meets, etc). Another thing that killed Disneyland was going to the two Disney parks in Tokyo Japan. OMG, this reminded me of how Disneyland USED to be. I'm now willing to save my $ and go there, or do a Universal Orlando trip once a year instead of doing Disneyland 10-20 times a year. BYEEEEEEE Disneyland.

[@annlavine3576]

too $

[@TheParkLarkPrivate]

You’re disconnected from the reality of many, many Americans. Costs of living are so high and have been rising since Y2K , 25 years later, credit or as you put it debt, are part of balancing family budgets for millions of people. Credit is readily available to many people, so between low paying jobs, increasingly high prices, credit is how people spend on nonessential expenditures. Feel sorry all you want, but you need to understand the reality of people living on less than $60,000 annually. Iger on the other side of the spectrum lives on: “Bob Iger, the CEO of The Walt Disney Company, received $31.6 million in total compensation in 2023: Base salary: $865,385 Stock awards: $16.1 million Stock option awards: $10 million Performance-based compensation: $2.1 million Other compensation: $2.48 million”. This is the reality for vlogger content creators to spotlight not admission pricing. Fix the inequity compensation and prices will go down. There is absolutely no reasonable rationale for any CEO who does so little work to be compensated so extravagantly; absolutely no reasonable rationale!

[@Atyomommahouse-p2m]

Disney be like ice cream $18. Then hand it to you. And charge $12 for a cone, $5 for a napkin, $10 to reserve the table to eat it at. Then charge you are $5 table clean up fee. We think it’s funny now. But just watch.

[@Chan.711]

Funny thing is luxury people don't go to Disney like that lol. Why epcot, I'll go to Italy. Why epcot, I'll go to Morocco. Etc etc. Higher prices, smaller portions for food, rides that are constantly breaking down, and construction all over. And besides a few rides, it's all nostalgia or done wrong (galaxies edge lol). Without a bold course correction, they'll be the Macy's of theme parks. Still around but not the place Everyone goes to anymore

[@DocDoccus]

Was anyone else annoyed by that CNBC female narrator with the slurpy tweety-bird voice? I sure was. I needed to turn on the captions to understand her.

[@homerfeltheim12345]

You can go to Europe for less